When you imagine yourself going to the beach, you probably imagine staying in a nice condo overlooking the ocean. This condo probably has a full functioning kitchen, heating and cooling, a refrigerator, a bed, and definitely indoor plumbing. I like that idea as much as the next person. It's the way I have been accustomed to traveling all my life.

Then I got married. Vacationing changed dramatically. Newlyweds is really just the nice way of saying, "We are broke." Earlier this year, my husband and I took a trip to the beach. We stayed in the fancy condo. We went out to eat every night. We spent way too much money. We knew there had to be a cheaper way.

So this past weekend we decided to camp. We borrowed a tent from a family member and packed up the truck, complete with our two dogs. We drove five hours to the Fort Pickens campground on Pensacola Beach, Florida. Here are a few of the advantages of tent camping:

1) It's cheap! Where you would pay on average $200 a night for a nice condo, it only cost us $25 a night to stay in the campground. That is a dramatic price difference!

2) It's simple. I packed a pretty big suitcase full of clothes and you know what? I only wore about two outfits out of all those clothes. I spent all day on the beach in my swimsuit and all night in my pajamas. I only wore regular clothes in the early morning when my husband and I took our dogs out walking the trails near the tent.

3) Everyone in the campground is family. We met so many nice people and made a lot of new friends. There were a group of Boy Scouts camping behind us with their dads. One dad confessed to us that they "forgot it was Mother's Day weekend when they planned the trip." The older couple staying across from us took a special interest in our puppies and wanted to know all about them.

4) Sleeping under the stars. We left the rain cover off our tent at night so we could see the stars. It was an amazingly beautiful weekend with clear skies and plenty of bright stars to fall asleep to.

5) It helps you to appreciate the little things. Although some people did bring televisions to their campsites, we did not. So instead, when it got dark, we stayed in our tent and had deep and long conversations that we usually wouldn't have at home because we usually just veg out in front of the tv.

There were many other advantages to camping in this particular campground. The nearby beach is so far away from civilization that you think you're on a private island. There's a fort at the end of the island that offers some really cool sites if you're a history buff. Dogs are not supposed to be allowed on the beach, but there's a dog beach just a few minutes from the campground where we took our babies. There are nature trails that cut through the island that will show you beautiful views of the ocean and the amazing wildlife around the area.

However, as always, there are some disadvantages to everything:

1) If you're a light sleeper, tent camping may not be for you. There are quiet hours in the campground. But we quickly learned that they are not strictly enforced. Although I found the noises of the camp warm and comforting, I could definitely understand how some other people would find them annoying.

2) There's really not a lot of privacy in the campground. I could hear my neighbors conversations most of the time and I was aware that they could hear mine. It didn't bother me, but I could see how some people would find it a little unnerving to be that close to other people all the time.

3) Community showers. Once again, easily overlooked by myself, but for others who are not as low maintenance as me, I could see where that might be a turn off.

4) Not sleeping in a bed. Technically my husband and I cheated because we brought a real mattress from the spare bedroom in our house. We just strapped it to the back of the truck like the true rednecks that we are. But most people do sleep on the ground when tent camping. Some love it and some hate it. I, for one, was so tired by the end of every day that I think I would have been content to sleep anywhere.

So if you're not freaked out by nature and you're looking for a cheaper way to vacation, I suggest you try tent camping. I was truly happy with our experience and I can't wait to do it again soon