☀️ Summer Is Here. Let’s Talk About How We Spend It. We have a way of starting summer with the best intentions and leaving with a bigger credit card bill than we planned for. The barbecues, the day trips, the kids home from school, the impromptu plans…it all adds up faster than we expect, and before we know it September arrives with a financial hangover we weren’t prepared for. ☀️ It doesn’t have to be that way. In our house, summer spending is something we think about intentionally. We usually have a trip planned that we’ve saved for throughout the year, and outside of that, we try to be thoughtful about how we spend. We look for free and low-cost ways to enjoy the season because honestly, some of the best summer memories don’t cost much at all. ☀️ The real cost of summer The reason summer tends to derail our finances is that we don’t plan for it. We have a general budget, but summer comes with its own category of expenses that don’t show up the rest of the year. Admission fees, vacations, activities, hosting, back-to-school, summer clothes…the list goes on!. When those expenses aren’t planned for, they become surprises. Taking even ten minutes before summer gets into full swing to think about what the season will cost is an underrated financial move. Prioritize the things you really want to do or experience this summer and decide how much you’re comfortable spending. Then look at what’s left and decide intentionally rather than just spending as things come up. ☀️ Enjoying summer without the guilt Here’s what I want you to take away from this. Enjoying summer is not the enemy of your financial goals. Unplanned, unintentional spending can be. There’s a big difference between choosing to spend on something that matters to you and overspending because you didn’t have a plan. When you decide in advance what summer looks like for you — the one trip, the weekly farmers market, the occasional dinner out — you can enjoy every bit of it without the money stress. The things you didn’t plan for are easier to say no to when you’re clear on what you want to say yes to.