Managing money as a family can feel like a significant challenge, no matter the size of your family. Each person in your household has their own needs and wants, and by the time you’ve added all of those needs and wants, you’ve likely noticed a spike in your budget.

Budgeting can often be a stressful word to think about, especially when you’re already focusing so much of your attention on balancing family life, work, social activities, and engagement for the kids. The good news is that staying on a budget doesn’t always mean you have to sacrifice everything you’ve come to enjoy. You can still spend time as a family and enjoy a variety of activities while cutting back on your expenses at the same time.

Let’s take a look at four simple ways families of all sizes can save money without sacrificing their summer.

Open Those Windows

During the summer, we often get so many beautifully windy days that we don’t take advantage of the way we should — instead, opting for keeping our air conditioners running to ensure we’re kept cool. What if this summer, you turned off your AC and opened all of the windows in your home — provided you have good screens in place to protect your home from insects.

Allowing natural airflow into your home — with the added benefit of keeping your ceiling fans running — will save you plenty of money each month off your electric bills. Think of what you could do with those savings!

Set Summer Savings Goals

ngible approach to saving money and gives everyone in your household an opportunity to think long-term about what they’d like to do with the money. Savings goals are key tThis could be a great way to get the kids involved if they’re old enough to understand the concept of saving money. Setting savings goals can add a more tao keeping your budget on track and help you avoid reaching out to alternative lenders like FlexMoney because you’ve fallen prey to overspending and need to consolidate your debts.

To get started saving, ask your family what it is they’d like to put the money towards. Perhaps a family vacation or renovating the home to include an amenity such as a pool. No matter what you choose, this will help you identify how much to set aside for your new project, so you can stay on track every step of the way.

Cook Outside More

There’s nothing like barbeques in the summer, and what better way to save more money each month on your utility bills. Turning on ovens and stoves indoors can cause your AC to run overtime to compensate for the trapped excess heat. Instead, pick up some outdoor recipe books and let your imaginations run wild.

Find the Fun in Free

No matter where you live, there are always fun adventures and activities to take advantage of in the summer. Whether they’re around the corner or in a nearby town, you can save lots of money by spending your weekends at the various festivals, library activities, outdoor movie nights, and farmers’ markets in your cities.

The money you’ll save on expensive movie theatre tickets and theme parks can go directly into your investments or into that savings account you’ve set up for that new pool or vacation!