Need to Save Money this Summer? Here’s 8 easy ways

Summer has an easy way to make us stop everything and enjoy in a relaxed pace. Autumn can roll around for a lot of people until they know they’ve been spending a lot of money, contributing to many restless nights checking your online banking homepage before your account fills up again.

Instead of spending big on expensive cocktails and a huge bill for air conditioning, use these handy tips this summer to cut your budget. We guarantee that even as you save loads of cash, you won’t feel robbed.

1. Arrange cold snacks in your fridge.

How much you spend on going out for ice cream and other cold treats in an attempt to cool down can come as a surprise.

Place your fridge with grocery store or homemade versions of your favorite delicacies this summer. They’re all going to taste great and you’re not going to get caught up with $5 for a single ice cream scoop. The same sum of money will then buy you a whole pint of ice cream or a four-pack of frozen ice cream bars.

You can buy popsicle molds and make your own using berries, yoghurt and juice, if you want to save even more money.

2. Cancel membership in gym.

If you are already paying for membership in the gym, this summer, you will take a break— not from exercising. You’ll save money for two to three months by putting a stop on your membership, and you’ll be driven out in the fresh air and sunshine to exercise outdoors.

You can use the machine to do pull-ups and steps at your local park, then take a walk around the neighborhood. It is a far more fun than sweating it out on the elliptical or treadmill indoors.

Only make sure you don’t have to pay an expensive rejoining fee in the winter to get back into the gym— otherwise we will be at the same spot where we started.

3. Check your budget

Make the most of the long summer days to sit outside and review your annual budget.

If you started making a budget in January, it’s a natural halfway point in summer. You should measure your spending habits and see if you are getting close to achieving your savings goals— it’s sort of a recap. When you find yourself overspending on a regular basis, you may need to take a hard look at your everyday expenses and adjust, or if you need to add more money to the budget then think of new ways to make it achievable.

4. Compare prices to save money on a summer holiday

If you’re going away regularly during the summer, there are always things you can do to save on travel costs.

Don’t pay a cent for a rental car, plane fare or stay at a hotel until you’re sure you’ve got the best price.

If rates are still incredibly high you may want to consider moving your holiday. Summer is the peak travel season, but flying mid-week is also a way to get offers. If you can’t get down the price at all, consider moving your trip to September; it’s just past peak season but the weather is still great.

5. Host drinks at home, rather than visiting a pub

Host drinks at home, instead of hitting the patio restaurant for happy hour. Stirring up a batch of drinks or offering mixers when people bring their own are much cheaper than paying out between $7 and $20 a person at a restaurant. That means you are paying $20 minimum for the pleasure of sitting outside, even without food.

Ask a friend to host a patio or find a spot you can all chill out and enjoy each other’s company.

6. Check your groceries to cut cost

Take the opportunity to list your grocery shop this summer to see if you can cut the prices at all. If you’re willing to dig around to find a cheaper grocery store, you’d be shocked how inexpensive you can find staples–and even name brands.

Part of lowering your grocery bill that include visiting multiple stores to suit price, which is why the summer months are a great practice. Numerous stops will likely bother you less when the weather is good.

7. Offer thermostat control.

When you’re lucky enough to have air conditioning, running it 24/7 is tempting to keep your house cool— even if you’re not home.

Do you know that when you leave the house you can save between 10 and 12 percent off your monthly AC bill only by flipping the thermostat to 78 instead of 72? Your air conditioner can also be combined with a revolving fan, which helps move cool air around your house.

8. To search books using the library.

Rather than purchasing the next beach read at a bookstore or on Amazon, get a library card and start taking advantage of their massive range. Most libraries have complex internal borrowing networks that move books from branch to branch, so even if your local branch is small, you’ll have a huge range.

Just make sure all the sand is swept off before returning it!

Conclusion

If you plan ahead and re-examine some of your more expensive habits in the summer, it is easy to save money.

Start the summer by reviewing your budget right away, then keep track of yourself by selecting cheaper alternatives to your favorite foods and hobbies. By choosing at-home drinks instead of patio cocktails, or library books instead of loading up an Amazon cart, you’d be shocked how much you can save.