Watching a few commercials on TV lately might lead you to believe ‘summer fun’ means spending hundreds of dollars or more at an amusement park or exotic resort.  However, there are many frugal ways to have fun this summer without breaking the bank.  Below are a few ideas for frugal summer fun, whether it’s with a family, friend, or spouse.

Movies

With regular-priced tickets around $12, a trip to the movies can be quite expensive.  However, many theaters offer specials on certain days (usually Tuesdays and Wednesdays) for discounted or free movies to bring business in during slow times.  If you plan ahead of time and check online for deals, you may have a great time at the movies for free many times this summer.

Visit a new town

Instead of paying thousands to visit an exotic location, take a day off to visit a nearby town that you’ve never been to.  Do some research beforehand and go to some interesting historical places.  You might find some cool shops and sites along the way at only the cost of gas.

Picnic

If you’re short on vacation time this summer but need to get away, take an afternoon off to have a relaxing picnic outside. It may be old-fashioned, but there’s nothing to ease the stress like a PB&J outside on a warm summer afternoon.

Coupon Hunt

Try using online and printed ads to find coupons for fun new things to do.  The hunt itself can be a lot of fun and family bonding time, and you’ll probably find a great deal on more summer fun.  Make sure to take advantage of sites such as Groupon and Living Social.

Volunteer

Volunteering is a great way to have fun while giving back to the community. There’s always the traditional soup kitchen, but you can also try active ways to give back such as building homes and running for charity.  Bonus: Volunteer activity looks great on your resume.

Zoo and Museums

The zoo and museums have their busiest times during the summer, which means the most new exhibits and activities for you to take advantage of. Many museums are free or under $10 for an entire day’s worth of fun.  If there are no history or science museums close to your hometown, try looking for oddball museums such as the Paper Museum at Georgia Tech for a funny, informative time.

Build and Destroy

For some active fun at home, try building a new creation from old wood and other scraps around the house. When you’re finished, let the kids destroy the structure and start all over again. This idea might sound silly, but I had a great day’s worth of fun doing this with my nephew last week.

Go to the Lake

Traditional images of summer might be at the ocean, but lakes offer much of the same fun activities without the cost of a beach trip. The lake is great for swimming, fishing, kayaking, and whatever water activities interest you. Another plus is lakes are often much less crowded than the ocean.

 Start a Garden

Summer is a great time to start a garden for growing fresh vegetables and other cool plants.  The experience of watching a small seed turn into a huge plant can amaze children and give adults a sense of pride.  You can also save a ton of money by growing vegetables, and they’ll taste better too!

 Try a new sport

Professional baseball and the Olympics in London will dominate this summer on TV, but it’s also a great time to try new sports for a small cost.  A bucket of balls on the golf range is usually only 6 or 7 dollars.  Disc golf can be played at home for free or on a course for less than $10.  Tennis clubs will usually let you try out the courts for free, and might even give you some rackets to use for free.  It doesn’t matter if you’re skilled or not, just get out there and try it!

image: personal-development-is-fun.com

Long after paying off debts and recovering a respectable credit score, many people still feel a guilt for the debt they carried for so long. While debt isn’t hurtful to anyone beside yourself, it’s easy to feel like you did something wrong to the world and abused your freedom.  The truth is, you didn’t!  Just like with every other mistake in life, it takes time to understand the lessons learned and live free of guilt.

Getting into debt DOES NOT make you  a failure or irresponsible. People get into debt for so many reasons and many of them were just simple mistakes that added up over time.

In my own experience with debt, I could not forgive myself for being a ‘failure’ in my family’s eyes. After hundreds of lectures about money and responsibility growing up, I was still able to act totally irresponsible with my finances. After a few months, I expressed this feeling of guilt to my parents. I was surprised by their reaction- they told me they made many of the same mistakes I did and do not hold anything against me.  Lecturing is a decent tool to help teach lessons, but the mistakes are what really brings the message home.

Debt is a learning experience. Accept your mistakes and shortcomings. Through this process, you’ve recognized mistakes that you won’t repeat. More importantly, it took a lot of courage to face your debt head-on.  Many people live their entire lives without ever admitting they have an issue with debt or making any effort to live debt-free. You did.

