10 Summer Fun Ideas That Won’t Break The Bank

Summer is an incredible time to gear down, rest, and renew relationships.

It is also a time that could break the bank if one is not very careful. To help you have an incredible summer without destroying the budget, we put together a list of fun ideas for you:

10 Summer Fun Ideas That Won’t Break The Bank

  1. Go camping in a tent  Or as one of my friends calls it: “Pretend to be homeless” 🙂 I love tent camping!
  2. Take a vacation with family or friends and SHARE the cabin/house/condo/etc.  My bride and I have done this many times. It cuts lodging costs by half (or more) and allows us to hang out with our friends/family even more!
  3. Take up a hobby that doesn’t cost a lot. My friends play basketball once a week. I run with my daughter. Tennis costs next to nothing. Corn hole. Put on an art contest and invite your children and their friends to participate. Hike trails at a state park. Go swimming at a local park.
  4. Start a small business with your children. Ask them for their ideas. Choose one while teaching them the concept of value (what customers are willing to pay money for) and marketing/sales (no one will buy if they don’t know it exists). Sell the product/service on-line using a basic website (can set up through a basic free blogging service) and PayPal.
  5. Attend a play at a local community theater. If you volunteer to serve at several of their events, you can probably attend a show for FREE!
  6. Volunteer at a local food pantry or homeless shelter. This really costs nothing, and it allows you to serve those who are struggling!
  7. Go to yard sales, buy cool stuff, and sell on-line.  My children love discovering “treasures” on Fridays and Saturdays.
  8. Go fishing at a local pond or lake.  When I see my little son experience the thrill of catching a fish, touching it, and then tossing it back in the water – it is AWESOME! My daughter loves fishing too. And my bride catches some sun.
  9. Produce a home movie using a script written by your children. iPhones have HD video capability. Many iPads and nearly every MAC has iMovie which allows you to edit and produce the show. This really fosters creativity!
  10. Launch five helium balloons with your name and address and a note.  Ask the discoverer of the grounded balloon to write you back and tell you about where and how they found the balloon! You never know when you will hear back and from how far!

Any ideas you would add to the list?

2 Comments

  1. Alaina on June 5, 2013 at 9:19 am

    Hi Joseph–

    I really appreciate all of your financial tools and services here, but I have to say that your idea #1, “pretend to be homeless,” is offensive and condescending. No one should pretend to be homeless or joke about it.



  2. William D. Nash on June 5, 2013 at 10:17 am

    Lately, I have been struggling with complaining about my financial difficulties in life: divorce, furlough days, unforeseen home repairs, etc. Everyone’s list goes on and on, and your list is probably worse than mine. When I “pretend to be homeless,” this puts my problems in perspective. Thanks be to God for the things I do have, like my house, food, job, etc. The list goes on and on, and in reality this list is longer than my difficulties list. I just need to stop and think about it.



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