Boujee Budget Travel

For my BFF’s birthday, a group of us decided to get away to Ruidoso, NM. To keep it economical, we decided to camp! Mother Nature had other plans as it turned out to be incredibly windy with chances of snow and low temperatures. Rather than renting a potentially pricey hotel room nearby, we opted to stay at the campsite BUT in a cute teepee!

This turned out to be a fantastic option. The teepee included 2 twin beds, 2 sets of towels and washcloths, and a small space heater (or fan for warmer months). It was small, but sturdy, and we didn’t feel any of the crazy wind or cold outside. Restrooms/showers were a short walk away and were impressively clean. This location was close to walking trails as well as shops and eateries. It was really a perfect location and the teepee rental for two nights cost just over $100 (booked last minute so could possibly be cheaper when booked in advance).

For entertainment, we hung out at the campsite where we cooked and ate a potluck-style dinner and sat around the fire pit (grill). We also drove out to White Sands, which would normally be about $25/vehicle, but we were able to take advantage of free entry. It’s really an awe-inspiring site and everyone should make the trip to see it at least once!

For additional entertainment we walked through town and even saw Matthew McConaughay filming! We then decided to do an escape room. A little pricey at $30/person but it was a fun treat and we love to support local. Plus we didn’t want to be outside in the wind. All together, entertainment costs came out to about 40/person if including gas.

Food turned out to be the most expensive cost on this adventure. Besides the campout meals, we had one lunch at a pizza spot (Downshift Brewery) and one celebratory dinner (D.H. Lescombes). The pizza spot had a gluten free pizza crust which was appreciated, but it was a little costly for being only OK as far as taste goes. Lescombes was good but also overpriced for pasta. For both meals (one 12’ gf pizza, one gf pesto pasta with shrimp added, one italian soda, and one ginger beer), the total came out to about $60 including tips.

All in all, the entire weekend cost less than $300 including food, shelter, fuel, and entertainment. Not bad for a weekend full of fun and laughter with friends.

Also, congrats to my BFF on her engagement at White Sands! 🤟🏽 errday my girl!