Budget Friendly Summer Fun: Creative Activities to Enjoy without Breaking the Bank

Summertime is upon us and with it the opportunity to get outside and have some fun. There are plenty of ways to spend money during the summer but how can we enjoy this season without putting much stress on our budget? This is the question we will be exploring in today’s coffee and cash discussion.

Hi, my name is Ben Simmons, one of the associate advisors here at Simmons Capital Group. 

Today we are going to dive into the topic of saving money while making the most of the summer season, rain or shine, let’s get started.

When the weather gets nice it can be tempting to get a bunch of friends together and head to an amusement park or better yet a water park. This can make for a great day of fun, but it can also be expensive and difficult to save the money for more than one trip a year, thankfully there are plenty of cheap alternatives to keep the up the summer fun while saving money.

Number one, find a local park with hiking trails. Many public parks are free to enter and have access to beautiful hiking trails that if you’re lucky, may even lead to a swimming hole. This can be a great way to get some exercise while enjoying the nice weather.

Second, go to a local sporting goods store and buy a disc golf starter set. You can get one or two discs for as little as $10-25 and once you have done that you can spend all summer playing disc golf. Many courses are in public parks and are free to play unlike regular golf.

Another option is to head to the beach. Now this one depends on where you live but it doesn’t hurt to take some time to see if there is a public beach near you, either on a lake or by the ocean this can be a great way for a fun day in the sun that costs hardly anything.

Now, you may be asking what if it’s raining? I know I don’t love spending time outside nearly as much when it’s raining so let’s look into some options here as well. Often times a rainy day seems like a great time to go to the mall or the movies, this is definitely a fun way to spend the day but if we do this every time it rains it can get expensive fast. There are a bunch of ways to enjoy a rainy day on a budget.

One option is to learn and play a new board game. If you don’t already have one it will only take a quick google search to find some of the best board games out there today and with

online shopping you can get one for a pretty cheap price. This can give you hours of fun over the course of many rainy days with only a single one time purchase covering your costs.

Alternatively, you could pick a new recipe and learn to cook it. Since you have to pay for food anyway it doesn’t hurt to spend some time learning to cook something new.

Finally, you can’t go wrong with reading a good book. Check out your local library and find a book on a topic that sounds interesting to you.

While these options can be great ways to save money, sometimes we still want to go to those more expensive options like amusement parks and the movies. That’s okay and there can be ways to do that without completely breaking the budget. Don’t forget to look for group discounts or even season pass and membership discounts if you plan to go somewhere more than once or twice. Not only that but you can often save a bunch of money by bringing your own food or eating at home before heading out. The most important thing to remember is, as always, don’t spend more than you can afford. Make a budget and stick to it. During the summer it is important to make a budget line item for having some fun, but this should come after your fixed expenses and savings. You could even start a sinking fund so you can save some money up during the winter to pay for summer expenses. It always helps to keep you eye on how much you spend.

Remember, as always, if you have any questions about this or other financial topics impacting your life today, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. Thanks and have a great summer!