392. More Fun, Less Spending: 7 Ways to Enjoy Summer Without Breaking the Bank

 👇 Get our free Simplify My Money newsletter and start taking control of your finances: https://www.debtfreedad.com/newsletters/simplify-my-money

Summer is supposed to be fun, but it can also become one of the most expensive times of the year if you're not careful.

In this solo episode, Amber shares 7 simple ways to enjoy your summer without draining your bank account or ending up with a credit card hangover in September.

From becoming a tourist in your own town to creating a summer adventure jar, these practical ideas will help you make lasting memories while staying focused on your financial goals.

Because the best summer memories don't have to come with a payment plan.

Support the show

The Totally Awesome Debt Freedom Planner https://www.debtfreedad.com/planner 

Connect With Brad 

Website- https://www.debtfreedad.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thedebtfreedad
Private Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/debtfreedad
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/debtfreedad/
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@debt_free_dad
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@bradnelson-debtfreedad2751/featured 

Thanks For Listening 

Like what you hear? Please, subscribe on the platform you listen to most: Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Tune-In, Stitcher, YouTube Music, YouTube 

We LOVE feedback, and also helps us grow our podcast! Please leave us an honest review in Apple Podcasts, we read every single one. 

Is there someone that you think would benefit from the Debt Free Dad podcast? Please, share this episode with them on your favorite social network! 

Episode Transcript

Amber (00:00):
Have you ever noticed how summer has a way of getting us
to spend money we never plan tospend?
One minute, you're enjoying thesunshine, and the next, you're
booking a weekend getaway,buying concert tickets, grabbing
patio drinks, signing the kidsup for activities, and wondering
where did the extra thousanddollars disappear to?

And here's the problem (00:24):
most people don't realize the damage
until September rolls around.
And the credit card statementstarts showing up.

Announcer (00:35):
You're listening to the Debt Free Dad podcast with
Brad Nelson.
Brad and his co-hostsexperience the anxiety of living
paycheck to paycheck beforelearning the fundamentals of
financial success.
They are now on a mission toempower regular people to pay
off their debt for good andenjoy happier, less stressful
lives.
Keep listening forinspirational interviews, tips,

(00:57):
tricks, and practical advice togain financial freedom.

Amber (01:03):
Today I'm going to share seven simple ways to have fun
for less this summer.
Because enjoying your life andreaching your financial goals
should never feel like aneither-or decision.
Thank you for listening to theDead Free Dad podcast, where we
help normal, everyday peoplelike you take control of your
finances and live a happier,less stressful life.

(01:25):
I'm Amber, your host fortoday's episode.
My husband and I saved and paidoff over $54,000 in just 20
months and have been livingdebt-free outside of our
mortgage since 2018.
Now, after listening to thisepisode, if you're ready to take
things to the next level,you're sick of living paycheck
to paycheck, you want to reducefinancial stress in your own

(01:46):
life, you want to build savingsthat are there for all of life's
emergencies, and you finallywant to pay off your debt for
good.
Maybe you're like most people,including me at one time, and
you're not sure where to start.
Well, we've created anincredible free resource for
you.
And I'll be sharing all of thedetails later on in today's

(02:08):
episode.
Summer is one of my favoritetimes of year.
The weather is finally nice.
I live in northern Ontario.
We don't get much of it.
People are outside, kids areout of school, there's always
something happening.
But summer can be one of theeasiest times to blow your

(02:28):
budget.
I know because I've done it.
And you tell yourself it's justa camping trip.
Then a couple of road trips.
Before long, summer is over,and you're wondering why your

(02:49):
bank account looks like it spentthe season on vacation, too.
The good news is that you don'tneed to spend a fortune to have
a memorable, great, amazingsummer.
So let's dive in.
Number one, become a tourist inyour own town.

(03:10):
Most of us know more aboutdestinations hundreds of miles
away than we do about our ownbackyards.
Look for local beaches, parks,hiking trails, community events,
farmers markets, outdoorconcerts, and festivals that are
free or not super expensive.

