Don’t let summer spending hinder your family’s fun this season.
Summer in Central Iowa is great, isn’t it? The weather is warm, the days are long and the kids are out of school, meaning more family time. However, all these great things about summer can actually work against your wallet.
As we stay active for longer during the day or as the kids need more things to do, our checking accounts can take a hit. But how do we reduce the urge to spend when the season and our kids want us to spend more?
Try these five tips to keep your spending down and savings and fun up this summer.
- Get in the right mindset– Anna Newell Jones, author of the “And Then We Saved” blog, paid off $23,600 in debt in 15 months. How? One of her largest motivators was finding fulfillment without spending money. She wrote down three things she was thankful for every day as a way to teach herself to be content and to stop searching for “more” and “better.” Take a page out of Anna’s book and try to focus on the great things you already have.
- Try out “no-spends”- build up your savings account by trying out a days, weeks, or, if you can, months of no spending. While you may not hit your goal of spending nothing, focusing on spending less will help.
- Clear out your mind and your home- kick off your savings quest with a spring cleaning session, recommends financial writer Kali Hawlk. Not only will this help you in selling things you need and finding things you forgot you had, but it will also help you re-tune your wants.
- Do more of your own cooking- it’s so easy to “grab a quick bite to eat” somewhere or to take the kids out for dessert on long summer evenings. Instead, produce more meals at home. They are generally healthier, in smaller portions and more satisfying than $40 spent at a restaurant that can be too cold or too loud.
- Look for budget-friendly activities- church camps and activities put on by community organizations are often low in cost, so be on the watch for those. There are also plenty of festivals, outdoor parties and other events during the summer that may cost little or nothing for an evening of family fun.
Not all fun things cost money. You can do your own research on the Internet or websites like Pinterest to find free or low-cost things to do this summer. If you need our help, you can always call or stop by any Heartland Bank office.
Heartland Bank, Member FDIC