Summer Saving Tips for the Whole Family

With the summer season quickly approaching, everyone wants to find ways to relax, have fun, and enjoy the season with family and friends. But can you do that without breaking the bank? Of course! Check out these summer saving tips for the whole family.

Entertainment

• Find ways to have fun locally. Parks and recreation centers offer no- or low-cost camps, activities, and events throughout the summer months. Check out your local event calendar for details.
• Rather than plan a vacation, which probably includes the expense of travel, a hotel stay, entrance to attractions, and meals, allow each family member to choose a day trip or activity to enjoy. By having fun closer to home, at least part of the vacation expense can be eliminated.
• Use your local library. Not only can you and family member stock up on books for summer reading, but most libraries now offer movies, music, games, and tickets to area museums that can be borrowed, too. In addition, check out your library’s calendar of events for fun activities to enjoy, usually at no cost.

Food

• Plant a garden this summer. It’s a great activity for the entire family, plus it helps you save on produce costs, too. Do you have a small yard, or no yard at all? No problem! Container gardens are a great option for small spaces.
• Grill at home rather than eating out. Enjoy the summer grilling season by trying new recipes that your family will enjoy. Incorporate the produce grown in your garden, when possible.
• Host a block party or potluck dinner. Encourage a greater sense of community in your neighborhood by bringing neighbors together. It’s a great way to socialize and enjoy a range of foods, while keeping entertaining costs down.

More Ideas

• Teach your kids how they can enjoy “new” clothing from thrift stores and even garage sales. Since the summer season is especially short and kids outgrow clothing so quickly, buying secondhand clothing is a great way to shop for some new-to-you clothing without overspending.
• Bike or walk as much as possible. Leave the car at home when you can. Not only will you experience savings, but you’ll also benefit from the exercise. Check out more here.
• Energy costs can be particularly high in the summer months. But, there are ways to save, enlisting the help of your family members. For instance, remind your kids to turn off lights, appliances, and electronic devices when not in use. Keep your air conditioning set to 78 degrees as a rule of thumb. You might consider not running the AC when no one is home to help with summer savings. Check out this site for more energy saving tips.
• Save money at the pharmacy. While certain illnesses, including the flu, are common in winter, others, including allergies and ear infections are common in summer months.
  
  The FamilyWize Prescription Savings Card provides an average savings of 43% on medications! Anyone can request a card by printing one at www.FamilyWize.org/card or by calling 1-800-222-2818.
  
  FamilyWize also has a drug lookup tool. Before leaving your home to pick up your medication, taking a minute to look up the pharmacy with the best price can help you save significantly at the pharmacy.
  Both the savings card and the drug lookup took are available in the free FamilyWize app: Click here to download it to an Apple product or click here to download it for Android.