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| Even the dog is on a tiny budget, his new harness was 70% off and came in "Naughty" or "Nice". |
Little Harley Dog and I hit the road again yesterday. He loves everywhere we camp, until we leave, then he looks a bit sad. But at the next spot, his enthusiasm soars. I guess the little fellow is getting the hang of being nomadic. Along the way we stopped for groceries at Save-A-Lot. This is a no-frills store, that is very easy on the budget. (Take your own bags, they charge extra if you use their bags.)
Speaking of being frugal in America, I've found if I stick to a few discount stores, I can really stretch a dollar a very long ways. These smaller stores seem to often beat the competition of the big chains such as Walmart, K-Mart and the large grocery chains.
My favorite frugal shopping stores are:
Goodwill Industries (I cruise there often for wardrobe selections and stuffed toys for the doggy, I often leave empty handed, other days I find a beautiful outfit that fits perfectly for a fraction of new cost, stuffed toys for the dog are often 25-50 cents compared to $5-$20 at the pet stores)
Dollar General (I find some foods at a super bargain as well as cleaning supplies, household stuff, pet supplies)
Dollar Tree (everything is $1, some stuff is a real bargain, some is overpriced junk, I find some good deals on food, Harley bought some dog sweaters and a rain coat for $1)
Big Lots (odd ball stuff, like my 99 cent plastic baskets that fit my refrigerator and upper cabinets perfectly, I recently saw the identical baskets in another store for $4.99, also found my camping chairs and outdoor table there super cheap)
It was 79F degrees when we arrived at our latest campground yesterday but 59 when I woke up early this morning to watch the sunrise. Lakes, trails, trees, grass, nature, just the sort of place a mermaid needs to nurture her soul and body. Also, this place is $7 night cheaper than the last place, if I paid the weekly rate (YIPPIE!). Their first opening was Sunday, so we hit the road to get here before they filled up again. I don't much care for the fancy RV resorts with a long list of amenities, I just want to be close to nature. The less pavement, the better for me.
We had the added bonus of the fact this park has two fenced-in doggy parks! Harley has never been to a dog park until yesterday. He was at first a bit overwhelmed with the large selection of dogs sniffing him over, but he quickly fit in. However, he managed within a few minutes of our arrival, to center himself smack in the middle of the park, where all eyes were trained on the "new arrival". Then he took a nice long puppy poop...
Gee, thanks.
Now the new girl (me) had to take center stage, to go clean that up. Grrrrrr... I had walked him around the outside area, before entering, hoping he would relieve himself in private. I hovered around, hoping... I always have clean-up bags attached to his leash, but this park gives them away free. Wow! Must be some seriously lazy dog owners out there.
The ranger that checked me in at Wickham Park in Melbourne, Florida, was extremely courteous. He assigned me a spot, with an option to look at others, if I wanted to change my location. It turns out the place he gave me was huge. Matter of fact, I was able to turn my motorhome perpendicular to the other rigs, so Harley and I ended up with a great play yard plus a view of the woods, rather than a view of the neighbors. After being packed in like a sardine at Whispering Pines RV Park, this was heavenly. I liked Whispering Pines, but the lots seemed tiny, my neighbor could easily spot a crumb on my indoor table from inside her trailer.
Last summer when I was searching for Altamaha Regional Park, down a lonely country road, a sign suddenly announced "Pavement Ends". I smiled, I knew this was my kind of park. The roads were dirt and sand, the oak trees dripped in Spanish moss. The host was new and goofy, but extremely courteous. When she found out I was alone, she insisted on sending out a guy to help me settle in. Talk about true southern hospitality.
At Whispering Pines Mobile Park, my neighbor to the right had gone on vacation elsewhere, but you can see just how close their utility pole is to my assigned parking spot. Harley's play area wasn't much more than a postage stamp. My picnic table is actually on the neighbor's lot. I didn't need it, so I didn't bother to move it to a handier place. Harley would be in their living room, had they been parked on their lot.
On a funny side note, the new host gave me directions to my site that included driving right through a wooden fence. I followed the directions, before her male help arrived, he was relieved, I didn't knock down the fence, but backed up and took a different route to my spot. He was all apologetic that she was new and didn't realize her hand drawn map took me right through the fence.
Lately, I've spent hours upon hours researching budget friendly places in Florida. The high priced RV Resorts are advertised everywhere, but for the frugal camper, you have to dig deep, make phone calls, do a ton of research. Let's face facts, Florida is pricey! There aren't many bargains at all. I've had to dig pretty deep, to find just a handful of affordable places. I have the added problem, of needing Internet access whenever possible, so I can continue working.
Luckily my new provider, Virgin Mobile, has a map where I can type in my proposed address and it tells me whether there is coverage or not. So far their map doesn't lie, unlike AT&T who is still harassing me to fulfill a 2 year contract. Their coverage map is all wrong, full of misleading information. Budget parks rarely provide WiFi coverage. Some offer it as an add-on or let you hang out near their office and use theirs.
I don't need Internet for fun, I need it because 99% of my erratic income is from Internet activities, such as promoting my book Hurricanes and Hangovers, Dear Miss Mermaid Subscriptions, designing products for Dear Miss Mermaid's Treasure Chest, freelance writing for Yahoo, Ehow and others.
Crysytal Lake RV Park, where I recently stayed briefly near Mims, Florida, had a sign posted in the office that WiFi is available throughout the park. However, when I inquired, it required a $4.95 daily fee, a bit pricey I thought. Luckily my Virgin Mobile Internet was working. I also noticed the Crystal Lake RV Park website reads; "Alligators are present in the lake, now swimming allowed."
I giggled when I read that! Does this mean people check-in but they don't check out? Tired of your children? Take them swimming with the gators! Sick of your spouse? Push them in the lake one night! You know, I did notice there were a lot of RV's for such few people around...
Well, I've got to rest up now. At least I can quit moving for a week while I get rid of this bronchitis before it turns to pneumonia.
A Big Thank You To The Angels Who Help Support a Recovering Mermaid
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