Learn creative ways to save money and create wealth every Thursday on the Evening Report at 6:00pm, by watching Change in Your Pocket.

Saving on Camping

So you want to escape from the city and find a place on the sand with your name on it this weekend. That doesn`t mean you have to blow hundreds of dollars on equipment and gas. There are a few campsites less than an hour away, including General Sibley Park in Bismarck.

"We`re fully booked at this point. And I think we actually have more people that want to tent camp too because there`s just nowhere else to go," said Park Manager Martha Willand.

With tent sites going for about ten dollars a night, it easily beats any hotel room or cabin. You can potentially save even more if you have AAA. Some parks give discounts to card members.

"They might honor that. That`s kind of their discretion, but if you show your card and save with AAA, they might give you a discount anywhere from five to 15 percent," said AAA Insurance Agent Leiani Schatz.

If you`re only planning to camp once or twice a year, there`s no sense in spending $80 on a brand new tent. Ask your friends. They might have one you can borrow. You can also browse your local thrift store.

"We have lots of really reasonable kitchen items, if you want to throw them in the camper. Very reasonable silverware, tupperware, coolers. We get a lot of air mattresses in that sell really quickly," said Seeds of Hope Manager Lisa Feist.

You can put together a set of silverware for less than a dollar. They also sell grills and pots and pans.

"So if you break it or your kids lose it, it`s not that big a deal," Feist said.

Before you go packing that cooler, consider this; you can make your own ice cubes at home. Just rinse out a few empty milk cartons, fill them with water and stick them in the freezer. Now, they will take up more space in your cooler, but they won`t melt as fast as traditional ice cubes and it`ll save you a few bucks.

Finally, if your day at the beach gets rained out, which tends to happen on Memorial Day, pick up a few board games or a deck of cards. Those can be found at, you guessed it, the thrift store. Just a few ways to enjoy the holiday and leave a little change in your pocket.

You can also save by bringing your own firewood. However, it`s a good idea to call ahead to the park to make sure they allow guests to burn their own.