Can no longer afford
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Having found the prices on club sites increase to far more than we are prepared to pay we have avoided this clubs sites since early May of this year. Camping club sites have been cheaper with the age discount and more recently we have used their temporary holiday sites at ten or twelve pound per night which is a fraction of the price for a club site. We have thus managed to go away for just as many nights as normal as we don't need EHU, a posh toilet block or manicured grass. Economy is the key for us.
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OH has fixed price contracts for both gas and electricity for our local Guide Hall, there are no get out clauses in them to cover unexpected price rises. And it is very expensive if the consumer wishes to get out of the contract.
Fortunately they run for 3 years, through to January 2024. Hopefully the crisis will be over by then!
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That is the approach we have adopted too, though for us, having EHU is an essential, so savings are less. We can do, and have done, a one night basic stopover without EHU, but that would be the max as I would worry about the battery. We do use gas for heating and HW when colder, to boost the Alde, but the Alde pump, the water pump, and the mover are power hungry.
We started using CLs more often, when there are just the 2 of us, about 6-7 years back and found we liked them better than larger sites, so have been increasing the number we use each year.
I have now got used to the "luxury" of serviced pitches at reasonable prices, and these days we would rather pay a little extra for a serviced pitch on a no facilities site than use one with everything laid on. No point in paying for facilities we do not need or intend to use.
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Our personal fix ran out in January this year, unfortunate timing! We only had a one year fix, longer ones were not readily available up here.
Our DD for the house has so far gone up to about 2.5 times what it was, so we are making a few economies these days.......switching off things etc etc. Will be interesting to see what difference that and our new gas boiler make, hoping for a decent saving in use if not in money!
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Got the e-mail offering 'Hurry, summer getaways still available at Gowerton club site', as we stayed there last year, earlier today.
Offer is £39.63 per night.
We paid £32.80 per night last year before the VAT reduction, but to keep apples for apples:. 20.8% increase.
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Don't forget that there is also some savings to be made whilst not being at home. You won't be using gas, water or electric at home. OK, it may not be a massive saving but it all counts.
We never count food eaten in the caravan as being a holiday cost. We would have to eat if we were at home and we limit ourselves to no more than two meals out during a week, usually it is only one. We have a good breakfast before we go out in a morning and then just have a cup of tea and maybe a scone mid afternoon before returning for a meal in the caravan in the evening.
Up until Covid we went to France most years and whilst fuel and campsites were cheaper over there we still had to pay for the ferry and Red Pennant which were still a not inconsequential net expense and we invariably covered many more miles than if we had stayed in the UK. For us, those expenses have gone for the time being at least.
This year we went for two weeks to the Isle of Wight and even with the most expensive ferry crossing in the world mile for mile, we managed to keep the costs down to under £500 per week using a very nice CL with EHU and shower / toilet, (£19.00 / night). The total figure included £60.00 each way for diesel for a 400 mile round trip, meals out and entry to various attractions. Whenever we can we use our National Trust membership for free entry to places (I know it's not actually free) and have a 2 for 1 voucher book for many gardens and attractions.
As has been said further up the thread, being only 25 miles, or even less, from home can seem like a thousand miles away.
The bottom line is that caravan holidays can almost be as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be or need it to be. We certainly couldn't have anywhere near as many days away from home if we went in hotels or even B & Bs for the same total expenditure..
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If I were as young as you I would sell the motorhome , free up some capital, and travel some other way. Budget airlines are amazingly cheap, and outside the UK trains are too, AirBnb has all sorts of bargains, and gap year student children can give good advice on how to go places without breaking the bank. Motorhomes and caravans are not the only way. Good wishes to you.
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Just to balance that as you're making it sound over two posts as if the club prices are high, but in reality club prices are middle of the road.
Quiet site SP is £50, Skelwith Fold is £53, and the CCC site at Windermere is £53. Many of the others are about £40+.
On the sites I've been on this year they have been fuller than in previous years, and full at weekends.
You've found sites that give you the quality and price you're after so just be happy. I'm sure all those users at club sites I've been on are equally happy. Actually there is one who is even more happier and thinks they're all better choices than the ones you have chosen, but it's up to the individual to decide?
