One of the things I love about summer is the simple fun you can have without spending any money. Sure, you can spend tons and go to a water park or any number of things if you want to and that’s fine but if you don’t want to spend a lot you really don’t have to. Summer, in comparison to the other seasons, has SO many more fun things to do for FREE.

Yesterday I took the three girls to a family member’s camp on a lake. We spent most of the day there, where they played in the sand, threw about 500 stones and practiced learning to swim. They LOVED it. It’s so peaceful and quiet that it begs you to relax. It’s like a free 6-hour vacation – with 3 kids.

Last weekend we had a Street Fair in our town where we enjoyed MANY free things. The only thing I purchased was a $3 unicorn for Chloe. We had free lunch, Chloe had a free pony ride and there was a free bounce house, even free bottled water. You just had to look for things.

Here are some other things I love about summer that don’t cost a dime.

Family walks. Chloe loves the ride in her stroller and I love the conversation and exercise.

Going to the park. Chloe LOVES the playground. She never gets bored there.

Swimming in the kiddie pool. For the kids, not me. They think it’s the biggest treat (and our kiddie pool was a gift, so it really is free).

Gardening. I love the time I spend cultivating and working on my vegetable and flower gardens.

Going running. I like to run for exercise but in the winter it really isn’t safe to do that outdoors (very snowy/icy here).

Swimming. Wherever you go you can usually find somewhere free to swim, a lake, pond, river, ocean, public pool.

Hiking. I don’t do much hiking, although I’d like to. Where I live there are many marked trails for all skill levels.

Camping. You would need to already own some things for this to be free. One time last year we had a camp out in my parents’ yard. They slept in their camper and we brought ours over there too. It was fun

BBQ’s and Get-Togethers. Whatever you call them – it’s fun to all get together outdoors.

Outdoor sports. Volleyball, tennis, badminton, horseshoes, bocce ball, croquet, softball, frisbee, whiffle ball, basketball … I could go on and on.

Reading. Yes, I read all year long, but I really like to sit out in the sun with a good book or rock on a porch swing with a cool drink and a lightly-blowing breeze … so nice.

The beach. I really like the ocean, but any beach will do. I love it.

Kayaking/Boating. You usually need to own one in order for it to be free. My parents have kayaks and let us use them one day to go out on the lake. It was absolutely fantastic. I highly recommend.

Local parades & festivals. Our area has festivals and celebrations in the summer that offer many free attractions. A lupine festival, a town field day, etc.

I’m sure you can add to my list. Summer is such a fun time of year but it can also be a great time to spend less and save a little more. A great time for a No-Spend Month!

Why I do what I do ~ Today when Chloe woke from her nap the first thing she said was, “Mommy I’m just feeling sad.” I asked her why and she told me it was because she missed her Daddy (he was at work). I immediately got him on the phone and they had a little chat. That night at dinner David said to Chloe, “I hear you missed me a little bit today.” Chloe said, “No, I missed you a lot bit.”

~ The six feet in the picture above are “the girls” back in the camp after playing in the lake for a long time (see the wrinkly skin?)

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Tagged as: Family Life, Resourcefulness, Saving Money