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Advice for a Frugal Summer
9 Tips for a Financially Sane Summer
Don't charge summer activities.
Period. "If a vacation or a summer camp doesn't fit your budget, it doesn't fit your budget," Tyson says. "Use debt only to make investments in things that gain value, such as real estate, a business or an education. If you can't pay cash for summer trips and activities, don't do it or buy it." When you're trying to decide whether you can afford a vacation, factor in all the hidden costs.
Before you reserve your hotel, sit down, wrack your brain and make a list of all the expenses you may have forgotten, Tyson says. "The cost of a vacation is not just hotel and airfare," he says. "It's also the new swimsuits you might have to buy; it's the gas you'll burn driving around in the rental car; it's the cost of boarding your dog; and it's the cost of developing all the pictures you take. You can't make an informed decision until you know how much the vacation will cost when all's said and done." Vacation close to home.
You don't need to put the entire family on an airplane and fly thousands of miles away to have a nice vacation. 
Airfare is expensive, and so is the rental car you'll probably need once you get to where you're going. Regardless of where you live, there is sure to be a worthwhile destination within a few hours' drive: a beach, a mountain range, a national park or an exciting city. "When you get in the car and drive for a few hours, you still have that getting-away-from-it-all feeling, but without the huge price tag," Tyson says. "Do some research ahead of time and you can plan for some fun and inexpensive activities – say, attending a festival or hiking to a breathtaking waterfall. You'll actually enjoy your vacation instead of fretting about how much it's costing."
