Summer can be the time when we get a little less resistance to keep the wallet closed. Hey, nice weather makes you happy, and so does spending money. While you will want to obviously still keep track so that it does not throw your budget completely out the window, as long as you do not go into debt and carry a credit card balance over to the next month and begin paying interest, there is nothing wrong with a little summer spending. It does depend what you are spending your money on though. Much like anything we purchase, we want to see the best deals that are out there, and there should be no exception to summer spending as well, so keep an eye out to avoid any overspending to have a little extra in your pocket for fun.
Online Shopping
The kids are out of school and parents are taking vacation time, so that means that stores are packed at any time of the day now (also it seems like no one wants to work so any excuse to go to the store fills in more of the crowd). Not only the crowds, but it also can be too hot to spend your time going from store to store and would rather use your time soaking up the sun on the lake. Online shopping can be your savior from crowds and heat, buying what you need in the A/C, but it can also eat up your bank account if you shop too much.
Filling Up the Gas Tank
Short of a holiday weekend when gas prices can take an immediate spike, the summer is when gas prices will hit its peak in July and will likely stay for the next couple months. If you plan on packing up the family and heading cross-country, you may want to factor that in, but there are plenty of lakes and theme parks within a couple hours that would be an easy day trip. Even better, a “stay-cation” is even more tempting, enjoying your own backyard without leaving.
Booking Trips
With the increase in gas prices can also factor in with airfare, so beware when booking flights that could be cheaper if you go later in the year. The stay-cation may come even more into play when you see what it costs to rent a lakefront property if you planned on taking the family on a nice long weekend away to enjoy the sun and water. Let’s just say you can probably book air and hotel to Las Vegas for the price of renting a waterfront property for a weekend in prime of summer.
Summer Concerts
It is always fun to get a group together to go and see a concert on the lawn of the amphitheater, but with so many summer tours going on and more than enough venues to house them to try and reach capacity, there are always discounts out there. With the amount of Ticketmaster and Live Nation service charges that add 50% to the cost of the ticket, Groupon can offer discounted seats that can be $20 out the door, without any extra fees. Besides that, you can always check StubHub as the event is approaching and hope to get less than face value tickets.
A New Car
Until you start seeing those commercials mentioning the “end of summer clearance”, it would be smart to hold off on the lease or purchase of a new vehicle until they are practically giving them away, or at least it looks like it on TV. When dealers are making room for the new fall models to come in, that is when you will find the best deals, trying to scoop up whatever was leftover that they may have ordered too many of. Hey, their loss is our gain on our pocketbook. There are so many dealers out there though, so it is still a good idea to always shop around for the best quote.
Finding Your Dream Home
The housing market fluctuates so much on supply and demand, you always try to sell high and buy low, but it may not always work out that way. If you are looking in the summer, you and the rest of the purchase population may be bidding on the same home, so it drives up the asking price. If you are searching for your first home that may price you out of the market, but if you are selling your current home and looking for a new one, hopefully you can sell yours as part of a bidding war as well.