(03:32):
Challenge yourself to exploreone new place close to home each
and every week.
You'll create memories and savea ton of money on travel costs.
Number two, another fun way toreally get those memories going
this summer without costing afortune is pack a picnic instead

(03:53):
of going out.
Now, restaurants are great, butthey add up really quick.
So instead of spending $75 to$100 on a meal, pack some food
from home and head to the park,the beach, or maybe a lookout
near you.
The experience often feels evenmore memorable because you're

(04:14):
doing something different.
The goal isn't to stop havingfun, it's to stop overspending
on things that don't actuallyadd much value.
Number three, create a summeradventure jar.
Now, this one is probably oneof my favorites and great if you
have kids too.
Write down a bunch of free orlow cost activities and throw

(04:35):
them into a jar.
Whenever somebody says, I'mmarred, pull it out.
And you're gonna pull out umone of the tabs, one of the
little pieces of paper, andyou're going to do that
activity.
You know, watch a sunset, havea backyard campfire, visit a new
trail, take a bike ride, play aboard game together.

(04:56):
You'll never run out of ideasand you'll avoid spending money
simply because nobody plannedanything.
Number four, use your locallibrary.
Now, this is something that umI have been doing more and more
recently.
Most people are seriouslyunderestimating what their local

(05:16):
library offers.
Books are just the beginning.
Many libraries have movies,audiobooks, workshops, even
events, classes, and familyactivities.
You're already paying for itthrough your taxes.
You might as well takeadvantage of it.
Number five, host a potlock.

(05:38):
Instead of spending a fortunemeeting friends in a restaurant,
invite everyone over and askthem to bring something.
The cost gets spread out, andhonestly, the conversations are
usually better.
People rarely remember therestaurant, they remember the
people they spent time with.
Number six, schedule a no-spendweekend.

(06:04):
One of the biggest reasons thatpeople overspend is boredom.
When you don't have a plan,spending money becomes the plan.
Pick a weekend and challengeyourself to spend absolutely
nothing on entertainment.
You'll be amazed at howcreative you become when
spending isn't your firstoption.

(06:26):
Number seven, remember whatyou're working towards.
This one is probably the mostimportant.
Every dollar you spend today isa dollar that can't go towards
your future goals.
Now that doesn't mean neverspend money.
I'm all about the fun.
It means spend intentionally.
Ask yourself, is this reallyworth it?

(06:48):
Does this align with what Iwant?
Will I still be happy I spentthis money a month from now?
Sometimes the answer will beyes.
And sometimes it won't.
But making intentionaldecisions beats emotional
spending every single time.
Now, the biggest lie that we'vebeen sold is that fun has to be

(07:09):
expensive.
It really doesn't.
Some of the best memoriesyou'll make this summer won't
come from a credit card swipe.
They'll come from simplemoments with the people you care

about (07:20):
a campfire, a picnic, a walk, a conversation, a sunset.
Those things don't requiredebt.
They don't require financing.
And they definitely don'trequire a credit card hangover
in September.
The goal is to get more lifeout of the money that you spend.

(07:41):
So before we wrap up, I justwant to say getting out of debt
is not about proving howmiserable you can be.
It's about building a life thatyou actually want to show up
for without money stressconstantly hanging over you.
And honestly, that's exactlywhat today's episode was about.

(08:03):
Having a fun summer doesn'trequire blowing your budget.
It doesn't require financingmemories on a credit card.
It just requires being a littlemore intentional with the
choices you make and rememberingthat some of the best
experience in life costs verylittle.
You don't need perfection.

(08:24):
You do not need to cut outeverything you love.
You just need a simple planthat makes sense for real life,
your real life.
If you're sitting therethinking, okay, I get it, but I
still don't know where to startor how to put this all together.
That's exactly why we'vecreated the free tools and
resources we have here at DebtFree Dad.

(08:45):
Maybe you want to break freefrom living paycheck to
paycheck.
Heck, that's probably why youlisten to this podcast.
We've got you covered.
Simplify My Money is sent toyour inbox every Sunday.
Simplify My Money is yourstep-by-step roadmap to
financial control.
You'll get easy-to-followstrategies to manage your money

(09:06):
more effectively.
Just like you've discovered onthis podcast, we're going to
help you make stress-free moneydecisions that simplify your
financial life with proven tipsthat actually work for normal,
everyday people just like you.
You could sign up for SimplifyMy Money by clicking the link at

(09:26):
the top of the show notes.
Thanks for joining me ontoday's show, and we will see
you on the next episode.

Announcer (09:31):
Thanks for listening to the Debt Free Dad podcast.
Connect with us on Facebook,TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.
Just search Debt Free Dad.
If you found value in today'sepisode, please leave us a
rating and review.
We so appreciate it.
For resources, show notes, andlinks mentioned in today's show,
visit debtfreedad.com.

(09:52):
Catch you next week.