How To Take Advantage Of Summer Savings

Looking forward to summer this year?

Well, you could make your summer even sweeter by saving and earning some extra cash this year! Here are some easy money-saving tips from financial guru Dave Ramsey to help you keep the summer fun going all season long. Mix and match ideas to create your own summer savings plan without sacrificing the fun.

1. Keep $100 by reducing entertainment expenses.
Simply make the most of free events like outdoor concerts, movie-on-the-lawn nights, and free days at local museums. Many of these events are family friendly and will let you bring your own snacks.

2. Pocket $400 by skipping the theme park and visiting a natural park instead.
A one-day ticket price for a theme park can range from about $50 to over $100. That means a family of four could pay anywhere from $200 to $400 for just one day of fun! Keep your cash and visit a state park or go camping in the great outdoors. Many parks are free or only charge a minimal entry fee per carload.

3. Earn $100 or more by hosting a multifamily garage sale.
Who doesn’t love a good garage sale? More importantly, who doesn’t love the extra $100 you make from pawning your old stuff onto complete strangers? Clean out the attic and invite a few friends to join you in hosting a multifamily garage sale! The money you rake in could go toward building an emergency fund or paying off debt.

4. Skip the car wash and save $60 to $100.
Skipping the car wash six times this summer could save you $60 to $150! Every week that you’d usually drive through a car wash transfer $10 into your summer savings account. Plus, when you do it yourself, you have the chance to catch extra sun rays to work on your tan and get that important vitamin D!

5. Save nearly 20% on energy costs by caulking your windows and doors.
Sealing your doors and windows reduces strain on your air conditioner and might help you save up to 20% on your energy costs!

6. Earn $50 to $100 when you sell your old clothes.
Clean out your closets and take your old threads to a consignment shop, or sell your clothes from the comfort of your own home through an online marketplace like thredUP or Poshmark. Take the money you make and put it toward new school clothes for your kids or a little something for yourself!

7. Take advantage of a tax-free weekend and save hundreds on big purchases.
Check to see if your state (or one near you) offers tax savings for back-to-school purchases. If so, wait until the tax-free weekend to make big purchases on school supplies, computers, and clothes. It’s amazing how much tax can add up when you’re buying new wardrobes for those growing kids!

8. Save $100 to $500 on camp fees by creating your own.
Give it a go and try a camp-free summer. Care.com estimates that a typical one-week day camp can cost anywhere from $100 to $500. Multiply that by several children over several weeks, and the cost adds up quickly! Instead, organize your own evening neighborhood camp. Pick a theme and ask your neighbors to be volunteers. Chances are, your kids will have just as much fun as they would at an expensive camp.

9. Shop smarter to save $20 to $50 each week.
Compare weekly ads from your favorite grocery stores and plan your food for the week around what’s on sale. Then, prepare a shopping list and stick to it. Want to save even more? Give generic brands a try and visit the local farmer’s market to buy your fruits and veggies.

10. Use coupons.
Some of the best coupons come from weekly circulars in the Sunday newspaper, but there are plenty of online options as well. Your local grocery store might even provide digital coupons through its app. Don’t forget to use coupons at your favorite restaurants and fast-food joints too!

11. Save $200 to $300 by packing your lunch.
Making your own meals is usually healthier and more cost efficient than dining out, especially in the summer when fresh fruit and vegetables are everywhere. Instead of going out to eat every day with your buddies, try making your lunch two or three times a week. You could save $20 to $30 each week, which adds up to $200 to $300 over the course of the summer.

12. Skip the professional repairs and do it yourself.
Plenty of online tutorials teach you the basics of do-it-yourself jobs. Before you pick up the phone and call the professionals, see if you can solve the problem yourself. You’ll save money and maybe even learn something new. 

13. Stock up on dollar store snacks before a road trip and save $25 to $50.
If you normally stop for snacks while on the road, purchasing them at a dollar store ahead of time eliminates the need to buy overpriced goodies from a convenience store or gas station. Snag a plastic shoebox while you’re there so you can keep all the goodies organized.

14. Look for discounts on your rental car.
Don’t pay full price for a car rental this summer! Install a coupon finder like Honey onto your web browser so it can automatically look for coupons based on the car rental website you’re on. You could score a savings of 5–10%! And it’s time to kick the clunky process of renting a car with your debit card to the curb. Check out how Dollar Car Rental makes renting a car with your debit card easier than ever.

15. Keep your blinds and curtains closed during the day.
Yeah, you might feel like a vampire blocking out any shred of light creeping in, but the payoff could be well worth it. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, 76% of the sunlight that hits standard double-pane windows enters to become heat. If you still want to let natural light in (and we don’t blame you), open the curtains or blinds that don’t let direct sunlight in.

16. Wash your clothes in cold water.
Guess what? You can wash your clothes in cold water and they’ll still get clean. The U.S. Department of Energy says that two of the best ways to reduce the amount of energy your home eats up is by using less water and using a cooler water temperature. Just moving that temperature setting on the washer from hot to warm could cut each load’s energy use in half! 

17. Shut the doors!
Your dad was right: are you trying to air condition the whole neighborhood!? When you have kids running in and out the house, your A/C costs can quickly skyrocket. Not only should you try to keep your doors of entry closed, you could save a bundle by keeping the doors closed to rooms you aren’t using. Why? Your A/C won’t have to keep pumping air to those closed rooms, which means it’ll have less square footage to cool off and work more efficiently doing it.

18. Save by pausing your gym membership.
Now we’re not saying quit exercising, but take advantage of the warm weather and start doing your workouts outside. Jog around your neighborhood, do yoga in the park, or even go for a swim! Gym memberships are pricey as is so if you’re already not using it, it’s time to cancel or suspend your membership. Depending on how much your gym membership is each month, you could save hundreds!

19. Carpool.
Gasoline prices are notorious for jumping up and down at any given time, but with so much travel happening in the summer, these prices tend to reach their peak. To save money this summer, try carpooling with your coworkers! Chipping in for gasoline at the end of the week instead of paying for a full tank will help stretch your budget. And check out carpooling apps in your area. Apps like Waze Carpool, Hytch and iCarpool help you earn money just by carpooling around town.

20. Save $700 by shopping for insurance with the help of an independent insurance agent.
This is one of Dave’s most popular money-saving tips because it’s so easy to do. Maybe you’ve outgrown your current coverage or you qualify for new discounts. An independent insurance agent can research all the options to find the best deal on the policy that’s right for you.

There you have it! These are some simple ways to help you earn a little extra cash without having to give up any summer time plans.