You might wonder how to save money during summer break but still have a good time.
Learning how to save money during summer break is a valuable skill to have. It allows you to enjoy your free time without breaking the bank. It’s also helpful for keeping your children entertained when they’re not in school. Below is a list of ways to save money on activities this summer break.
Strategy #1: Look for Free Community Activities
Most communities, especially those in and around cities and large towns, will have a wide variety of free summer activities that are kid-friendly. Even small towns will usually have at least one or two events each month. These events can include almost anything, such as:
- Fairs
- Movie nights
- Parades
- Storytimes
Not only is attending these events often free, but there are also free activities, games, and food for all attendees. Sometimes there will be an additional charge for these “extras,” but admission and some of the events will still be free.
Strategy #2: Plan Far in Advance
If you want to take the kids on a vacation that will cost some money, you’ll want to save up for it ahead of time, rather than going into debt to pay for it, such as using a credit card and carrying a balance. So how does planning far in advance help pay for a vacation? It allows you to have the time to shop around and do research to find the best deals. And in most situations, making reservations far in advance will be cheaper than doing so at the last minute.
Another advantage of planning is that it makes saving enough money far more manageable. For example, if your vacation will cost $500 and you want to save up cash to pay for it without going into debt, then it’s a lot easier to save $500 over three months than one month.
Strategy #3: Split Costs with Others
If you want to make a specific type of purchase for vacation or a summer activity, you may be able to save money by pooling your money with someone else. For example, let’s say you want to spend a week at the beach with your family. You could rent a hotel room for $150 per night for six nights at the cost of $900. But what if you could rent a four-bedroom beach house for a week with another family for $1,000? If you could do that, you can spend $500 for housing instead of $900. That’s a $400 savings without having to sacrifice any other part of your vacation.
Strategy #4: Plan a Staycation
Summer vacation doesn’t always have to involve travel. You can decide to stay home and relax. To avoid getting bored, you can set up special activities for yourself and the kids. For example, you can rent a movie for a movie night or a television show, and binge watch a new series or an old classic. You can plan a scavenger hunt or go geocaching during the day. If your children already have water guns and foam blasters, you can also host a water or foam “war” and invite some of your children’s friends to join in. If you don’t have many water guns or foam blasters, you can make a quick run to the dollar store and buy a few for cheap. And for meals, you can plan to grill or cookout over a campfire in the backyard. Kids love cooking hotdogs over an open fire and roasting marshmallows to make s’mores.
Strategy #5: Hold a Yard Sale
A yard sale is a great way to make a few bucks and clean out some old junk from the house. You can get the kids involved by letting them sell water or lemonade at the same time. You can also allow them to sell some unwanted toys and let them keep some or all of what they sell. This will encourage them to participate and help out.
If you’re working on learning how to save money during summer break an auto pawn could help. Call your nearest Title Tree location for help now.