Jersey Shore vacations can be expensive. Here’s how to stay on budget.

As school lets out and summer vacation season officially begins, the price of a Jersey Shore getaway will only go up.

Hotels can cost hundreds of dollars a night. Rentals can cost thousands a week. Then factor in gas for the car, beach tags, food, drinks, and any other activities.

These costs have led some Philadelphians to abandon decades-long Shore traditions in favor of less expensive spots.

» READ MORE: Priced out of the Jersey Shore: Some travelers opt for all-inclusive resorts instead as rental costs soar

But some Shore lovers have not given it up entirely. Instead, they’ve changed the way they vacation in South Jersey.

Among them is Melissa Zimmerman, 40, of West Chester, and her family, who now take their travel trailer to campgrounds down the Shore.

“With older kids, we would almost have to look for two hotel rooms instead of one,” said Zimmerman, a teacher. “Unless we pay for a house, which would be insane. I’ve seen those prices. I thought it was a better alternative.”

Here are some ways you can save and still get your Shore fix.

Hotels just outside of the Shore points are often less expensive.

For a midweek getaway this week, for example, the Sonesta Suites in Somers Point was offering a rate of about $100 a night. Less than 10 minutes away in Ocean City, most hotels were going for $200 to $500 a night midweek. From Somers Point, your group could drive to the beach, or call an Uber for under $20 each way (if prices weren’t surging).

If camping is your style, do as Zimmerman did and start a new tradition at one of the many campgrounds down the Shore.

Zimmerman, who bought a travel trailer during COVID, said she typically pays $75 to $90 a night. And many campgrounds have a pool or lake and other activities.

You don’t need to have a camper to stay there: Many offer cabin rentals for $150 or less.

Coordinate a trip with friends and split the cost of a hotel room among several people to make the total cost per person more palatable.

If you have vacation days to burn, or the ability to work remotely, plan a midweek getaway.

The slowest day for Shore hotels is usually Sunday, according to Jane Bokunewicz, faculty director of the Levinson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality, and Tourism at Stockton University. Which means rates are likely to be least expensive that day, typically increasing as the weekend approaches.

Visiting the Shore in the so-called shoulder season has several benefits, if you don’t have to work around kids’ school schedules.

For one, hotel and rental rates tend to be less expensive — in Avalon and Stone Harbor, weeklong rentals in September can go for about half of what they cost in July and August, said Diller Fisher Realtor Kim Ritchie-Leo.

Plus the beaches are free, and the towns are less crowded.

The cost of food, drink, and beach tags likely won’t sting so much if you aren’t paying the high costs of a rental or hotel room.

You’ll have to deal with driving there and back in the same day, as well as traffic, depending on the times you’re traveling. But for many, the benefits of a day trip outweigh any inconvenience.

“My husband and I are both a lot more relaxed when we’re out of Delco,” said Kassandra Benson, 28, of Broomall, “and the beach helps me with my asthma and my sinus issues.”

Benson, a medical assistant and paramedic, said she and her husband, an EMT, are sticking with day trips to the Shore, unless they get a reduced rate on a rental from a friend.

And “unless the economy improves significantly,” she said. “Because right now it seems like a lot of people are taking advantage of the high housing costs and jacking up rental rates.”