Summer is a time of sunshine, and carefree days! Daylight is longer and our schedules are a little more laidback. For a fun frugal summer, I plan a few activities and create a bucket list. So, whether you are frugal, have a large family or in a season where money is tight check out these ideas to get you started on your own summer plans.
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Vacation time
But first, let’s talk vacation time. Do you have paid time off? I use to only have 1 week of PTO. One week isn’t really a lot of time but I made it stretch. For those wondering how, here it is… I work Monday through Friday 9am-5pm. So I approach my paid time off several ways. The first is when paid holidays fall on a Monday like 4th of July this year. I will take off Friday and spend 4 days with my family but technically only used 1 day of PTO or extend it till Tuesday for a 5 day trip and only used 2 days of PTO. The other 2 ways is to just take off Friday or Friday and Monday.
I like to use my summer planner for this as it helps me outline the summer months and budget accordingly. The best part about my summer planner is that it helps me see just how much we actually did over the summer so I can silence the voice of mom guilt when needed.
Look for free Activities in your area
Next, I sign my kids up for a free tennis camp every year. They like going and it keeps them busy while I’m at work. There’s also church camps that are free or way cheaper than regular camps. But, for us tennis camp works because I get out of work at 5 and most camps end at 3pm. With this camp I have a mom friend that picks my kids up along with her two kids who go to the same camp. For a long time I felt uncomfortable asking for help or accepting help but now I say, “yes, please”…and in return we’ll offer to take their kids on one of our outtings or to our house for a movie night.
Here in Massachusetts we have this foundation that partners with museums, zoos and other sites to hosts free events around New England. Some favorites are the Boston Children’s Museum, Roger Williams Zoo and the outdoor concerts. This is a good deal for large families because these events would usually cost us almost $100 as a family of five.
Plan your Own Free Activities
- Beach or Lake Day – In the summer we live at the lake and the beach. In the trunk of my car I have a beach ready bag for quick take off after work. The kids will quickly change into their swimsuits and before you know it we are on our way. Since I meal plan it’s easy for me to gauge how long we can stay out or if I want to just pack it up so we can eat it after the kids go swimming.
- Backyard Movie Night – I have a projector and we use to have a backyard with a white fence which made watching movies so easy. After dinner I would pop popcorn with the kids the old fashion way (because it’s just more fun) and break out some flavor options and candies I picked up from the dollar store. While the kids are making their creations I put down a blanket with some throw pillows for comfortable viewing. This is fun and the kids love it.
- Water Balloon or Sponge Bomb Fight – Anything with water is a favorite with kids in the summer. I have done this with cheap balloons and sponges from the dollar store. The kids and the kids in the neighborhood love this and it keeps them cool on a hot summer day.
- Picnic at the park – Picnics don’t have to be complicated or Pinterest worthy. It can be as simple as getting a loaf of bread making some sandwiches (placing them all back in the bread bag), chips, grapes, apples and drinks. I love flavored carbonated water for picnics – Fuji apple and the peach ones are two favorites in my household.
Plan a Summer Day Trip
Visit a u-pick farm. Late June and early July is Cherry picking season which is something we are going to try this year. It does cost money but usually the cost is for the size container and not per person. Our favorite u-pick farm also has a playground, farmer’s market and food stations. It’s a really fun summer family day trip.
Summer Bucket list
With my kids I ask them for their input on things they would like to do in the summer. This takes some of the burden off of me to come up with things and they love contributing. Honestly, they come up with some great ideas that I would not have thought of on my own.
Our bucket list this year looks like this:
- Make homemade popsicles
- Go bowling
- have family game night
- make squirt gun art
- raise butterflies and release them
- go fishing
- make tie-dye shirts
- get free slurpees on National Slurpee day
- fly kites
- pick strawberries or cherries (or both)
- go to the pool
- picnic at the lake
- do something with the grandparents
- make s’mores
- park concerts
- hiking
- six flags
- Ice cream at the lake
- beach day
- Boston Dinosaur exhibit
- night walks
- sponge bomb fight
- puzzles
- sand creation competition
- watch fireworks
Mini Staycation
Lastly, I try to do at least one mini vacation. Last year we went to Niagara Falls in Buffalo, NY this year. It was fun although things were just reopening after the lockdown so we were very limited to what we could do. We were actually thinking of a re-do or go somewhere new. Suggestions are welcomed.
These trips are not expensive as I shop for deals. I also make sure if we stay in a hotel that breakfast is included one of our meals is covered. I also utilize the room fridge so we tend to eat out just for dinner. We also make sure to have healthy snacks in the room the kids can just grab throughout the day.
Summer all Wrapped Up
That is how I plan our summers without going broke. I hope this helped give you some ideas as you plan your summer with your kids.
I’m always interested in knowing how other people spend their summers. If you have any ideas or plans for summer I didn’t mention, share them in the comments. Oh, and if you want a free copy of my summer planner – send me an email and I will get that out to you.