Looking ahead to summer

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-22-1999
Looking ahead to summer
10
Sat, 05-28-2005 - 11:19am

Memorial Day weekend is the "official" start to the summer season. I always stop to think about the summer and all the things I am looking forward to doing on this weekend....It's one of the holiday weekends I spend a lot of time writing in my journal. Everything is fresh and green, and I'm not "hotted out" yet by the weather. This is one of my favorite weekends.

How about you? What are you looking forward to --or dreading-- this summer? Do you have activities and events you are going to attend? Ae they going to cost you money? Or do you have a summer job you are looking forward to to earn more money? Is there some big expense coming up for you that you are aware of, or are you worried about some expensive unknown that just tends to happen every summer? Is your debt going to affect your summer in some way? Have you turned down inviations because you can't afford to go? Are you going to meet a financial goal this summer?

How do you think your summer is going to shape up?

Littlesbigs

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-09-1999
Sat, 05-28-2005 - 12:15pm

Well, lets see...I just got DH off on a 4 wheeler trip for the day, so I have the house to myself! Littlesbigs has inspired me to do some cleaning and rearranging today, so that I can enjoy our nice clean house over the long weekend. We are finally getting some warm weather so I've planted a few petunias and will enjoy babying them along. I also plan on enjoying the weather out on the deck. We will most likely BBQ with some family on Sunday evening, and maybe a drive on Monday.

DH just had his first paying piece work job since he quit his REAL job in March. He cleared $430 for about 12 hours of work. We will take $300 and prepay DH's pickup payment and put the rest in his acct for future mat'ls for jobs he may pickup along the way. We feel really good about that.

We will be traveling this coming weekend which will mean $ out, but I think we've got the cash set aside. Then we have a 4 day trip planned the middle of June, we may take $ out of savings for that, but I still think we'll be ok. DH is thinking of selling his 52 willys jeep to payoff pickup and have cash to start another (hopefully) money making project. It would be nice for that to happen this summer...

Have a nice holiday weekend everyone!
cindylee

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-30-2003
Sun, 05-29-2005 - 2:14pm

I LOVE summer-always have! I'm not so thrilled about the heat and the mosquitoes, but there you go. I like the start of summer because it's so filled with possibilities. I know that I never get to do all I WANT to do because I run out of time, but that's OK to.

Since I've been in school for 2 years, and have 4 more to go, I really try and take the summer to recharge myself. By the end of spring term, I never want to study again, I don't care about learning anything new, and if I have to write ONE MORE PAPER...LOL! By the time fall term starts, I feel ready to tackle the world again, and go fill my brain with more stuff that chances are, I won't use!

Some of my projects involve money, sure. Last year, I repainted most of the rooms in the house. This year, I would like to at least do 2 that I didn't get to last year because I ran out of time/energy. I know that DH & DD are planning to put in a garden soon, and they always seem surprised by the cost, but I've got money set aside for that. We're also flying to Oregon in a couple of weeks because I am in a wedding out there. Instead of just me going, all 3 of us are, and it will be our vacation for the year. Rationally, I know we could have used the money somewhere else, but at least the trip is mostly paid for.
In many ways, summer is both more expensive and less expensive than the rest of the year. We don't have to drive as much, but since I'm home more, I tend to really really notice all the things that drive me crazy about the house, and I want to fix them RIGHT NOW, regardless of the cost. And then, there's the activities, like the town festival, and the fair, which all cost something. And, this year, we can't forget 15/16 July! We're going to the Harry Potter release party at the Barnes and Noble we go to. We preordered our books last night.

Ah, the possibilities...just wish it'd warm up a little!

Lisa :)

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-06-2005
Sun, 05-29-2005 - 9:59pm

Let's see...staying out of debt will definitely affect our summer plans.

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Registered: 02-19-2004
Sun, 05-29-2005 - 11:26pm
I am going to get a membership to the local waterpark for dd and I. We have our one vacation behind us, and going to the waterpark will keep us entertained and cool all summer. Daycare is cheaper in the summer so that will offset the expense. The key is to time things so we eat before we go, take some snacks with us and minimize purchasing anything while we are there.

