8 Ways To Save Money This Summer

Read about how I am able to keep my family of 5 on budget with my 8 Ways To Save Money This Summer. Filled with helpful tips that I have developed over the years, this post is filled with helpful tips and tricks to help you save money this summer.

8 Ways To Save Money This Summer

Summer time is one of the best times of the year in my home, we love to plan family outings in and around our hometown. Having a large family of 5 which now includes 3 teenagers and an almost preteen, things can get pricey. After many years of traveling around the world with my kids, I have picked up some great money saving tips.

Below I am sharing 8 Ways To Save Money This Summer, which work great any sized family. Also don’t forget to checkout some delicious recipes below that you can recreate on tight budgets.

1. Have A BBQ At A Local Park

Take advantage of low-priced charcoal during this time of the year and grab some burgers and hotdogs. Host a potluck at your free local park or in-home with family and friends. Hosting a potluck is a great way to cut costs of hosting big get together’s and also usher in new opportunities to try different foods.

Stay organized and assign ahead of time types of dishes you would like to expect, as always make sure to keep all the foods family and kid-friendly. Or at least bring 2 different versions of dishes, if they are going to be spicy just bring 1 version of it being mild.

Budget Friendly Recipes

2. Turn Off The A/C:

When spring kicks in turn off the air conditioning during the day and then open up your windows. Let the fresh air roam in your home as you enjoy your lower electricity bill.

Little african american girl smiling and jumping on a trampoline. Attending a Beach Sundae Party.

3. Invest In A Quality Cooler

Ice is almost always cheap to buy in bulk during the summer. I’ve seen 5lb bags as low as $1 at my local grocery stores. Turn off your air in your house and unplug all nonessentials, then throw some ice, drinks, and snacks in a cooler and take your kids to the park.

Your kids will enjoy getting out of the house as you enjoy them getting all that bundled-up energy out before you head home. Plus it will give them a quick to fall asleep full night’s sleep leaving you with oodles of quiet time. Read a book or catch up on your shows, do whatever helps you relax.

Have a blast of fun this summer at Kings Dominion KidsFest going on right now! Enjoy tons of live entertainment, animal balloons and so much more during the annual KidsFest event.

4. Look Up Local Free Activities

Every county offers free activities during the spring and summertime. These activities are usually themed and do not require you to pay a cent. The only cost to you is the gas to commute to each location, which shouldn’t be much since they are located in your area.

Check with your local community center to see if they have any printouts of local free activities or research it online with Google. Many restaurants will host free kids’ nights which are free with the purchase of adult meals. Check with your local favorite restaurants with specific dates and times available.

These Homemade Waffle Cones are quick and easy to make. Learn how to make waffle cones using a waffle iron, it's a simple recipe that you can top and fill with your favorite ice cream.

5. Make Your Own Ice Cream

This is defiantly my kid’s favorite pastime in the summer, they love to make their own ice cream and then have an ice cream party. The best part about this is that you can basically create the device to make it with stuff you already have in your home!

Customize your ice cream experience and make different flavors. Instead of using regular milk substitute with your choice of milk with almond milk, coconut milk, or even soy milk! The possibilities are endless with this fun-filled activity. This is also a fun sleepover activity that any kid would surely enjoy.

6. Buy Fruit While On Sale Than Freeze

One of the best times of the year to buy fruit is during its harvest time during the spring and summertime. I’ve seen some amazing sales and many times I hear “how are you going to eat that?”. My response is always “Well I’m going to freeze it of course!” I love taking ziplock bags and filling them with different fruit combinations.

These ziplock bags are portioned to feed up to 2 people when I make my homemade smoothie shakes. I switch and combine different fruits depending on the rotations of fruits on sale. You can also buy quality freezer bags and freeze each fruit individually to make simple baked deserts in the fall and wintertime.

Always make sure when your freezing for the long run, that you are properly sealing your bags to deter your fruits from becoming freezer burnt.

Backyard Picnic with Yoplait Esuun Jay. Grab your picnic baskets! It’s time to host your very own backyard picnic featuring the foods your family loves. No need to leave home for this bunch of fun, just pick a date and then prep your picnic baskets.

7. Have a Picnic

Don’t waste electricity heating in your home, pack up some sandwiches and head out to your local park! No sweeping o vacuuming is required in this activity so you will save oodles of your own energy with this activity.

Many picnic-style foods go on sale during spring and summer so take advantage of them. Buy in bulk and prep meals for up to a week in advance, the freezer is your best friend when prepping meals, and researching take-along meals will help spark the inner chef in you.

8.) Keep Empty Reusable Water Bottles Handy

Always keep empty reusable water bottles handy during the summer. Filling up at water fountains can reduce you costs of hydration tremendously. If you are worried about the quality of filtration in the water fountains you can always purchase a quality reusable water bottle with a built in filtration. Fill up where ever possible and take it on the go with you and your family.