What are your frugal summer plans?

**Rhiamon** · 03-07-2011, 09:27 AM

Well I know it is only March but what are your frugal summer plans??

We will be using the pool ( I am happy my apartment has one) DD has decided we are swimming everyday!
The Library
Playing basketball (apartment also has a basketball net)
Playing soccer in the field behind us.
Feeding the ducks
Walking the dog
Going to the park
DD will still have tutoring and homework
DD also decided is was time she learned to ride her bike.
There is no money to go anywhere or do anything that is not free so that will be most of our summer. Her father is supposed to take a week off and take her for the week.
We are also going to try and grow some flowers and veggies on the balcony.

**dancemommy** · 03-07-2011, 09:35 AM

Many movie theaters offer free movie days for kids at like 10 am one day a week. Also, many museums offer free days- all of those schedules should be released pretty soon and if you do some research you can find some pretty cool fun things to do. Unfortunately our summer is not so frugal now that my kids are older. When they were young it was easier but now they have required camps for their activities and lots of running around. We used to do the things you listed. We also liked long bike rides, splash parks (sprinkler parks), hiking, sandy beach at the lake, jumping on the trampoline, baking, and playing board games.

**Neeley** · 03-07-2011, 09:59 AM

Our summer plans are...
...Varsity football practice everyday for DS
...Weight lifting and conditioning everyday for DS
...3 on 3 Basketbal league 1 day week for DS
...DS has between seven and ten lawns he will be cutting from now until October on a weekly basis
...DD will be working full-time (M-F 7:30-4:30) at my mom's office and part-time(2-3 nights a week 5:15-9:30) for the minor league baseball team in our city
...DD will be coaching two youth volleyball teams (2 nights a week and Saturday mornings)
...DD leaves for college in August so lots of shopping for dorm supplies and goodies on the weekends
...DS turns 16 in August so car/truck shopping for him in our spare time
...We have an in ground pool, trampoline, etc...in the backyard. But, we rarely use either. Last year none of us even set foot in the pool the entire summer. Maybe this year we will get more use out of them.
...One of my BFF has been diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. She is doing her chemo now, a mastectomy in late May and radiation to follow this summer. I have been and will continue to keep her sons (ages 3 and 10 months) throughout the summer so her husband can go to her treatments with her. Between my old butt following after a little ones and making her food once a week, I won't have time or energy for much more.
...DH will be doing the same old thing he always does, work.
...A small get-a-way to celebrate DD's scholarships and starting the new chapter in her life.

**Rhiamon** · 03-07-2011, 10:03 AM

many museums offer free days-

The closest museum to us is 2 and a half hours away they do offer free days but I don't drive so it would be next to impossible to go. Our movie place use to offer half off days but they don't anymore. The library sometimes shows movies so we will be going to those. And sometimes downtown has movies in the park. But once again it would depend on if the buses run late those days which they usually don't.

**Rhiamon** · 03-07-2011, 10:04 AM

Neeley you are one busy lady!

**savvy_sniper** · 03-07-2011, 10:05 AM

Hubby and I will be doing some day trips on our Harleys. We will pack water, food, and drinks to keep the costs down. We will be attending the Texas HOG rally in lovely Beaumont Texas in May.

A friend has points for a free hotel room. We can pack some snacks, water, and drinks to keep our costs down.

IF we can get a dog sitter we will go overnight - Friday and Saturday or Saturday and Sunday. If we can't get a dog sitter we will ride there and back on Friday and/or Saturday.

**StartingOver** · 03-07-2011, 10:12 AM

Like a few of the posters above, my kids are older and there are no frugal activities for them.

DS16 works 2 PT jobs, will have band camp for 4 weeks, and will be taking a couple summer school classes.

DD11 is enrolled in 3 different basketball camps, track camp, and will do a 2 week summer camp and go to a church camp for a week.

