Creative Ways to Save Money This Summer 

Conduct A Closet Cleanout   

As the warmer weather comes, we are reaching for the sweaters less and less. It’s a great idea to do a deep dive into what you have in your closet so you can get rid of items you’ve not worn in ages as well as find some items you forgot you had. Decrease your urge to purchase new by organizing what you have in a way you can easily see all your options to pick from. You most likely will come across old favorites you’ll be excited to wear again, as well as maybe some items you forgot you purchased and still have the tags on.  

Once you decide what you’ll be keeping and what you’ll be getting rid of, sell some of your clothes. Summer is a great time to either have a garage sale or even sell items with a variety of online platforms. Those old clothes can turn into some extra cash this spring.   

Gain A Green Thumb   

Fresh produce seems to taste the best in the warmer months, but the cost can really add up. Consider planting your own garden to save a little extra money. Not only is growing your own produce better for your wallet, it’s also great for your health. Gardening can be a fun hobby for you and the kids. If you can devote some time to maintaining a garden, your stomach and budget will thank you.   

Having a garden gives you the freedom to plan your meals around what you have as well as incorporate fresh fruits and veggies into a majority of your meals. As your thumb gets greener, you could consider selling some produce locally as a side hustle. The cost of having your own garden can be very budget-friendly, but it also is a free hobby to enjoy and unwind with after a hard day of work.   

Better Your Budget   

If you want to save a little extra this summer, look through your budget and see what you can cut. Maybe you save a little extra and cancel the TV subscriptions as you will be spending more time outside or cancel the gym membership and get your exercise for free outdoors. Be in control of what you are spending your money on, spring is a great time to cut unnecessary spending so as fun stuff comes up this summer, you have the spare cash.  

The best part about the summer months is that you can enjoy free activities outside rather than going out and spending money on activities all the time. Rather than eating out, consider grilling or cooking outside. This is such a fun activity to do with friends too when planning your next night out. You could also try out a spending freeze where you don’t spend for x number of days to save extra to cover an upcoming expense.   

Enhance Your Energy Efficiency   

One of the biggest ways you can save this spring is to be energy efficient. Cut the cost of some of your bills by using the nice weather to your advantage. Spring is the time of year you can shut off the heat and open the windows. As the weather heats up, be frugal with when you’re turning your AC on.  

Keep your house cool by adding window treatments to reduce the amount of heat that gets in. Another way to be more energy efficient is to run your large appliances less. For example, consider only running full loads of dishes or laundry. One tip that many people forget is to shut your fans off when they are not being used. A fan running is not cooling your house, so when you’re done cooling off, turn it off.   

Spring and summer seem to be busy months with a lot of fun stuff to do. Start saving a little extra here and there to add an extra chunk to your savings. Save this summer to set yourself up for a financially successful year. The more frugal you can be to cut some costs, the bigger the payoff you will see.   

Exchange Bank of Northeast Missouri 

Member FDIC 

Equal Housing Lender