I'm not sure who you're posting to with all these comparisons? Are you trying to convince people who use club sites they're making some form of economic mistake?
If club prices are too expensive for anyone and/or don't give value for money, don't use them. No argument from me there at all. To answer the OP no I'm not feeling the pinch or go away any less. I'm very lucky, I know, but from a quick read of the replies has anyone said they are going away significantly less? Perhaps just changing the way they tour?
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We decided to try something a bit different for a longer trip this year, something we have never done before. We won’t truly “wild camp”, at least not somewhere we would be an annoyance to say local residents, but we are quite happy overnighting on stopovers, Aire type pull ins. So we planned a return to Dumfries and Galloway, partially utilising some such stops, combined with a couple of nice CLs. We did a bit of research, found some good places that we thought would suit us, and happily it all came together nicely. We did learn a lot…… the pro’s and cons of hopping from one stopover to another, best arrival times, what kind of facilities are essential, which are merely desirable, and I have to say on the whole, it was great fun, and felt very different. It’s something we would definitely do again. The main things it taught us was being well prepared for no hook up, take advantage of the extras close by such as swimming pools, cycling/walking venues on the cheap, look up shopping/fuelling opportunities if you are away from towns, and just how nice the camaraderie is alongside others doing the same, and willing to share places to stay. We recognised that we needed to add in another CL for a longer stay, rather than having three, four days of driving with only one night in each location, but mainly to get more cycling in.
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We too got an email like that, the first one sometime last week, and another one today.
The curious thing about it, for us, is that our emails are for Cirencester Club Site "as we have stayed there before".
Yes, correct, we have, I can't remember how long ago exactly, but it must be at least 7 years ago......
We have stayed on another CAMC site, Meathop Fell, as recently as February; had a look at availability there, and there is plenty of availability there too, even for BH August weekend; although 3 weekends in August have either the Friday or Saturday showing full. The last weekend of July is still available too. Cirencester has one weekend in August where just 1 night is full, so yes, slightly more availability, but still possible to book a fortnight at Meathop too.A mystery to me how that particular site was aimed at us, from a stay years ago.....
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We are very happy that we have found sites that we consider offer us better value for money than Club sites.
We all have our own opinions, and spending limits. Good for you that you are not "feeling the pinch", but everyone, as you have said, is not so lucky.
If we wanted, we could afford to use Club sites all the time, but we do not feel they offer us value for money. Nor are we these days making full use of the on site facilities, so we would rather use alternatives and save a bit to do other things with our money, or spend more time away. It is not in our nature or upbringing to be unnecessarily profligate.
My examples are purely to illustrate, like Take the Dog Along has, that there are other site providers who can offer alternative ways of touring, and less expensive pitches without any drop in standards. I do not see you commenting on her posts in the way you do on mine.
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Maybe because TDA doesn’t make price comparisons and continually try to justify her actions.🤷🏻♂️
Sorry, if that offends, Kj, but you do rather labour the points as if you feel the need to defend your stance and, by doing so, invite counter comments because you put it across rather bluntly at times. It’s not a competition of who can do it cheapest or of which way is right or best. We all do what suits us as individuals and shouldn’t need to defend our ways. Nor should any one of us feel obliged to detail our spending or financial habits or to comment on the ways of others. We are all free to do as we please within the realms of law and rules. I hope you take that as it was intended, an explanation and not an attack.👍🏻
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Well you say you're happy but frankly you keep posting about the precise prices compared to club prices a number of times in this thread as if you're trying to prove something to either yourself or to others.
TDA does mention other providers but as far I can see does not give precise comparisons to named club sites the way you have in such detail. You appear to be trying to justify to someone, who I don't know, why you have chosen the sites you like and we should too, and really you don't have to justify anything.
And really you cannot say without any drop in standards as if it is some form of fact. You cannot be the arbiter of such things? I believe standards on your sites are not the same as club sites and vastly inferior to be honest but it is just my belief and I do not give it as a fact in the way you do. TDA does mention other sites but also says that value is subjective.
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I find "reasons" for doing something interesting and as we're on a CAMC forum the CAMC prices are the ones that attract the most comments. Earlier in the year we stayed on a CL very close to the Carnon Downs site, there was a very big gap in the prices on offer. Although the CL didn't have facilities it did have services to each pitch and was in every way a very pleasant place to be for a lot less outlay. As others have said there are ways to make money go further and many will find these ways if needed.
