Beach © by Moyan_Brenn_BE_BACK_ON_JUNE_11TH

Getting ready for summer? Trying to do it on a budget? So am I.

Here is what I do to make the most of my summer. The goal is we want to have fun, but we have a budget that we have to stick too.

For summer treats, here are some simple suggestions:

• Make your own homemade iced coffee. Love these ideas from Martha Stewart.
• Make your own homemade Starbucks Passion Iced Tea
• Make your own Popsicle with real fruit, simply save your leftover fruit, freeze, blend, and then refreeze with a little yogurt, and you have great healthy treats.
• Have snack bag size treats ready so you aren’t tempted every time the ice cream truck swings by and on my street that is once a day

To save on summer camps:

• Shop early, ask about subsidies if you need one, sometimes they aren’t well advertised.
• Check out community programs. Here in Toronto the Parks and Rec department offers over 100 camps every summer, and subsidies are available if there is financial need.
• Finally how about creating a mini camp experience for your child and a few of their friends? I did this a few years back and my daughter had a great time hanging with a few of her friends, we went swimming daily, had picnics and started the day with a craft.

To save on summer travel:

• Check out sites like hotwire to book hotel rooms, and look for last minute packages.
• Look through tourism guides for great inexpensive places you can explore.
• How about planning shorter trips closer to home?
• One of our favorite summer activities is camping. It is an inexpensive way to get away.

For local summer fun:

• Check out local free festivals. Here in Toronto, we are blessed because there is so many of them. There is not a weekend you can’t find something you can do for free.
• Check out your local library for there reading programs for kids.
• Check out locals pools, or beaches to stay cool.
• Have a dinner time picnic in your local park, on a warm night.
• Check out a local green area in your neighborhood, is there an area you haven’t explored yet?
• Plan a great water balloon fight, for your child and their friends, even some adults I know enjoy this one.
• Here in Toronto even the museums offer free hours, does yours?
• Remember teens across Canada can stay fit for free with Goodlife Fitness.

These are just some ways to save and still have fun this summer. What have I missed off this list? Tell me in the comments.