How to Stick to Your Summer Budget

During the summer season, your regular budget and spending habits get disrupted. Whether it’s because the kids aren’t in school anymore, or you got a little too ambitious with your summer travel plans, you may find yourself at a loss. Just because of the change of season and the pressure from your kids to get a season pass to the neighborhood pool, you don’t have to throw your regular budget out the window.

Pay attention to your spending

The easiest way to find out where you can cut corners with your spending, is to pay attention to where your money goes, so you can see where you’re spending where you shouldn’t be. If you’re suddenly spending a lot more at target for clothes for your little ones, and they didn’t recently go through a growth spurt, you may want to remind yourself that they have plenty of shorts and t shirts to get through the summer. If the baristas at your local starbucks are starting to recognize your face because of your afternoon coffee run, maybe resist the temptation and try to make your coffee at home.

Travel on a budget

Taking a trip is one of the best parts of the summer months. It’s usually something you look forward to all year. But if cash is a little tight, you might want to put Bali on the back burner, and plan a short road trip that will save you a lot of money. Stay at budget hotels, and go grocery shopping on your trips instead of eating out.

Don’t take your children shopping with you

Kids are notorious for pulling things off the shelves at the store and throwing them into your cart, but then crying and screaming when you take them out, begging you to buy it. It can be way too easy to cave in and buy them the things they want because you want to avoid the temper tantrums, but it’s important to stand your ground and not buy them things you don’t need. Especially because, chances are, they won’t really use or want the item you’ll end up buying for them. It’s hard not to give into their begging, so the easiest solution is to just leave them at home so they won’t tempt you to spend money you don’t need to.