**crafty73** · 03-07-2011, 10:36 AM

We'll be doing alot of camping (hopefully lol - all depends on work schedules etc), hiking, nature walks, doing our own mini documentaries/silly vids (thanks to dbf for the lovely xmas gift of a cam corder), dbf wants to take me fishing (will combine that with campng and/or do day trips - there are a few lakes around here), home reno's (not exactly free but can be fun at times, we want to build a deck and some new steps for the house), reading, having movie nights at home with dvd's from library/our own collection, water balloon fights (not free but pretty cheap), picnics (we used to pack a picnic and park near the airport in the country and watch the planes land and take off when I was a kid), might try to make homemade ice cream.
I recently bought a huge brand new still-in-the-box BBQ from a pawn shop for $125 (we saw similar models for over $500), we've already started BBQing and will be dping alot of that during the summer (not free but if you have to buy groceries anyway, so I always get something we can bbq). Some towns have parades, street fairs/street dances etc, we'll likely check out the parade here. I went a couple yrs ago and it was alright -strange but alright lol

**Ali Lee** · 03-07-2011, 10:55 AM

Plant more garden
Freeze more rhubarb
Wear the same clothes as last year
Cut back on $'s spent on annual flowers
Love to bbq- but want to cut back on meat-will have to work on that one.....

**Contrary Housewife** · 03-07-2011, 10:56 AM

We will take a couple of short trips which we have already started saving for. One of them is already 80% paid in advance (we got a discount for booking a year in advance). The other one I will be using Hotwire at the last minute to get a 75% discount on the hotel.

I always pack snacks, refillable water bottles, etc to help keep our misc. costs down during the trip.

**mauimagic** · 03-07-2011, 11:02 AM

Rhiamon - what a great idea to post this now!! Love the ideas you and your DD have!!

This summer I am going to be teaching summer school every morning and am very thankful for the opportunity - have lots of plans for my two students with severe disabilities!!

The afternoons I am going to spend with friends, at the pool, quilting, reading and relaxing.

I would love to take a quick trip up to San Francisco with DD to visit friends and a city we love. DH and I will be on Oahu to help run a soccer tournament - an annual joy to do for us. We will also be spending some weekends on Kauai with his mom.

Simple summer and it is not too far away!!

**frugal is fun** · 03-07-2011, 11:21 AM

I already have a week of camping on the beach booked and paid for back in October.

A week in Maine at my ex-cousins camp on the Belgrade Lakes, we stay for free and cook our own meals.

CT has a program called the "great park pursuit", which is 7 Saturdays of visiting a different state park in CT and then a camp out finale. All of these activities are free and we pack a picnic lunch so its just gas $$.

Thats all that I actually have planned but if this year is anything like last year, just about every weekend will be full with parties and dinner with friends.

**TheresaRHPS** · 03-07-2011, 11:24 AM

My work schedule is all crazy, so I don't have a lot of time to do ANYTHING, but there's a few things we're gonna TRY to get in:

My library has a summer program for kids. Last year they had a petting zoo type thing, a children's string band performance, and some other activities. I think my son is old enough this year to attend some of the events, all which are free. If that's not possible, we're still going to hit the library every week on my day off.

A local park has a water thingie...like a giant dragon that spurts water and some additional sprinklers. I think my son will really enjoy that this year.

I'm going to try to attend at least one of the free monthly genealogy/history lectures given at the state archives. I work just a few blocks from the archives and the lectures usually start about half an hour after I get off work.

I want to take my son to a few historical sites and other local museums this year. We haven't been to Pt. Pleasant since he was about 7 months old, so we'll take him down there, and hopefully catch a reenactment at the fort.

**Sagette** · 03-07-2011, 11:56 AM

Well, I'll hopefully be teaching summer school and tutoring and DH will continue to work his two jobs. For fun, we have a pool in the back yard. We also have a few family things (birthday parties and such) going on to break up the monotony.

**Neeley** · 03-07-2011, 12:08 PM

Originally Posted by Rhiamon

Neeley you are one busy lady!

Ha! I'm not as busy as it sounds. Trust me, I am on the lazy side and will have plenty of nap, computer and "do nothing" time.

I do believe in keeping the kids busy though. I am of the belief that an active, busy child/teen is a child/teen who stays out of trouble. Idle hands are the devil's workshop.