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” -Winston Churchill

The debt that you had or have is not life or death.  It can be overcome, and you may have to overcome it again at some point in your life. Whether you manage to completely eliminate debt or slowly do your very best to pay down your debt, your effort is what counts. You have taken a stand against your debt and will continue to fight to become debt-free. Your courage is awesome!

Whether you like it or not, debt is part of who you are. I used to be ashamed for the amount of debt I carried and how little financial freedom I had.  Imperfections are part of what makes us unique and beautiful. It’s not the debt that defines you- it’s the amount of fight you’ve shown by admitting your debt and courageously trying to turn your life around.

image: crashchords.wordpress.com

Music can be expensive, especially with iTunes and other online sites that allow you to spend with just a simple click.  The transition of music to online platforms has made it easier than ever to spend, but it’s also a great way to find free, legal music.  I’m not talking about illegal torrent sites or other services; there are plenty of blogs and sites with legal, free downloads.

By taking advantage of these sites, you can save a ton of money and expose yourself to music you wouldn’t have heard otherwise. Below you’ll find some of my favorite resources as a starting point:

Hype Machine

While this site doesn’t offer unlimited free downloads, it does expose you to many unsigned artists and remixes of popular songs.  Since the tracks are rated based on popularity, it’s a great resource to figure out what’s worth checking out based on what the masses think.  A simple google search of the artist usually provides a free download link on the artist’s site.

Pigeons and Planes

This was one of the first music blogs I found, and I still check it several times a day.  Every genre is represented, and almost every post provides a free download link.  The site has everything from remixes of Florence and the Machine to J. Cole freestyles.

Sunset in the Rearview

Sunset is another one of my favorite blogs that follows a similar format to Pigeons and Planes, but with a different selection of music.  The home-made, downloadable  mixes that the blog releases about once a month and in-depth album reviews make this blog essential to my daily browsing.  Sunset provides an eclectic mix of music with an easy-to-use interface.

GoodMusicAllDay

GMAD is the final member of my daily-read club.  The blog specializes in “college music”- tracks that are great for partying, studying, and hanging out.  You’ll find more dubstep and dance music than the above blogs, but the blog still manages to cover all genres.  I’ve rarely seen a track that doesn’t have a free download, making it great for putting together party playlists.

There’s thousands of other music blogs out there, so have some fun exploring them. The key is to remember not to use torrents and look under the About section of each blog to make sure they’re commuted to posting only legal downloads. Enjoy your new music!

image: onemint.com

On a recent trip to the pharmacy, I picked up my prescriptions in their generic form due to the savings compared with the brand name meds.

I then picked up two sticks of Old Spice deodorant at a cost of one dollar more per stick than the store brand. It’s not that I doubt the store brand would work- I just trust in Old Spice and have since I was a teenager.  I was pretty tired that day, so I reached for a Red Bull before checking out. There was a store-brand energy drink for $1.50 less, but could it give me wings like Red Bull? Doubt it.

I know I’m not the only one with these peculiarities when choosing brands vs. store/generic products.  It seems that most everyone agrees generic products are at least acceptable as compared with their brand name counterparts, yet we still purchase brand names religiously on some products. It seems to me there’s more at play than meets the eye.

Let’s start with the facts. As far as both prescription and OTC medicines, there’s virtually no differences between brand and generic. The FDA has strict regulations on generic products, and they are just as effective and safe as the brand names. Medicines have patents that last a few years after their release, preventing generics from going on the market.   Most people opt for the brand name for the cost, but those who still buy the brand should really consider the switch.

So we know medicines are just as good, but what about everything else?  I love sugary cereal and I have to say that generic cereals are for the most part terrible. I’ll gladly pay a dollar more for the taste of Cinnamon Toast Crunch than the store brand. Tissues and toilet paper? Store brand- gotta keep myself soft.   I buy store brand soda- it actually has more flavor to me.  Most of my clothes are bought from Target, but I splurge on winter gear brands like North Face because I believe it keeps me warmer.

