We are past Christmas now, and all the ways we couldn’t avoid spending money. But, now it’s time to start thinking ahead! Summer is coming up and people are looking forward to heading to the beach or the mountains. Going to another country or on a cruise? Those costs are going to add up! Here are some ways to save money by summer.
1 – Clean House – Go through your home and if you haven’t used it or worn it in more than six months? Sell it. You know how to sell on eBay! And if you don’t, check out my easy 8 Steps to Register and List Your First Item on eBay post.
2 – Fewer Stops for Coffee – I know! I know! This is TORTURE! But, if you cut down to two trips a week and bring your own coffee to work? You will save at least $10 a week.
3 – Pocket Change – Put that change away! I have a two-liter bottle that I am putting all my dimes in. When it’s filled to the top, there will be $500 – $700 in there. I believe I am currently at $75 – $80. Can we say:
Aruba, Jamaica, ooh I want to take ya
Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama
Key Largo, Montego, baby why don’t we go, Jamaica
4 – Money not spent – I allow myself X amount of dollars to spend between paychecks. I get paid 2x’s a month, on the 15th and the last day. If I still have money left over, I don’t roll it over. I put it away to save. I’ve been doing that for four months now. I’ve saved $400. Not bad!
5 – Direct Deposit to Savings – I put this one in ALL of my posts on saving money. Direct deposit some of your paycheck into a separate account. If it’s not an account you use often, you won’t think of it. I did that last year and saved almost $2,000. I put $100 a paycheck away. Unfortunately, an emergency happened and I had to use it for that, but I was glad I had it! But, this is one of my favorite ways to save money by summer.
6 – Cut back on your cable – If you don’t watch a lot of TV? Cut back or cut out the package. I’m on a 2-year contract, so I can’t do that right now, but you can sign up for Hulu if you don’t mind waiting to watch your show one day. You can get commercial free for $11.99 a month. Savings of at least $45 a month depending on your package!
7 – Raise Insurance Deductibles – I looked into doing this on my car insurance. Ended up not doing it because it would have saved me $2 a month. And I still have my insurance plan I’ve had since I was 19. I have a $50 deductible and pay $90 a month for full coverage. When I moved to Pennsylvania and had to transfer offices, they had never seen that plan before lol.
Bonus #8 Tip to save money by summer:
Consolidate debt with a lower interest rate personal loan. As we all know, when times get a little tough, our credit cards are there to back us up. We may have to depend on our cards more than we want to. But the interest rates on credit cards can be a killer! Having the option for a lower interest rate loan can help you in saving money. Depending on your debt amount, having a lower interest rate can save you hundreds of dollars. Put that amount in your vacation fund :).
if you’re looking for a longer term life event to save for, make sure to check out the post on 10 ways to boost your savings for retirement. Some of these are outside the normal stock options and 401k I like to make sure I’m saving what I need so I don’t have to work until the day I’m cremated
These are just eight ways to save money by summer for your family plans. There are many other ways of course. What ways have worked for you?
The coffee I brew at home is so much better than the coffee from the coffee shop. These days, I only stop by the coffee shop when I’m traveling. I save money and it tastes better. It’s a win-win.
lol – I just got back from trunk he in my change at the bank. I had almost $500 in change by the time I was done!!!
that’s a great list to saving money by summer, which I admit I could do better at! I try! love the loose change idea, I usually give my change to my kids or to others, but I ought to be saving that too! thanks!
I used to do that too! I’d give my daughter all my dimes, nickles and pennies. Within a year? She had enough to go buy herself an iPod touch. I was like, ummm. What the heck??? LOL
There are always ways to cut back and save money you haven given me some great ideas of how to start.
These are all great tips. What I currently do now is to have a “forced savings account.” Everytime I receive a paycheck, I deposit 1/10th of my pay into that account. It may seem insignificant, but by the end of the year, I have saved a lot. We also have a spare change jar at home.
I guess i will do the money change. I love the idea that you didn’t notice that its already piling up. Might use it for future travels too.
Hahaha I totally sing that song in my head as I read your post!
These are all great tips. I too have coin jars that we keep in the house, every bits help.
These are all great ways to save! I do some of these but I need to check my insurance to make sure I’m not paying more than I should. Love the idea of setting up a direct deposit for savings, I might just start doing that this month.
We do autosavings every payday, we call it an expense even though it is a savings. Cutting on cable, that is something I have been trying to get my husband on board with me.
These are all great ways to save money. I love the idea of saving the left over cash at the end of the month instead of rolling it over. The idea of selling the things you have not used in 6 months is a great way to save money or get money too. Thanks for sharing the tips.
I direct deposit often to savings. Out of sight out of mind, is what I say. we’re also big on extra pocket change as well.
These are great tips! We cut back on our cable a ton because we use netflix so much more. It was just a little savings, but no use in wasting it.
I guess this would be a bad place to mention we just ordered cable (hangs head in shame). We are cutting back on a lot of other things, though, and my husband is now saving his pocket change. Overall, I think we are doing better 🙂
These are all great ways to save money!! I need to use these tips!!
I think I’m going to cut back on my cable it seems like it gets more expensive every month!!
I save by packing my lunch and breakfast for work. I’ve also cut back on my recreational spending. Oh and I’m also doing a 52-week money challenge.
Some really good ideas. We were able to save 30k in two years when we were students. We saved the most by ruthlessly cutting our grocery bill
OMG. That’s amazing! Good for you guys!
These are great ways to save money. I am all for saving money. Every penny helps.