I don’t have a trust fund. Or a sponsorship. Or a sugar daddy. All I have is a full-time freelancing career and a determination to make adventure work for me in my limited budget. That’s exactly why this blog is called Dirtbag Darling. The definition of “dirtbag” on Urban Dictionary: “A person who is committed to a given (usually extreme) lifestyle to the point of abandoning employment and other societal norms in order to pursue said lifestyle. Dirtbags can be distinguished from hippies by the fact that dirtbags have a specific reason for their living communally and generally non-hygenically; dirtbags are seeking to spend all of their moments pursuing their lifestyle.” I’m no stranger to dirtbagging it for a week to save some money—after all, a campsite without a shower is cheaper than a campsite with (“Thank goodness for baby wipes!” exclaim my armpits). Still, even if you shun amenities and scrimp and save, chasing adventure every weekend comes with a price. So here are a few tips I’ve picked up for saving money and affording travel: Get a credit card with airline mile rewards I like the idea of my money working for me—so every time you fill up on gas, use a credit card with airline mile rewards. You have to spend the money anyway, why not reap the rewards of free travel? If your credit allows it, airlines often offer in-flight credit card details that immediately award enough miles for a roundtrip in the continental US and beyond—just make sure to read the fine print. Carpool and couch surf Get used to the idea of sharing rides, tents, floors and couches. I’ve spent some of my most memorable vacations in the basement of a friend’s house or squeezed into a bunk bed with my fiancé with another couple below us—and it barely cost us a dime. Where I end up traveling has a lot to do with the cheapest airline option, but I've yet to be disappointed! Photo by Brandon Scherzberg Where I end up traveling has a lot to do with the cheapest airline option, but I’ve yet to be disappointed! Photo by Brandon Scherzberg Join an outdoor club If you’re still in college, see if your school offers any sort of outdoor course—usually excursions are included in the class price so you can use your loan money toward them. Otherwise, sniff out the bulletin board section at your local sporting good store and join some clubs! Members usually split costs and share campsites and gas bills. Invest wisely A few pieces of quality gear will last you forever. I think of my buying choices in terms of “cost per wear”— the initial costs lessens the more I wear something. If I buy a pair of hiking boots that are amazing quality for $200, and wear them for the next five years, they’ll have barely cost me anything at all. Multi-purpose pieces like a wetsuit, a down jacket, a headlamp, camp stove, a tent, a waterproof layer will be instrumental to a wide range of adventures, so invest in those first. The best investment I’ve ever made? An annual National Parks pass, which pays for itself in just a few visits. Explore locally Look at your hometown from a visitor’s point of view. What would you do there? Eat? See? Where would you hike? Seek those places out and get to know them. Start a food bin Food is already a money guzzler and you can end up spending a lot of spare cash on it when you go camping. Pick up a plastic storage bin for $6 at Target and start filling it up gradually with non-perishable leftovers: soup cans, that half bag of rice you never use, soy sauce packets from the Chinese takeout joint, plastic forks from that McDonalds run. You may need to invest in some food staples, but next time you go camping you’ll have much less to buy and can get creative with what you already have. Take advantage of the off-season deals My favorite tip is to take advantage of sales and weird hours. Let me explain: very few people are buying skis in May, and fewer are looking at bathing suits in November. Seek out deep discounts during these seasons—it may take some hunting to get the right size and style, but you can get expensive investment pieces for 50-75 percent off or more. The same goes for activities like snowboarding (you can usually cut the cost of your lift pass if you skip the slopes during the day and get the night pass) and travel. Get to know the sale seasons! Another tip? If you can be flexible with vacation dates and destinations, try Kayak.com’s Explore tool, which allows you to see hundreds of flight prices for the same month all in one place. Amazon Prime has saved me way more than I’ve spent on it—you get free two-day shipping (which usually only takes one day), and I’ve been able to find anything and everything I’m looking for much cheaper there. Craigslist Craigslist. Craigslist. Craigslist. For everything. I’m on Craigslist scanning the listings for my area (and the areas I travel to) for deals almost everyday. It can take up to a few months to find what you’re looking for, but when you do, you can usually score some pretty extreme discounts. My surfboard was from a guy in the next town over for under $100. Our windsurf boards came from the same place. Mountain bikes? You guessed it. That’s even where we found the first listing for the Sprinter. People are usually willing to bargain on price and you won’t have to pay anything close to retail. One day, you may want to invest in a sparkly new toy, but for now, used and abused is better than nothing! Save. Ruthlessly. I’ll admit it: sometimes I get myself into trouble (like when I buy an airline ticket and just pray my clients pay me on time!). But I really pride myself in saving my money. I’ve worked hard to make a decent living, so I have a little wiggle room as I pay back student loans, a mortgage, and car payments, but if I spent on every piece of gear I wanted, I wouldn’t be able to get out and use said gear because I’d be broke! It’s all about strict budgeting, careful planning and making tough decisions with money. It doesn’t matter how much you make: if you live simply, don’t want for much, make the tough choices (like passing up a night at the bar or the takeout sushi from Fresh Market because that means you have less gas money), and keep your eyes on the prize, you CAN afford the adventures you want to have. If you find yourself making excuses why you can’t….reconsider what you really want out of life and find a way! What are your cost-cutting tips for adventure? Would love to hear them in the comments!