The summer is here. Your budget will be at stake. As the warm weather arrives, your savings start shrinking – family vacation, camps for your kids and replacing the wardrobe – the list goes on. This is the season of breaking the monotony, going to beaches, playing with warm soft sand and communing with nature. You will have to spend money if you want fun. However, it is not only vacation that consumes a large chunk of your earnings. Energy bills, food bills also play a paramount role to burn a big hole in your pocket.
You often fail to take into account your budget due to which your monthly outgoings go beyond your monthly incomings. Overspending incapacitates you to meet your regular expenses. The situation exacerbates when an unexpected expense catch you by surprise. Though you can take out payday loans with no credit check from direct lender in the UK can help you tide over, it may be difficult to repay them on time as they are to be paid back within two-week period. If you want to save money this summer, you should follow these tips:
Use AC when required
Summertime means AC time; as you enter a room, you flick the switch on before you plunk yourself down. Some people are so obsessed with the need of the AC that they cannot afford to sit in a non-ac room. Use AVC only when you need it. Constant sitting in the AC room will not only add up your electricity bill but also affect your skin health. The temperature is not same throughout the day. In morning and evening, it is always at moderate level. Sometimes the wind blows, clouds hide the scorching sun allowing you to take relief from intolerable heat. Open windows to let the cool air in.
Dry your laundry outside
It cannot be possible every now and then. However, you should not miss the chance of drying your clothes outside in the cloth line. Let the sun dry you clothes. The natural heat will help you save a lot of pounds. If the association does not allow you to dry clothes in the open sun, you should set the dryer on a low heating setting. Turning down the heat by a small degree can help you save money.
Block out the sun
Sometimes windows fail to block the sun heat. One of the reasons for ineffective use of the AC is sunrays heat up your room. You should purchase blackout curtains. They are usually made with thicker fabric that does not let the sunrays in. You can also use sheets. The thinker the sheet, the better it is. If you do not have enough money to spend in curtains, sheets and blinds, you can cover your window with privacy films. Even if these films do not cut out the sunlight completely, it can reduce the impact of heat. You can also use aluminum foil to block the light. Do not keep the lights turned on when they are not needed. Switch off the button and unplug any unused device. Even these tiny things can help you save money during the summer.
Prefer staycation
Before you plan your trip, you must consider your budget. You will decide the place, estimate hotel charges, food cost, shopping etc to know how much it will set you back. The trip will be more expensive if you are looking to travel abroad. If you take out a loan to finance your trip, you should prefer staycation. The more intriguing idea is to plan a picnic or go to zoo, beach or waterpark to enjoy the day. Plan a few activities every day so that you keep enjoying and do drain away a lot of money. Travelling abroad is a good idea if you do not have to take out a loan. Otherwise, you are likely to fall into debt.
Entertain for less
If your interest is not just limited to gym or brisk walk in the park, you should join recreational centres offering a variety of events and low-cost camps. Instead of planning a vacation that includes a big expense on travel, hotel stay, food, you should make a visit to these centres to have fun. Take subscription of your local library that not only allows you to avail storybooks but also movies, games, music and tickets to museums. Some libraries also organise events that are very helpful for your kids to expand knowledge with fun activities. You just have to keep yourself in loop with scheduled event.
Prefer home meal
Have your own garden to grow some veggies for your entire family. Growing at home is very cheaper and affordable than buying from a store. You just have to take out little bit time for the growth of plants. If you have very small space, you should opt for container gardens. Cook meals at home. Barbecue when the house is bursting at the seams. Try out new recipes. Add the homegrown produce to enhance flavours. You may think that it requires a lot of hard work, but it will pay off. You will get the scrumptious food without shelling out money. You can also invite your friends to have a party.
The summer does not need to be expensive this year. Follow aforementioned tips and organise your funds. Keep tabs on your spending weekly or monthly so that you know you are not going beyond your budget. Try to save some money alongside. If you still need to take out a loan, you can go for it but do not borrow more than your affordability.