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Registered: 04-21-2004
Mon, 05-30-2005 - 8:38am

We are not taking a vacation this year, because we are just now moving out of my parents after three months and back into a rental house (will post about that later) We are pretty much just really excited about it being the three of us alone again! so we plan on spending lots of time in "our" new backyard, planting flowers, having picnics and just relaxing. We also plan on going to lots of local craft fairs (budgeted!!!) and local art fairs, shows and things like that. We also recieved money for my daughter's birthday to get a yearly pass to the local zoo. it covers everything, including parking!! And we can bring our own lunches! Dh and I are trying to go out to fairs, zoos and amusement parks without wasting money on food!!! It is just so tempting. We are trying to convince our selves that it is just waste, when you think of it! Still.... it is so hard to ignore those funnel cake smells!!

kel

Avatar for cl_beckymk
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Registered: 03-19-2003
Mon, 05-30-2005 - 9:00am

Ahhh....summer....this is going to be an EXPENSIVE summer but also going to be insanely busy!

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Registered: 05-02-2005
Mon, 05-30-2005 - 7:11pm

I feel quite optimistic about this summer. Much more than last year (the year I faced my mountain of debt, but happily found this website). After getting a handle on our spending we actually were able to take a vacation over this past Easter holiday (paid with cash). We went to Disney and had a great time. Therefore, no vacation this summer.

We have several home improvement projects already underway, and planned for the near future. We've planted a vegetable garden (already hot in NC), also an herb garden along with several flower beds. Yes, these are also expensive to start but we feel the food that we get from it will pay for itself.

The kids are going away to camp (already paid with cash) for a week, and during that time I'll be painting my living room and hall upstairs. We've built a new screened in porch and replaced our old, wobbly deck. All that work was done by DH along with his brother and Dad (whose quite the craftsman).

Hope everyone has a wonderful, safe, debt-free summer!

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-19-2004
Tue, 05-31-2005 - 9:55am

Summertime is probably the hardest time to save money for us. We always get that home improvement bug, and now especially since we are putting it up for sale early fall there are so many little things that need to be "spruced up."

Our family also spends our weekends at camp(we bought and paid off a travel trailer halfsies with DH's mom), so there's extra food that we need to buy and always small repairs and things for the camp. But I wouldn't trade that for anything~ we love it there so much. We will not (and usually don't) go on vacation in order to save for the new house.

DH is always buying crap in the spring/summer. FOr instance, he brought home a go cart this weekend! I didn't say much because it was only $150 and he used "his" monthly bonus check money, but he and his dad want to do all kinds of stuff to it which will add up. Plus, I know he'll want to go and buy his annual $100 worth of fireworks for the 4th as well. It's like I have 3 kids instead of 2!!! ...... THank goodness I have the cash now since those nasty cc are paid off.....:) Nicki

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-13-2003
Tue, 05-31-2005 - 10:31am

Summer will be busy for me -- I organize a summer festival (this is my first year so it's extra-hectic as I'm still on that learning curve) so until July, my time is pretty much spoken for. After July, things will quiet down as we wrap up the festival and then I'll be out of work 'til next February. Unless my currently-unemployed dh doesn't get a job soon -- then I'll *have* to find some other job to help get us through. :(

Ds (12) finishes school next week. I have him signed up for a summer art class and of course he'll spend time at the festival with me. VBS is later in the summer, too. My mom has agreed to babysit him the rest of the time (while I work and dh either works or looks for work) for a reasonable fee.

I guess I'm not really looking forward to this summer, as I expect finances will continue to be tight and I can see us sinking further into debt the longer dh is out of work. :(

Amy

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-14-2004
Tue, 05-31-2005 - 9:05pm
We had a pleasant and cheap start to the summer so far. Enrolled son at Boys and Girls Club where the fee for the entire summer is five dollars. Today was the first day and Thank God he loved it! Arts and crafts, all kinds of sports, education and computer classes and good supervision. Not to mention a free lunch every day. Hours are 9AM-2 PM for the younger group, but that's OK. He'll also go to VBS at some point and maybe a basketball camp at the Boys and Girls Club as well. And in the evenings he's on the soccer team and plays piano. 2 year old is too young for anything, but it helps greatly to separate the boys for the 5 hours a day. Not so much screaming and screeching.