99 Ways To Stretch Your Paddling Budget Further

What does the future hold for your paddling budget? “Only three in 10 Canadians believe younger people will be better off than their parents,” or so says a research study produced for the federal government. I doubt we’d find a higher level of optimism from our American readers.

Still, there’s no question that when it comes to whitewater boating, this generation is more richly endowed than mom and dad. We enjoy planing hulls, Gore-Tex drysuits and carbon fiber, foam-injected paddles. Rivers that were off-limits when our folks were watching Melrose Place are now accessible. The key is to find a way within your means to make the most of these opportunities.

[ See also: The ABCs Of Dirtbags ]

Whether you’re saving up for a trip or your next boat, Paddling Magazine has got you covered with 99 tested scrimping strategies for dirtbags during hard times.

99 ways to stretch your paddling budget

1. Return your empties
2. Use pool noodles for roof racks
3. Paddle closer to home
4. Drink Lucky Lager
5. Sell your paddling photos to Paddling Magazine
6. Carpool

7. Put money in the drop box (karma, man)
8. Don’t golf (as if you needed another reason)
9. Buy king-size Snickers bars
10. Cancel your streaming services
11. Grow your own

12. Pack a lunch
13. Don’t buy insurance
14. Snare rabbits
15. Sell old gear
16. Donate your old boat to charity
17. Cut your own hair. Instructions: Place helmet on head. Cut around.

[ Read more: 10 Things Only Whitewater Kayakers Understand ]

18. Find money in your sofa
19. Carry tea bags and hot chocolate mix in your glove box. Get free hot water at gas stations and coffee shops.
20. Join a paddling club
21. Buy flip-flops

22. Go barefoot
23. Find a roommate
24. Use the library
25. Stay out of the student pub
26. Buy generic brand ibuprofen
27. Live like your grandparents lived
28. Fiberglass your broken paddle
29. Buy a drysuit. Yes, this is expensive, but it will double your paddling days therefore lowering your overall cost per day of paddling.
30. Turn off the lights

31. Ride your bike
32. Take a paddling course
33. Turn down the heat; put on a sweater
34. Turn off the A/C
35. Add wood gunwales to an old canoe

[ See also: How To Install Wood Gunwales On Your Canoe ]

36. Live in a garage
37. Don’t loan your friends money
38. Swap your land line for VoIP
39. Downgrade from the latest iPhone

40. Don’t cut your grass
41. Sell the PlayStation 5 and go for a run
42. Stop feeding birds; eat sunflower seeds
43. Learn to bake
44. Go to gear swaps
45. Dehydrate your own food
46. Don’t listen to Rick Ross
47. Paddle the boat you own
48. Buy energy bars in bulk
49. Buy everything in bulk
50. Fix your latex gaskets

51. Pick wild berries for your smoothies
52. Buy a coffee maker
53. Don’t buy lottery tickets
54. Camp
55. Cancel your newspaper subscriptions
56. Sell your NFTs

57. Shop the day-old bakery rack
58. Don’t give your family birthday presents; give coupons for free days of paddling—with you
59. Boat share
60. Do laundry at your parents’ house
61. Live with your parents

62. Plant a garden
63. Redeem your Air Miles
64. Aquaseal your sprayskirt

65.  Two words: Value Village
66. Avoid the freezer
67. Don’t become a raft guide
68. Ask for the “Manager’s Special”
69. Don’t speed
70. Brew your own beer and wine
71. Listen to local radio
72. Eat in season
73. Crash in 1-star motels, if you must

[ Read more: Would You Rent Out Your Paddling Gear For Cash? ]

74. Travel on a work-your-way
75. Eat only ramen noodles and peanut butter
76. Be your own handyman
77. Live off the grid
78. Drink lots of water
79. Knit your own socks
80. Cut up credit cards (unless they aren’t yours)
81. Go halves on a side of beef
82. Don’t fly in
83. Do your own oil changes

84. Watch sunsets, not movies
85. Drop out of college—use tuition for gas
86. Get a promotion
87. Never swim (swimmers buy beer)
88. Build your own furniture

89. Live where you work
90. Eat canned food. Dented cans? Ask for a discount.
91. Food store samples
92. Couch surf
93. Wash your car at home

94. “Siren sale” at Giant Tiger
95. Cancel your gym membership. Develop “prison workout”
96. Reuse everything—almost everything
97. Practice visualization
98. Use grocery store bags as booties
99. Subscribe to Paddling Magazine for more great deals and money-saving strategies

This article first appeared in the Early Summer 2009 issue of Rapid Magazine and in Paddling Magazine Issue 65. Subscribe to Paddling Magazine’s print and digital editions here, or download the Paddling Magazine app and browse the digital archives here.

Here’s how to find a way within your means to make the most of your paddling budget. | Feature photo: Courtesy Dagger Kayaks