Is it brand loyalty that keeps us buying brand names?  Old Spice has been my deodorant for years, and they have hilarious commercials. Is that enough reason to keep paying the dollar premium over the store brand? Maybe not, but I won’t pretend I’m about to switch to the store brand after writing this.  My relationship with some brands is like a stale marriage: I might not be as happy as possible, but I stay loyal because it’s comfortable.  I’m not willing to change because I know what I’ll get today and tomorrow. Change is scary.

I also get a sense of identity from brands.  I’m a Pespi guy- Coke and the store brand just aren’t me.  My brand body wash makes me smell like me.  The store brand can’t do that.  The marketers have won me over.  My sense of me is attached to some brands.  It’s not necessarily evil, but it sure doesn’t help my wallet.

It’s interesting to note how some brand names have replaced the name of the product in our vocabularies. Saran wrap, not plastic wrap. Grab me a Coke.  My head hurts- I need some Advil.   Brand names have such a hold on us that they can enter our language as a noun.  Pretty crazy.

What makes you buy brands or generics?  How much does price factor in? What products have to be brand name?

image: bettykincaid.com

The other day I was looking for a new cell phone case in the mall. When I shop, I like to mind my own business and not be bothered. The salespeople always like to talk, so I give them the polite and clear  ”I’m just looking right now, thanks.”  Usually that sends the message, but not this time.  The salesperson continued to tell me why I need the $50 case today and how if I leave without it I will come back to buy it tomorrow- if my phone makes it til then.

This type of pressure doesn’t suit me well.  I’ll admit I’m a sensitive person. If a salesperson gives me their full attention and puts the effort in, I end up feeling guilty if I don’t buy the product.  Salespeople count on that.  I was able to say NO that day, but it wasn’t easy.  I decided to step back for a minute and really think about the situation. Here’s how I was able to  walk away:

Fight Fire with Fire

Salespeople are almost always passive aggressive, trying to dominate the conversation and your ability to counter.  Instead of putting your head down and listening to the salesperson rant on about how you have to buy the product, fight to be heard.  This directly conflicts with most people’s sense of common courtesy, but remember what the situation is. Salespeople are not your friend; they want your money and that’s all.  With the phone case guy, I allowed myself to talk over him and tell him that I don’t want or need that case.

Get Rid of Guilt

For the first time, I realized that I do not need to feel guilty about walking away from the salesperson.  He was being too aggressive for my taste, and I didn’t like the case that much.  That’s enough reason.  The job of the salesperson is to make you want to buy the product- feeling guilty is letting them win.  It’s your hard-earned money and you have a right to spend it exactly when and where you please. If you don’t buy the product, it’s a failure by the salesperson. There’s no reason for the customer to feel guilty.

Ask Yourself Why?

We all know salespeople talk a lot. The phone case guy was barely pausing for a breath. With someone talking so intensely to you, it’s hard to think for yourself.  I decided to ignore the salesperson and ask myself simply “why?”  Why do I need this case? Why am I still listening to this guy?  After those two questions, I realized I didn’t need that case and I didn’t need to listen to the case guy any more.  That’s when I was able to walk away. I simply didn’t need to be there any more.

I hope this story helps you the next time you’re harassed by a salesperson. Remember it’s your money and no one can tell you how to spend it. There’s no reason to feel guilty.

image: CNN

Stocks have risen to their highest levels since 2008, while home prices are at their lowest since 2002.  The Dow Jones and S&P 500 are at their highest levels since 2008, while the NASDAQ is at its highest level since mid-2000.  Meanwhile, home prices are at their lowest since the market plummeted more than 18% in 2008.

Home prices fell 4% in the fourth quarter of 2011, making for the 5th straight year of price loss.  Home prices are an astonishing 33.8% lower than in their peak in 2006. Atlanta prices fell the most of any city, at 12.8% year-over-year. Economists are mixed on what this means for the future.  Some expected steeper declines and view the news as positive, while others say this shows that the economy is far from stabilizing.

That was the bad news (well, good for buyers).  On February 28, the Dow Jones rose .2% and S&P rose .4% to reach the milestone. Crude oil futures decreased, indicating that gas prices should not continue to increase. Stocks rose in spite of 21 straight days of rises in gas prices and a 4% decrease in home prices in the fourth quarter of 2011.

What’s your take on the news?

Source: CNN