summer

8 Things to Do Today Save Money This Summer

Save Money This Summer

If you want to save money this summer then you should start planning ahead. If you aren’t prepared in advance then summer can be an expensive season. People frequently travel in summer, which is a big expense. When you have children, they often attend summer camps and other costly activities. If you aren’t careful, finances easily just slip away. However, there are things that you can start doing right now to prevent that.

1. Review Your Regular Expenses

It’s time to take a look at your money. If you don’t know what you’re working with then you can’t make smart financial choices. Review all of you ongoing expenses, looking for ways to cut back. Even small changes can make a big difference in the summer. For example, how many different streaming television services do you have? Can you cut it down to one or even none for a few months to save money this summer?

2. Set a Budget and Make a Plan

Once you have cut your regular expenses as much as possible, it’s time to make a plan. Look at the money that you have. Update your budget. Don’t forget to include all of the unusual expenses that summer brings. Some expenses to consider:

  • Babysitters, daycares, or day camps for kids who aren’t in school in the summer
  • Special events including those for Father’s Day, Fourth of July, and summer weddings
  • Summer clothes if you or the kids’ need a wardrobe update
  • Travel plans and their associated costs including pet care while you’re away
  • Water activities including pool memberships or day trips to the water park

3. Change Vacation to Save Money This Summer

If it doesn’t look like you’re going to have enough money in your budget to cover your vacation, then it’s not too late to reconsider. Think about why you’re traveling. Is it to see relatives? Is it because you want your kids to experience something new? Or is it just because it’s something you’ve always done? You can reduce the cost of travel by:

  • Changing your destination so it’s cheaper
  • Using a more affordable mode of transportation
  • Camping instead of staying in hotels
  • Taking a shorter vacation than originally planned
  • Having a staycation instead

4. Brainstorm a List of Free Activities

Find ways to save money this summer by brainstorming a list of free activities now. Then fill your calendar with those. Look for free classes, events, workshops, and camps for your entire family. Check out what your city offers in terms of free days at museums, galleries, and other spaces. Visit parks, beaches, and hiking trails in your area. Make a list of things that you can do at home for free. Whenever you hear the dreaded, “I’m bored” this summer, you’ll have a list of options to point to.

5. Prep Your Home Now for Summer

If you run the air conditioner in your home all summer long then your bills will be much higher than they need to be. If you haven’t properly cleaned out air filters or looked for drafts then the price will be even higher. Update your home energy system now in order to save money this summer.

  • Install a smart home system so that you don’t cool the house while you’re not in it.
  • Get used to keeping the home a tad warmer than last year to save big costs.
  • Sign up for a tool like OhmConnect that gives you money back for saving energy.
  • Purchase some portable fans to avoid using the air conditioner so much.
  • Update your curtains or blinds to keep the sunlight out during the hottest part of the day.

6. Start Planning Summer Meals

One smart way to save money this summer is to look at what you’ll be eating. There are so many great ways to cut costs on food in the summer. Switch the whole family away from other drinks and just to water. It’s better to stay hydrated during those hot months and it doesn’t cost much. Find a good local source for fresh fruit, especially water-dense fruit like cucumber and watermelon. Keep meals simple. Use the stove as little as possible so you don’t add heat to the house. If you plan out your meals now then summer cooking should be easy and affordable.

7. Declutter and Sell Things

Take advantage of the downtime in summer to get your house in order – literally. go room by room decluttering everything that you don’t need. Sell what you can. The activity can keep your whole family busy without spending a dime. You might even make a little cash.

8. Earn a Summer Income

One of the best ways to offset the costs of summer is to earn extra income. You have plenty of daylight hours to pick up some extra work. Start looking now to see what option are available to you for a summer side job. Housesitting, ride share driving, caring for other people’s children, and lawn service are just a few of the options to consider.

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Nine Cheap Travel Trips

Cheap travel tips

Cheap travel tips

A vacation doesn’t have to cost you a fortune. If you are a traveler on a budget, these cheap travel tips are for you.

With concerns of rising air fares, baggage fees, cost of gas and more, taking time to travel can seem financially daunting and unrealistic when everyone wants you to save and think about retirement more. The truth is, you can most certainly still travel on a budget.  Here are nine easy cheap travel tips, some of which I use myself:

  1. Travel off-season. This is probably one of the easiest ways to save on your next trip, especially when flying. You will find that the rates are lower right off the bat when you plan to leave when others are typically not. Savings will also be found in rental cars and accommodations. If your trip depends on warm, nice weather, I would recommend comparing and contrasting prices in the fall and spring.
  2. Bring your own food. Are you going on a road trip? Pack your own food to avoid extra spending on stopping at restaurants or fast food joints. Plus, you’ll get to your location faster by saving time. My boyfriend and I often hit a lot of ground when we travel, and our most recent trip was a road trip. We were able to save time and money by bringing our own meals for the road.
  3. Leave during the week. The weekends are unquestionably busiest for traveling, which means higher prices in air fare, car rentals, hotels and the like. By generally choosing to fly out on a Tuesday or Wednesday, you can make your vacation cheap. Always keep major holidays in mind, though, as that does change things.
  4. Opt for a bed and breakfast. When my boyfriend, Ryan, and I decided to travel to Seattle in 2014, we knew this trip would not be cheap, mostly because of both renting a car for a few days and needing to stay in hotels for four of the seven nights of our excursion. Ryan was not too keen on the idea of a hostel (another inexpensive option) due to none with privacy being available, so I began looking into bed and breakfasts. I found a happy-medium, located right by downtown Seattle in the Cultural District, The Panama Hotel. It is technically a hotel but has a bed and breakfast feel. It also holds much history. In fact, it is the only remaining Japanese bathhouse still standing in the United States. We stayed here for the first couple nights at the beginning of our trip, and we were able to save money while also being able to walk through the downtown area. And, speaking of which…
  5. Put on your walking shoes. If you are trying to save as much money as possible on your trip, make a plan to walk as much as possible. Even in the age of the sharing economy with Uber and Lyft, try walking. You can still use that extra $20 for your next meal. Remember: cheap travel is the key here.
  6. Get the biggest bang for your buck. Ryan and I have been able to do multiple trips because we often incorporate the great outdoors in our travels. We will stay a few nights in a major city then head out of town to a national park or outdoor area that interests us, which helps us to keep expenses low while traveling. In addition to be cheaper, it also allows us to experience so much more.
  7. Don’t be afraid to ask for a refund. If you noticed a cheaper deal with another hotel company or car rental after booking, you can cancel your current agreement to go for the lower rate. Just make sure you do it in enough time and read the terms on your receipts. Many hotels allow a 24-hour cancellation notice in order to receive a refund. Others might require a minimum of 48-hours.
  8. Fly out locally. Instead of flying out of a major city’s airport, you may be able to save by flying out through a regional airport. Be sure not to rule it out when doing your price comparisons.
  9. Use an app. I am still learning about all the awesome apps there are you can use to find the best deals along with last-minute reservations. I am sure you are aware of useful tools like Groupon, Airbnb and LivingSocial, but some others include HotelsTonight and Air Help, which helps you with airfare compensation. You can also manage travel points through TPG To Go.

Part of cheap travel is to also know peak times in the areas in which you want to travel. Going with my point listed above, you can expect to spend more on travel costs during the area’s busiest times.

By keeping your budget in check and using these little tricks, you can fit a vacation that not only suits your schedule but your wallet as well.

What would you add to the list?