With winter and spring behind us, families across America are reveling in long sunny days and the chance to spend time together outdoors. For many of us, summer fun is all about camping. 

According to a new report by Kampgrounds of America (KOA), camping accounted for 40% of all leisure trips taken in 2021. They found that more than half of American travelers (53%) included camping in some or all of their vacations last year, and many families plan to make camping part of their plans for 2022 and beyond.

Folks from nearly 60 million households took at least one camping trip last year, with more than 9 million of them trying camping for the first time. And RV fans won’t be surprised to hear this statistic: KOA found that 11 million RV owners camped last year, and two million people rented RVs for the first time in 2021.

If you’re an experienced camper, you know how great a night out under the stars can be. Being outdoors is great for your physical health and can even lower your stress levels – something many of us find especially welcome these days.

But you probably also know that camping requires good equipment, and that means camping and summer travel expenses can be high if you don’t make smart money moves. If you’re buying or renting an RV for your camping trip, that adds a whole lot to the price tag. 

Keeping Your Summer Travel Expenses Under Control

So how do you have the best possible camping fun this summer, but still keep your summer travel expenses under control? 

If you have a big purchase like a tent in mind, it’s likely to run you at least a few hundred dollars or more. Popular Mechanics’ picks for the Best Family Tents For Taking the Whole Crew Camping run as high as $525. 

To fund a purchase like this, one approach is looking at your current budget. Is there money you’re spending on food from restaurants or pricey coffees that you could save toward summer camping expenses instead? 

But if that won’t be enough to cover your summer camping plans, you can also look into taking out a small personal loan at a fixed rate. Our “Friendly Franklin Folks” are happy to sit down with you in one of our neighborhood branches and find the right choice to fit your budget. 

You can even begin your application online, and then come in for a face-to-face conversation with your 1st Franklin Financial team member to go over the rates and terms to be sure you’re happy as you complete your application. Our team can go over all the particulars, explaining exactly how our personal loans work to help you make the very best budgeting decisions. 

Whether your summer will be all about camping or other summer travel, we hope it’s a joyful and safe summer for you and your family! 

To find a 1st Franklin Financial location near you, click here.