Budgeting for Summer Fun

Budgeting for Summer Fun

By Denise French, EA, CDFA®, CVA/MAFF, CRPC On 05/02/2025

As the warmer months approach, the excitement for summer activities often begins to build. Whether it's planning a beach vacation, a trip to the mountains, or simply enjoying local events with friends and children, summertime brings a wealth of opportunities for leisure and adventure. However, amidst the thrill of summer fun, it's crucial to maintain financial responsibility for your peace of mind and pocketbook.  This article will explore the importance of setting a specific budget for summer activities and offer tips on how to prioritize spending while still enjoying all that the season has to offer.

Setting a summer budget is not just about limiting expenses; it's about creating a framework within which you can enjoy your free time without the stress of financial strain. A budget helps to balance your desire for leisure activities with the need for fiscal responsibility. Before diving into summer plans, consider reviewing your overall financial situation, including income and fixed expenses. This overview allows you to allocate a specific amount to your summer fund, ensuring that you can enjoy yourself without jeopardizing your financial well-being.

One effective strategy for managing summer spending is to prioritize experiences that matter most. Creating a list of potential activities and ranking them in order of importance can help direct your budget toward what you truly value. For instance, if a family vacation is a top priority, you may choose to cut back on smaller outings or daily expenses to make room for this significant investment.  (It is amazing how much Starbucks and Chick fil a can add up to each month.)   Additionally, consider setting a spending cap for each category of activities—like dining out, events, and travel—to further tailor your budget.

Tracking expenses throughout the summer is another essential step to help you in stay within your budget. Utilizing budgeting apps or simple spreadsheets can help you maintain awareness of your spending habits. By keeping a close eye on expenses, you can make real-time adjustments, ensuring that you don't go overboard.

It can also be enlightening to review your spending at the end of the summer to evaluate which activities brought the most joy and whether any changes are needed for next year.  In our family, we learned to budget all year for our big events whether summer, holidays or the like.  We know approximately what we need each year for these activities after a few years of tracking our spending.  We then created a savings account labeled “Summer” (and various others like “Christmas”, “Halloween”, “Kids Birthdays”) and we auto draft a little money each month into each account. For example, if we know we want $6,000 each summer for vacations and kids trips, we will save $500 each month for this event. 

Budgeting for summer fun is a proactive approach to enjoying leisure activities while maintaining financial responsibility. By prioritizing experiences, tracking spending, and making informed decisions about where to allocate your summer funds, you can strike a balance that allows for both enjoyment and peace of mind.   You can even fund these activities all year long in a summer fun savings account to take the stress out.  Ultimately, the goal is to create lasting memories without compromising your financial stability.

If you are in the midst of a divorce, having a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® on your team to help you plan for fun events like summer vacations after the divorce can be very useful.  We encourage you to find a CDFA® in your area and schedule a consultation to discuss what they can do for you. 

Tagged with: Summer Budgeting, Financial Planning, Vacation Savings, CDFA Tips, Post-Divorce Lifestyle, Family Finance, Money Management, Seasonal Spending

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