Money is tight for a lot of us these days. Prices for everything seem to be steadily increasing, and it’s unclear if any relief is in sight. The best thing we can do for ourselves is to start rethinking our spending, which isn’t as difficult as you might think.

There are ways you can save money this summer without sacrificing too much. Below, we’ve got a few ways to save some serious coin this summer.

Pause Your Memberships

In this day and age, almost everyone has at least one monthly membership payment being put on a credit card. Whether it’s for the gym, or the plethora of streaming services available, pausing all those memberships for a few months could save you hundreds of dollars. 

Many services allow the pause, but will start it up again automatically after the period lapses. Keep an eye on your bank statements to see if there’s any monthly payments coming out that you may have forgotten about.

Also consider going through all your memberships and decide which ones you actually use enough to warrant the monthly payment. If you have some that you’ve barely looked at recently, cancel it. There’s no sense in paying for something you don’t use.

Pack Lunch and Snacks

We all know the temptation to just hit up the drive through on the way home from work, or to go out for lunch with coworkers, or to eat out for every meal while on holidays. You’ll save a lot of money if you can resist the temptation to order pizza and instead make dinner at home. 

The average combo meal at a fast food joint costs between 12 and 15 dollars. If you bring your own lunch instead, you’ll save at least $60 a week. 

Also consider where you buy your snacks. Dollar stores sell a lot of the same snacks but without the markup of grocery and convenience stores.

Vacation Closer to Home

As tempting as it is to fly to some exotic locale for an extravagant holiday, the cost of plane tickets, hotels, meals, and activities make for a very expensive vacation, no matter what booking sites say. 

Despite gas prices still being pretty high, driving is still the cheaper option for travel, especially for families. 

If you’d like to get away, but can’t really afford to go too far, explore what your region has to offer. Chances are there’s some hidden gems close to home you’ve never seen. Or just stay home altogether and enjoy taking time off work.

Start Meal Planning

Groceries are one item that is definitely going up, but with some planning and research, you can keep your food bill on the lower side.

First of all, read the local flyers. They’re put out with all the sales the grocery stores have that week and you can find some great bargains on food you’d normally pay full price for. 

It is possible to not pay full price for anything you buy, but you may have to make trips to multiple stores to get the most bang for your buck. Also make sure you actually eat the food you buy, there’s nothing worse than buying something, only for it to go bad and you just throw it out. It’s a waste of food and a waste of money.

Sell What You Don’t Use

The weather is beautiful, so it’s an ideal time of year to set up a yard sale. If you’ve got a bunch of stuff taking up space in your home, why hang onto it when you can get some money for it? 

You don’t even need to set it up outside—online marketplaces have grown in popularity in recent years and you can sell pretty much anything there.

It’s Never Too Late to Start Saving

Saving is a surefire way to better money management, ensuring you’ll have extra cash for emergencies and you’ll be able to pay your monthly bills in a timely manner. At the same time, it will help you avoid spending money on unnecessary items and instead prioritize the essential expenses. 

These tips help you keep your finances healthier for more expensive, long-term purchases–like that new powersports vehicle you may have been dreaming about.

Get Financed with Breeze

Breeze Financial Solutions is here to help you get the ATV of your dreams, and find the right financing for your needs. Call 1-888-937-9354 to speak to one of our experts and we’ll do our best to get you out on the trails on your dream ride.

For more ways to save money, check out our article “Personal Financing Tips from Breeze”.