1. He ain't heavy, he's my brother-Many campgrounds allow 4-6 people and 2 vehicles on a campsite.   Team up with another couple of campers and divide the dollars.  Splitting the bill will not only decrease your expenses, it will increase your good times.  Just make sure you bring the right people with you on your road trip.
2. Burn baby, burn-With a bundle of wood averaging 5 to 6 bucks, and a dusk to quiet hours fire consuming 2-3  bundles, the cost of lighting up the night can easily exceed the cost of your campsite.  Scouting for downed wood at the campground and/or saving wood throughout the year to bring with you on your summer excursions can all but eliminate this expense.  Word of caution:  make sure your DIY firewood is properly seasoned or you will end up with more smoke than fire on your site.
3. Ice ice baby-This most critical of camping necessities pretty much doubles in cost once you reach the boundaries of the campground.  You can buy 25 pounds of ice for under 3 bucks at a wholesale club the night before you leave, or pay a dollar a pound at the camp store on arrival.  Do the math.  For the most frugal of campers, start filling bags in your freezer a week or 2 ahead of time for a cost free way to chill out.
4. Going, going, gone!-You can find all of your camping essentials for a fraction of the cost on eBay.  Auctions almost guarantee you'll pay the lowest price.  A little patience can help you score both new in box and gently used gear for less than half the retail price.  Word of caution:  make sure to research the current retail rate at a site like Amazon to avoid over-bidding.
5. Come on baby light my fire-Sometimes the best things in life really are free.  DIY fire starters are a great example.  You can make these bad boys from remnants around the house that would otherwise be tossed, and they are more effective than the costlier version for sale in the camp store.  My snappy camper secret recipe:  take a handful of dryer lint, place on a piece of wax paper, pour melted candle wax over the lint, place in a paper sandwich bag and voilà, you have the world's best fire starter.

Contrary to popular belief, mo' money does not always equal mo' problems.  A little creativity on the spending side can save you some green without compromising your snappiness!

Homemade fire starters will have your campfire rocking and rolling in no time at no cost