Be bold.  Be cheap.  Camp.

You’re young.  You’re broke.  You want to hug trees and sleep under the stars.  Onward, five-borough-nature-loving-soldiers.  This is RecessionGirl’s camping edition.  Complete with campsites that are no more than 2 hours outside of Manhattan.  There’s a good hodgepodge of campgrounds below from beachside to mountainside; Strong Island to the Catskills.  All you need is a few dollars and a dream. 

You also might want to do a pedestrian drive-by the newly opened Eastern Mountain Sports in SoHo on Broadway and Prince. I personally find most of  their equipment overpriced, but if you’re in a rush or just need to experience your product first-hand then they are great.  The quality is comparable to REI for all of you West Coast transplants.  If you want a cheaper alternative, I highly recommend www.backcountry.com.  Now, lets get our camp on:

http://blackbearcampground.com/

http://www.dutchesscountycampground.com/

http://nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/info.asp?parkID=52

http://nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/info.asp?parkID=57

http://nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/info.asp?parkID=153

http://nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/info.asp?parkID=48

(***Hither Hills is one of the busiest and most beautiful campgrounds in the United States of America and typically books 9 months in advance.  You can call periodically to see if there are cancellations, but for peak season, mark your calendar in October for July reservations, or just try your luck and show up around 11:00am when folks are checking out sometimes miracles happen).

For more New York State camping options further away, check the link below.  Consider the finger lakes for wine tasting and a chance meeting with the Amish who heavily populate several counties upstate:

http://nysparks.state.ny.us/

Be bold.  Be cheap.  Camp.

Be bold. Be cheap. WWOOF.

WWOOFing has been around for years and has helped generations of people live and travel on a shoestring. WWOOF originally stood for Willing Workers on Organic Farms, but has transformed into World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. It works like this: You go to the farm of your choice and are provided a place to sleep, food to eat and new people to meet. In exchange, you make a civic contribution in the form of labor. Genius. Makes RecessionGirl’s heart go pitter-patter. Sounds almost free, but you have to foot the bill for your transportation of course.

The WWOOFing website can help you find local opportunities to get out of Brooklyn for a weekend or help you to cover costs on an around-the-world trip if you want an immersion experience. I know folks who have worked at vinyards in Italy, dairy farms in New Zealand and others who’ve picked olives in Greece. I helped make soap somewhere upstate New York last year and it was a very cleansing experience, ridiculous and sad pun intended. Don’t take my word for it. See how cheap and easy it is for yourself:

http://www.wwoof.org/northamerica.asp
http://www.wwoofusa.org/what.html

RecessionGirl Tip: As much as possible try to get a feel for the people you will be working for before you depart. While WWOOFing is generally fun, I have heard of some unfortunate stories where the host farmers were less than courteous and the living conditions would have provided a challenge for Sanford and Son. Exercise due dillegence and enjoy your open-air working vacation.

Be bold. Be cheap. Volunteer on an Organic Farm.

Be bold. Be cheap. Snowshoe.

Snowshoeing is very inclusive. If you have friends who have sports injuries, are on a budget or who have never skied/snowboarded before, you can pretty much bank that they’ll be able to snowshoe. Snowshoeing is an ideal way to catch up on conversation with friends while moving around in a scenic environment.

To get full value throughout the season it’s best to buy snowshoes. If you’re considering buying snowshoes, RecessionGirl recommends renting for the first session and talking with the rental crew about what to look for when purchasing a proper shoe. It’s good value if you buy because you could even shoe Prospect Park or Central Park if you want to be an urban eccentric on snowdays.

To Register for skiing or snowshoeing, click on the link below:
http://www.emiliosskishop.com/homage.htm

If you’re ready to purchase snowshoes start bidding:
http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=m38.l1313&_nkw=snowshoes&_sacat=See-All-Categories

Bus Picks up at Homage skateboard shop at 151 Smith Street @ Bergen (F,G to Bergen St. A,C to Jay St Borough Hall) between 2:00am and 5:00am. Return bus to Brooklyn departs locations between 4:00pm and 5:00pm. Check Emilio’s for schedule. Specifiy that you only want to pay for bus fair that you do not need the package deal.

Be bold. Be cheap. Run away.

Use your severance pay and unemployment benefits for a triumphant experience. Create a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for yourself. “But RecessionGirl. How can I do that on these meager wages?”

Like this:

1. Sublet your apartment for 10% more than what you pay in rent and ensure that
   utilities are an additional charge. This is legal, check it: http://www.housingnyc.com/html/resources/faq/subletting.html
2. Suspend your cell phone-service or pay a low fee to carry your plan while
   you’re out of town.
3. Enact a forbearance on your school loan. You can arrange to pay quarterly
   interest if you have the funds and are concerned about accrual.
4. Pay a holding fee to sustain your gym membership while you are away or
   claim hardship, whichever works.
5. Sell some stuff you don’t use on ebay or make a Brooklyn-style stoop sale.
6. Mooch off of friends and family for storage space if needed.
7. Chuck your resume on monster.com or similar and let it work for you while
   you’re chillin.
8. Take the little money you have and run. Go as far as you can. The economy
   will be better soon, subjecting you to all kinds of work obligations. You’ve
   been given a window of opportunity. Use it. Run.

Go to India. Go upstate. Meditate. Teach in Japan. Swim in Saipan. Drive an Airstream. Join a cross-country bike team. Write a book. Learn to cook. Volunteer, but don’t buy a souvenir. Save your money and hit-the-road. Here’s a few links to get started to help you lighten your load.

http://www.opc.org.nz

http://www.airstream.com

http://www.jobsabroad.com

http://www.discovermongolia.mn

http://www.jetprogramme.org

http://www.sivanandabahamas.org

http://www.airtreks.com

http://www.traveltomongolia.mn

http://www.moderncabana.com

http://www.lonelyplanet.com

http://www.volunteerabroad.com

http://www.teflcorp.com

http://www.teachinjapan.com

http://www.carmencuevas.com/en/Teachers.php

http://www.hostels.com/findabed.php?ChosenCity=Caye%20Caulker&ChosenCountry=Belize&Search=1

http://www.contikivacations.com/?source=goto&OVRAW=contiki%20tours&OVKEY=contiki%20tour&OVMTC=standard&OVADID=26880993012&OVKWID=7075951012

http://www.straytravel.com

Be bold. Be cheap. Run away.