Get up, get out and have some cost-effective fun this summer!

As your trusted advisor, we are always looking for ways to improve your financial health—and that doesn’t stop at business activity. We also want to support you with tips to help you save money in your personal life as well.

Summer is here! And with it comes vacations, outings, and lots of other activities with family and friends—activities that can be costly and add up quickly. To help you save some money this summer, we put together a list of cost-effective summer fun ideas. Read on…and enjoy the season!

• Head to the library—Before you roll past this suggestion, keep an open mind. A lot of libraries offer summer programs and activities you can enjoy with kids. Many libraries host activities that include outdoor fun with music, arts and crafts and ice cream socials, as well as indoor fun that can include author readings, magic shows and book clubs.
• Visit playgrounds—It’s hard to find a child that says they hate the playground. Going to a local park gets the family outside to run, climb and enjoy picnic-style treats. Take some time to research other playgrounds in your area that you’ve never visited. You might be surprised at how much fun you can have.
• Host a sleepover—For parents looking for ways to entertain youngsters, a sleepover is an easy and cost-effective option. Short of supplying snacks and drinks, this is a fairly cheap activity. But why should kids have all the fun? Host an adult sleepover for friends and family, complete with games, a viewing of fun family movies, a bonfire (with s’mores) and good conversation.
• Research nature parks—Parks and greenbelts are great options for exploring…and usually for free. You can take the family or a pack of friends and hike all day. Some parks also offer low-cost tours where a guide will educate you on geological history and local flora and fauna. Who says you can’t have fun and learn, too?!
• Start a neighborhood wine and dessert crawl—This can be as easy as sending out a text to your favorite neighbors and asking if they want to participate in a fun house-to-house wine- and dessert-tasting activity. The rules are easy. The crawl starts at your house with your selected wine and dessert, and one-by-one you walk to each home on the crawl to sample a selection of wines and tasty delights.

Have fun this summer…without breaking the bank!