Summer is, along with Christmas, the time of year when most people spend happily and when saving is most difficult. However, last-minute travel offers discounts on products such as household appliances or school supplies. Or free outdoor leisure options offer us good opportunities to save also during the summer months. Here are the 10 keys to get to September with financial health proof of summer vacation hot flashes.

The holidays are here and, although it is not easy, it is possible to reduce expenses without giving up enjoying those weeks of rest that most people dream of throughout the year. What’s more, summer is a good time to keep control of our money more up-to-date and enjoy our leisure time with options that don’t empty our pockets.

To begin with, during the summer period we have much more free time to organize ourselves. In addition, for many families, some expenses are reduced or even eliminated. This is the case for most educational expenses: schools, university, private classes (unless there is a subject to recover and reinforcement is required), or other activities that have to do with academic training. Less is also spent on heating and the light is turned on fewer hours a day.

However, along with these savings, there are new expenses that for some are essential (such as summer camps or other options to care for children while parents work), and consumption of some supplies such as electricity increases if there is to turn on the air conditioning or the water when you have a garden.

For this reason, it is often convenient to prepare a budget for the two central months of the summer, stand in front of a blank sheet, and take stock of income and possible expenses. The more relaxed schedule of these dates will make everything easier for us and we will be able to spend more time planning a summer of reduced expenses through these 10 keys:

Plan The Menu

Once we have made the budget, the first step is to plan a menu for which we will fill a shopping basket with products at low prices and in season. At this time of year, fresh food, salads, fruit… We tend to eat less than in winter and that will help us when making our budget. You can resort to the kitchen of use (take several dishes from one dish for different days of the week). By making a good meal plan we will save more than we imagine.

Contain Exits To The Restaurant

If we save on food, we must also contain going out for lunch and dinner. Holidays push us to spend many hours of the day away from the place of accommodation (on the beach, in the mountains, in the pool…), so dining and eating at home not only saves money, but it can also be a more pleasant and calm time.

Do Not Break The Budget On Trips

We don’t have to give up vacations to save, but we must make an effort to stick to the budget we had planned and plan them as long as possible. The closer the vacation season gets, the more expensive the prices will be. Resorting to less popular destinations or traveling with ‘low-cost airlines, or even thinking about visiting family or friends, are options for those who have a reduced budget. If the destination is national, the ideal would be to look for accommodation through home rental platforms and leave hotels for another time. In this way, you can make meals with tighter budgets and avoid lunches and dinners in restaurants.

Last Minute Offers In Rural Tourism

Another option for the holidays is to take advantage of last-minute offers in rural houses. This option is much cheaper than going to the beach, for example. There will always be destinations where we can find a house that leaves us at the last moment at a good price.

Save Energy

Wherever we are, it is important to save energy. Yes, pressing the button that turns on the air conditioning is tempting and very refreshing, but it’s also expensive. Perhaps this summer it would be interesting to make a small effort to keep the house cool by airing it in the morning, lowering the blinds, and darkening the rooms during the day so that the heat does not enter. In the central hours of the day, the fan is much cheaper than the air conditioning.

Throw Sales Looking At Winter

The month of July is perfect to take advantage of sales. We have to make a good forecast and buy everything that we are going to need for the winter. There are not only discounts in clothing stores, but also in household appliances, school supplies, kitchenware, and furniture.

Responsible Use Of The Car

You don’t have to do everything by car. Expenses on gasoline can end up breaking our piggy bank, so if we really want to save we should avoid using the car as much as possible. To make long trips you can always resort, for example, to shared mobility ‘apps’. Summer is also one of the best times of the year to cycle for short distances. If the car option is the only viable one, the ideal is to refuel at those service stations that have the cheapest gasoline.

Put Order In The House

Using the holidays to put a little order in the house is always a good idea. And, why not, sell everything that we no longer need in applications for the sale of second-hand objects and clothes?

Free Entertainment

Summer is full of free leisure offers. Whether we stay in the city where we usually live or travel to another for vacations, it is important that we always resort to doing all those activities that can entertain us but do not cost money: free shows, popular festivals, museums, parks, walks through-field…

Control Of Water Consumption

When summer ends is when surprises arrive with the water bill. However, you can follow some tips such as reducing the flow of the taps so as not to spend too much or control the duration of the showers to try to always take less than ten minutes.

You may like to read The best tricks to organize your summer vacation