By: Angele Gerten – Affiliate/Community Communication
There’s something exciting about summer rolling around, regardless of your age. The days are longer, the weather is nicer and there is certainly an expectation that fun is around the corner! So how do we embrace these few months and pour as much summer fun into them as possible – without throwing the budget and all our financial plans out the window?
The following are a handful of suggestions for families who want to pack in a bit of adventure & excitement at home, and may not necessarily have (or desire to spend) the funds for a week vacation to a theme park.
Recently, after a furniture delivery, my boys took the packaging and boxes and built a box fort that took up an entire room. They packed it full of pillows and blankets and flashlights and spent the day, and even attempted the night, inside. Remember sheet forts? Grab some chip-clips, rubber bands, sheets & blankets and get to building!
In addition to forts, camping at home can be such a hit. If it’s nice out, consider pitching the tent in the backyard. If not, a living room campout can be as much fun!!
A water day has always been a staple in our summers. Sprinklers, kiddie pools, tarps, water guns and as many water balloons as possible keep the kids busy in the heat! The dog especially enjoyed getting in on this one.
One of my favorites is outdoor movie night. One year, we projected it on the back of the house and invited neighborhood families to join us! They simply brought a camping chair and we provided the popcorn, popsicles and movie! (Make sure you employ some friendly neighborhood etiquette when choosing the timing and the content of your movie!)
Consider a special food day – it could be a baking contest, or getting the kids to make dinner & dessert (and clean up, of course), or even that classic backyard picnic.
A popular one for my boys right now is any kind of escape room or scavenger hunt. There are so many options for these! Give them a few ideas to get the ball rolling or search Google for some great plans already put together.
Try exploring your own town or the nearby areas, are there museums or historical sites you’ve driven past and not yet explored? Check your local libraries for events they have, many of which are free. Look into County & State parks, often times they have events available for the whole family.
As the saying goes, the days are long but the years are short. So, get intentional. Take pictures and make photo books. And please, be mindful of social media – comparison is the thief of joy. Now go make memories & the most out of this summer!
Angele Gerten is a financial advisor who loves teaching people how money works & creating lifetime relationships with her clients as they work towards their financial goals together. She focuses on a variety of areas including debt elimination strategies, establishing a budget & an emergency fund as well as investing for the future. Email: angelepfs@gmail.com