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I enjoy watching some videos of the, what should we say, lifestyle campers who live in their vans and tend to use free park-ups or car parks that allow overnight camping at a small charge. Sometimes they do stay at campsites and I have just watched a YouTube video by "Those Happy Days" when they stopped for the night at Porth Beach in Cornwall which cost £50 without electrics! They were shocked as well!!! I suppose you have to balance that against the wonderful location of the campsite but I don't suppose the facilities are any better than the average CMC site? Those that are constantly complaining about the price of sites, be they Club or other providers might want to ask themselves what they would do as an alternative. We have a week booked at Seacroft in October at a cost of £258 for a serviced pitch for a week. Just by way of an alternative I checked out a week at Experience Freedom at Cayton Village for the same dates, over £900. Over £400 at Lady's Mile Campsite at Dawlish (a commercial site we have recently stayed at). I think prices are going up everywhere and I doubt there will be much escape from them in the next couple of years.
David
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We too watch Liam & Janine (Those Happy Days) on youtube. Interestingly last year they stayed at Tristram at Polzeath, where they spent the day in the clip you refer to, for £35 with hook up and said that was the most expensive site they'd stayed at. We are booked for Tristram after the summer holidays at a reasonable fee given the location ie on the terrace next to the gate to the beach. It gets rammed in school holidays and the fees are very high!
We also watch the Trudgians who have changed their summer holiday from Hawes to New Forest Centeniary site due to cost of fuel.
Amongst other you tubers there are a group who 'compete' and get kit to 'test' , 2 of whom are setting off to europe in the next week or so. One are going to Albania and back and reckon the cost has increased from £3k to £5k due to fuel.
Slightly off topic there are other you tubers doing various things. An older couple 'Wizard in the Wild' are using their MH solar panel and lithium battery to power domestic appliances in their home. Having solar PV system on our home we know the benefits of changing the way we use electrickery can be low cost.
There are caravaners on youtube too. Interesting ways people do things. One couple are in the current fire region in France, they've not posted in nearly 2 weeks, hope they are ok.
Another 'The Rolling Rucks' gave details of where to fill LPG tanks at a reasonable price. Others point out lpg stations as they travel the UK, particularly worthwhile.
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Since the Club seem to be continually bleating about rising energy costs, it puzzles me that a non-EHU option is not offered. Whilst they offer an all-in price, could it be that they actually make a bit of profit on providing EHU over and above the cost of provision of the energy and amortisation of infrastructure costs?
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CY
Might be a good question to put to the AGM if the format is the same this year where you can ask in advance? I don't know what the objection would be except perhaps one of policing such a situation?
David
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continually bleating?
Yes it's been said numerous times before about making a profit in this way, and why not, apart as an ex banker you can't be against profits (?) more profit equals more money to spend on sites new and old. I've no objection if this is the case. If anyone objects then the answer is clear.
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If anyone objects then the answer is clear.
Yup it is very clear, that is why of the 19 sites I have so far used this year only 4 have been C&MC sites. Those 4 were on my latest 30 day trip and were by far the most expensive being £7 more per night than comparable sites.
peedee.
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Exactly. The law refers to the re-sale of metered electricity so if the club is adding on a theoretical bit to cover overheads, they're not breaking the law.
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Yes can't argue with that PD if it's based on you personally objecting about my point about the club making a profit in the way described, but it sounds as if the cost of the sites was a more deciding factor to you?
Again comparable by who? Comparing sites is very subjective and your idea of comparable may not be anyone's else. Personally from what I see when I look round other non club sites either on the ground or by pictures is that club sites are always better. As said somewhere usually economies equates to compromise and I'm not willing to do that.
From what I've seen this year club sites are doing very well, with full sites at weekends and fullish during the week so a lot of others share my view perhaps.
Either way, as I've always said people should choose what they think they want to pay.
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CY, the Club has a list of sites where you can have a no hook up pitch…..
the prices at first glance are a bit smoke and mirrors, as it’s only quoting pitch plus one occupant. They will be designated pitches, shown on the site maps for each Site.
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And I thought I had insomnia
JK
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