Why Money Matters

Rubbing Pennies started as a personal challenge to save $10,000 in one calendar year. As a young couple, we (Ian and Jen) know how important it is to live within your means, avoid acquiring a lot of debt and have a healthy financial cushion to fall on in case of emergency. On April 10, 2010, we set out on the journey of marriage with two steady incomes, a newly purchased home, one vehicle payment, and a very modest savings account. In an effort to beef up our piggy bank, we launched Rubbing Pennies in January 2012. This is our story of how we love the life we live, and how we can afford it.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Was Hiking/Camping An Inexpensive "Vacation"?

   No. In the sense that hiking the Appalachian Trail was not a vacation by any meaning of the word. In any way, shape or form under any circumstances would it be considered a vacation. It could be considered an anonym. It was the most physically exhausting and strenuous thing I have ever put my body through. But it was an accomplishment and my husband and I bonded in a totally new way. A survival kind of way.

 




   Anyway, here's the spindown on the spending for this week-long trip (About half of our equipment we purchased with giftcards over a few years. So some of it didn't come out of our pocket but here is the budget anyhow):
  • Tent - $25 Gander Mountain brand on clearance
  • Tarp - $8
  • Sleeping bags, rated for 40 degree temp. - $40 each.
  • Sleeping pads - $40 each. (One was a hand-me-down so we only had to buy one more.)
  • Hiking packs - $70 each. (One was a hand-me down so we only had to buy one more.)
  • Cooking burner - $30, and compact gas tank x 2 - $6 each.
  • Light-weight cooking set, 2 pots - $25
  • Camping dishes - $20
  • 10 gallon water bag we didn't use - $30
  • 800ml water bottles w/ survivor kit inside - $10 ea. x 2
  • Hiking boots for Ian - $75 Columbia brand on clearance (I bought mine years ago)
  • Misc hiking food, granola bars, meat for homemade jerky, oatmeal, tuna, ramen noodles, mac/cheese, nuts. - $50
  • High-ankle socks for both of us - $16
  • Hiking shorts for me, 3 pair - $25 for all three, non-name brand
  • Doggie hiking pack for Willow - $35
  • Retractable leash for Willow - $20
  • Books and maps - $28
  • Hiking poles, collapsible set of two - $20 
  • Misc. chapstick, bandaids, etc. $20
For a grand total of $649 plus 2 tanks of gas in the truck, $160, to get to Georgia and back. So you're looking at about $800. For a week in the woods. Was it really a money-saver? No. But we bought this stuff over several years so we weren't out of pocket $800 on the week of the trip. We purchased less than half our gear the week before the trip. So really, maybe $150 plus gas. ** And mom and dad chipped in for gas :) Was it really a vacation? NO.
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