Money-Saving Tips for RVing With Kids

RV Life

Want to know one of our very best money-saving tips for experiencing budget-friendly family travel? RVing, of course! RVing with kids is tons of fun, and by traveling in an RV, you can actually save a ton of money. This means more travel, more awesome experiences, and more time spent as a family.

The thing is, while RV travel can be very inexpensive, it is not automatically that way. In fact, if you aren’t consciously thinking about your budget, RVing can get really expensive really quickly.

So how do you make sure your RV is used for budget-friendly family travel? Just use these awesome money-saving tips for RVing with kids below!

Buy a Used RV

If you haven’t yet bought your RV, we highly recommend buying used. New RVs drop in value quite a bit pretty much immediately after you drive them off the lot, and let’s be honest, a brand new RV really isn’t that much different than one made 5 years ago.

Choosing a used RV in good condition will allow you to have a much lower monthly payment (or possibly even pay for the whole thing in cash), meaning you have more money to set aside each month for your RV adventures.

Learn to Boondock

Boondocking will save you money no matter how often you camp. What is boondocking, you ask? Simply put, it is camping without hookups, usually in the wilderness (aka “the boonies”).

Most RVs come equipped with holding tanks and a battery, so really, anyone with an RV can boondock. That said, we highly recommend picking up a generator and learning a bit about water conservation before your first trip.

Once you’ve done that, use RV Life Campgrounds to find awesome free boondocking spots all across the country!

Invest in Reciprocal Passes

Most kids will happily play in the campground for hours, especailly if there is a playground or pool involved. That said, it is nice to get out of the campground and explore the area you’re visiting as well. That’s where reciprocal passes can help you save some money!

There are reciprocal memberships available for museums, zoos, botanical gardens, and even amusement parks nationwide. There is even a national parks reciprocal pass called “America the Beautiful”. These passes give you free or discounted admission to attractions all over the country.

We highly recommend picking up a couple of different kinds of reciprocal passes and using them wherever you roam. In fact, this might just be one of the very best money-saving tips for RVing with kids!

Some of the best reciprocal programs include:

ASTC — science centers
AZA — zoos and aquariums
NARM — art museums and niche museums
ACM — children’s museums
Merlin Group — theme parks and other attractions
Six Flags — amusement parks
SeaWorld — amusement parks
Cedar Fair — amusement parks
America the Beautiful — national parks

Take Advantage of the National Parks 4th Grader Pass

If you happen to be RVing with a 4th grader, you actually don’t even have to pay for your national parks pass. That’s right, every single 4th grader out there is entitled to a free annual national parks pass! This pass can be used at every park in the system and gives the cardholder (as well as their family) admission to the parks they visit.

Ask a park ranger to help you sign up, or visit this page for more information!

Visit During Slow Season

Want to visit a popular tourist attraction, but don’t want to spend a small fortune doing it? Visit during the slow season! Places like Disney World, Colonial Williamsburg, and Universal Studios become much more affordable during the slow season.

Sometimes the ticket prices drop automatically, but other times you may have to look for special deals or discounts. Either way, it’s well worth planning trips to expensive spots like this when the crowds and prices are lower.

Find Free Fun

Free fun can be found literally anywhere. Hiking trails are often 100% free and are a great way to immerse yourself in an area. Libraries offer free classes and events, and often even offer free museum passes (though you may have to ask for a guest library card).

Festivals—especially those in small towns—are often free and usually include live entertainment and other fun sights. Of course, playgrounds are always a good bet too, and there are a number of interesting ones scattered across the country.

Look for these kinds of things before each trip. You may be surprised how much fun you can have without spending a single penny!

Always Have a Plan for Food

Absolutely nobody likes to listen to “hangry” kids fight and complain. On the other hand, paying to grab a quick snack or meal for an entire family at a fast food restaurant is anything but cheap. For this reason, it is absolutely crucial that you always have a plan for food.

Traveling in an RV usually means you have a whole kitchen on hand. Make meals at home using a slow cooker or Instant Pot to make things easier on yourself. Meal prep before you leave home if you want more time to spend with the family rather than in the kitchen. Consider grilling out if it’s too hot to cook inside.

Pack lunches when you go on outings, and even if you won’t be out during a mealtime, always keep granola bars and other easy-to-pack, non-perishable snacks on hand. This way, you have something to hand the kids until you can get back home for a meal.

As you can see, there are tons of money-saving tips for RVing with kids that will help you maintain budget-friendly family travel wherever you roam. Put these tips to use and then use the money you save to go on even more amazing RV adventures with your family!