Picnic in the Park
Grab a blanket and your favorite lunch and head to the park for a picnic. Its a cheap and easy way to get outside and enjoy summer. Make it fun by bringing books to read, a frisbee or ball to pass around or another outdoor game.
Group barbecue with friends
Get your group of friends together and have a barbeque in your backyard, rooftop or even a park that has the capabilities. To keep costs low for everyone to split the cost of the food and drinks among the group. To make it even more fun break out the backyard games like toss-across or horseshoe ladder!
Take a walk in your city/town
Take a walk around your town and enjoy the hard work your neighbors spent beautifying their flowers and gardens. Just make sure to wear comfy walking shoes so you can walk for hours!
Go for stargazing
One of my favourite things about summer is that the sky is much clearer and you can see the stars at night! Grab a couple of warm blankets and find the spot where you can get the best view – bring along a stargazing book to increase your astrology knowledge. Maybe even pack some food and drinks in a cooler and have a nighttime picnic. The possibilities are endless.
Go for a hike with friends & family
Spend an afternoon hiking local trails or even go to the nearest national park to get out and enjoy the awesome beauty that is nature. Just make sure you have proper equipment like hiking shoes, a water bottle, and even some great snacks to keep your energy level up.
Volunteer an animal shelter
A great way to give back to your community, get outdoors and spend some time with sweet animals looking for a home! Animal shelters are always looking for volunteers to come in and play with, walk and help clean up for the animals! I’ve done this so many times and the benefit the shelter and the animals receive from just a few hours of your time is priceless.
Embrace your backyard with some planting
A garden is a great way to save money on food and enjoy summer on a budget. You can pretty much grow a garden anywhere, even if you live in a tiny apartment you can use your balcony or windowsills to grow some fresh herbs and keep flowers.
Engage in a PYO (pick your own) trip
Don’t have much of a green thumb? No problem! Find a local farm or orchard where you can pick your own fruits and veggies. Not only is the selection usually great but you will guarantee the freshness of your fruits, veggies, and herbs because you will be picking them yourself!
Support your local farmers market
If you don’t have access to a local farm or orchard I can guarantee your area has a farmers market – even my small area has a really nice one. They are a great place to not only get produce but also baked goods, crafts, art and live music.
Arts & music festival
Speaking of art and music, the great thing about summer is the number of art and music festivals that pop up literally everywhere. They are usually free to attend and always have the best selection of art, live music, and great food. These kinds of festivals always have the best crowds too so you can guarantee you will be able to meet new people who share the same interests as you.
Spend a day at the beach
I can’t believe this one is so far down the list! The beach is a given when its summer and its an amazingly free way to enjoy summer on a budget while you swim, lay out in the sun, and play beach volleyball. Just don’t forget the sunblock!
Become a tourist in your city
If you live in a really touristy area you can always get out and do all the “touristy” activities your town has to offer. To get great deals on the attractions, you should check out the GoCity pass like the Go Boston Card. I use one of these passes every time I visit a city, not only do they offer great deals but you can always find new and fun stuff to do.
Enjoy a dinner/lunch on a roof top patio
Ok, this is one of my absolute favorite ways to enjoy summer. Gather a group of friends and do a rooftop bar crawl where you hit all (or as many as you can) of the rooftop bars in your area! You get to be outside the whole time and some even offer games too, win-win!
Restaurant hopping
If you haven’t ever done a restaurant tour you are missing out! Basically what you do is get a group of friends, or just you and your significant other, tour around to everyone’s favorite restaurant, and order that person’s favorite appetizer for the group. A great way to keep costs low by splitting everything among the group and only ordering appetizers, and also to try new foods!
Get off the grid and go camping
If you are an outdoorsy person, camping is a really exciting way to spend summer. You don’t have to go out to the absolute wild to experience camping, just head to a local campsite that has a shower and bathroom area. Camping isn’t about how hard you can rough it out in the wilderness, its about having fun. Just make sure you are prepared and have the proper camping gear!
Final word
As you can see, there are countless ways to enjoy your summer on a budget and still have an amazing time! All you have to do is break with the mainstream thinking that you have to spend a lot of money to have a good time. Definitely not true!
What are some of your favorite ways to rock your summer on a budget! Share in the comments, we are always looking for more ways to have an awesome time!
