12 Fun Things to Do In Summer Without Breaking the Bank

Entry fees and add-ons at even local amusement parks can easily cost a family a four well over $100, with major parks costing nearly that much per person per day.

County fairs can be an affordable alternative to pricey amusement parks. Find fairs in your area at countyfairgrounds.net, and ask about special discount days for families, kids, seniors, etc. Some fairs even allow you to carry food into the fairgrounds to have a picnic with the family, saving you even more.

Related: 12 of the Best U.S. Farmers' Markets

Tired of always being stuck with the check when you go out to eat with friends? Try these money-saving alternatives.

Eating in is the new eating out. Try setting a theme (e.g. Mexican night, all-crock-pot feast, etc.) for potlucks to make them more festive and fun. You can also share the cooking – and the costs – by having a moveable feast, with each of your friends hosting the group in their home for one course of a progressive dinner party.

Related: 28 Delicious Summer Recipes

Sure they're fun and refreshing on a hot summer day, but they can really soak you financially.

For less than the cost of a single one-day ticket to an expensive water park, you can probably equip yourself for a whole summer's worth of wet-n-wild fun. Save your empty squeeze bottles from dish soap and repurpose them as high-caliber squirt guns, or make your own "super soaker" out of common household items using the directions found at sscentral.org/homemade.

Related: 6 Facts and Myths about Swimming Safety

A round of golf will cost you about $40 at a public course, according to the National Golf Foundation, and usually a lot more at private courses.

Of course living green is always in, but in the summer it can be extra fun and save you even more money by planting a backyard vegetable garden. If you don't have space for a garden, many vegetables can be grown in pots and other containers, including most herbs, tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, and even radishes and beets. Or consider planting some perennial vegetables, which will deliver a fresh crop every year once they're established.

Related: Organic Gardening Tips

A cruise can easily cost hundreds of dollars per day, and that's before all the add-ons the industry is notorious for pushing.

Be the captain of your own boat! There are thousands of local canoe liveries and outfitters around the country where you can rent a canoe, kayak, inner tube or raft for less than the cost of a round of piña coladas onboard the Love Boat. Find an outfitter near you at propaddle.com — and be sure to always wear your life jacket.

Related: America's 11 Most Endangered Rivers

Lodging is often the single largest expense on a summer vacation, but what it cost you nothing?

There are plenty of places where you can camp for free (or cheap), including many National Forests where "primitive camping" is usually allowed for free. And when you're on the road, many Wal-Marts will let you camp overnight in your RV in their parking lots. If you're looking for indoor accommodations, check out CouchSurfing.org, a nonprofit organization with half a million hosts all around the world who will let travelers crash on their couches for free.

Related: Why I Stay at the Cheapest Sleazy Hotels

Can't spare $103 million for a yacht like this one? Then...

... go fly a kite! Making your own kites is almost as much fun as flying them. You can even recycle materials like newspaper and paper bags in the process. And cloth rags or old neckties make perfect kite tails.

Related: How to Reuse and Recycle Almost Anything

I've never understood how a $100 an hour massage can be relaxing. The very thought of spending that much makes me tense.

The simple things in life are often times the best. Relaxing in a backyard hammock is hard to beat, but if you hang one between two trees, make sure you don't hurt or kill the trees by driving nails or screws into them or leaving ropes or cords wrapped around them permanently. Another fun summer project is to make your own hammock.

Related: Summer Cocktail Recipes with Garden Ingredients

According to the National Camp Association, the typical sleep-away summer camp charges about $1,000 per week (homesickness counseling included).

Set up a rotating schedule of summer sleepovers with your kids' network of friends, so that they can still tell ghost stories 'til the wee hours and every set of parents get some kid-free time. And for inexpensive, fun programs during the day, check out the schedule of summer activities at your local parks and rec department.

Related: 30 Ways to Get Your Kid to Play Outside

Fashionistas tell me that the must-have shoe for men this summer is the Car Shoe. At $480 a pair, that's nearly as much as I paid for my last car.

Can't we just agree that the last summer's colors and styles are still in vogue and save ourselves a bunch of money? And, looking ahead to next summer, don't forget to shop for end-of-season bargains come August — if you buy that swim suit on sale at the end of this summer, it might just inspire you to fit into it come next summer. Now that's fashionable.

Related: 5 End-of-Season Sales to Watch For

Jeff Yeager is the author of:

> The Ultimate Cheapskate's Road Map to True Riches: A Practical (and Fun) Guide to Enjoying Life More by Spending Less, and

> The Cheapskate Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of Americans Living Happily Below Their Means

Find more of Jeff at www.UltimateCheapskate.com, Twitter and Facebook

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