Summer Savings Tips & Tricks
June 22, 2020
Howdy friends! CASH the Mascot here excited to spread some financial knowledge about saving and spending during the summer months! It can be very tempting to book expensive vacations and take trips when the weather is warm and we have some downtime. Or maybe you are looking to finally make that big purchase you’ve been eyeballing all winter and spring. Whatever your summer plans may be, one thing is for certain, COVID-19 has already drastically changed what a normal summer would look like for most of us. So let’s use this unprecedented event to our advantage, and make the most of the travel restrictions, shut down theaters, parks, and malls, and buckle down on getting our savings in a financially healthy place!
My goal today is to try and help you save some money this summer by presenting a few smart spending and saving habits that will make your summer more enjoyable and less expensive! So let’s get started!
RE-EVALUATING YOUR NORMAL SPENDING HABITS
I know we’ve all heard this before, but little amounts really do add up, even to the smallest degree. So let’s go through some normal summer activities we partake in that cost us a few bucks here and there that we could forgo and add instead that amount to our savings! Summer is a great time to keep your car clean, for FREE! That’s right, you can wash your car yourself for basically nothing! The weather is warm and the sun is shining and it can be a great outdoor activity! Car washes can get pricey, so next time, opt for washing your car yourself and put the money you would spend into savings! Another way to save some cash this summer could be to scale back on your entertainment budget. By this, I mean to forgo some of the normal things you would do on a weekend or a night out. For instance, instead of taking the entire family to the movie theaters (once they all re-open) and spending well over $50 on tickets and snacks and beverages, you could opt for a movie night at home. Redbox has great inexpensive movie selections as do Netflix or Amazon Prime! You could even stay at home and have a game night instead of a movie! The options are endless and it can really save you some cash!
Another place we all spend a lot of unnecessary money is on our food. I am all for going out to eat and enjoying not having to cook or clean, but if you are really looking to save some cash this summer, I strongly suggest you look into cooking and eating most of your meals at home. The cost of eating out is exponentially higher than purchasing your own groceries and cooking your meals at home. If you don’t think the money is actually worth it, I challenge you to try eating at home for one week and keep track of exactly how much money you spend. Then the next week, when you feel like eating out, go do it and also keep track of how much you spend. At the end of both weeks, compare how much they both cost. I can almost guarantee that you will save A LOT more money cooking and eating regularly at home than you will be eating out frequently during the week!
IN THE HEAT OF SUMMER
We all know that as we approach the summer months of July and August temperatures will rise to sometimes unbearably hot degrees, and this can really put a spike on our monthly electric and gas bills. One way to try and cut these costs is remembering to turn your air conditioning up when you are leaving the house so it's not cooling your home while you are away and costing you extra money. You can also be conscious about closing your blinds and curtains so the sun can’t shine through and heat your home up! It may not seem like small things such as these it would cost that much extra, but as we have already determined, a little can go a long way! Especially when it comes to saving money!
MAKE A PLAN AND STICK TO IT
All of the above suggestions to help you save money are great, but if you don’t actually save the money and instead spend it quickly, then all the hard work you have put in means nothing! So I can’t stress enough the importance of creating a savings plan for yourself and really becoming disciplined and diligent with it. By that I mean when you consciously do something to save yourself money, make sure you put it in a savings account or a trackable account where you can see your progress. This is a very important step because you are able to track your savings and see your progress and discern what works from what doesn’t really work. It’s also important to know that your savings are set aside specifically for something. Whether that is a vacation you’ve been wanting to take or a new car you desperately need, it’s important to have a plan for the money you are saving. Otherwise, it will be very tempting to spend it on the next best thing you fancy.
I hope these tips and suggestions help you get your finances going in the right direction this summer! If you tried any of these tips out and found them useful, please let me know! And as always, if you have any questions or want some more advice I am more than happy to help! Happy summer savings friends!!