The Adventures of Jeri & Penguin

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How to Save Money Living in an RV

Free overnight parking, boondocking, cheap RV campgrounds, and our paid memberships help keep our RV park expenses down. Samsung Pay earns us cashback. Groupon and free brochures from Visitor Centers are good resources for cheap and free local activities. Here is how we save money living in an RV. Don’t have time to read this now? Pin it for later!

Free Overnight Parking

  1. Walmart\Sams Clubs, Bass Pro Shops\Cabela's, and Cracker Barrel:

    • The rules vary by city.

    • It is best to call the store to verify if overnight parking is permitted.

    • You can check Campendium.com or Allstays.com but sometimes the rules change and these resources can be out of date.

    • We list the free overnight parking spots we stayed at on our route pages.

  2. Campendium.com:

    • Select “Always show FREE,” and this will list boondocking and overnight parking options.

    • Get more information, including links to our reviews in our online tools article.

Favorite Boondocking Spots

Favorite Cheap Campgrounds

Paid Memberships

  1. Boondockers Welcome: Free overnight RV parking on private property.

    • We have met some great people through Boondockers Welcome.

    • The people along with the option of longer stays (some hosts allow you to stay up to five days) are the reasons why we love this membership.

    • Where have we stayed? Check out our Boondockers Welcome article for pictures and more information.

  2. Harvest Hosts: RV camping at wineries, breweries, farms, and more.

    • Harvest Hosts are awesome overnight options when you are traveling.

    • We have stayed in fun and unique places such as winery, distillery, museums, and alpaca farm.

    • Read about our first Harvest Hosts experience in our Harvest Hosts article, take a look at pictures from places we have stayed and get more information.

    • If you love wine you have to check out Harvest Hosts.

  3. Passport America: Saves you 50% at campgrounds.

    • Passport America is a great way to find an inexpensive place for a night or a few days.

    • It is also a great way to stay at a very nice RV park with lots of amenities for a reasonable price for a night or a few days

    • Which campgrounds have we stayed at? Check out our Passport America article for pictures, reviews, and more information.

  4. Good Sam: Save 10% at parks and campgrounds

    • Lots of participating parks and campgrounds

Samsung Pay - Earn Cash Back

  1. Earn cashback when you make online purchases through Samsung Pay

    • We have earned cash back at Groupon and Walmart.com

      • To date, we have earned $27 in cashback

      • It’s free money to buy the things you were already going to buy!

  2. Tons of cash-back merchants!

Activities

  1. Groupon: Good discounts on local activities. Groupon often runs sales on Local Deals where you can save even more money so check Groupon often.

    • Our favorite Groupon so far has been Musicians Hall Of Fame & Museum in Nashville, TN. Get that Groupon here.

    • Another good one for new members is this Groupon for a one-year membership to Sam’s Club. Get that Groupon here.

    • Click here to check Groupon. See what local deals you can find.

  2. Visitor Centers: Lots of brochures and some list free activities

    • Louisiana Visitor Center - Free coffee and a great list of 50 free activities, including one bar that had free oysters and live music on Fridays

Interested in life on the road? Take a look at our RV Life articles. What are we doing next? Don’t miss an article, subscribe today.

Money Saving Tips - How to Save Money Living in an RV

Bass Pro Shops in Colorado Springs, CO

Sawtooth National Forest. Get more information in our Boondocking in Sawtooth National Forest article.