Vacation and summer break are often a time that puts a little extra stress on the economy and wallet, when you want to take the opportunity to enjoy a little extra. But are there any tricks for how to get the most out of the summer as possible - without it having to be extra expensive? We asked our followers at Sambla that question, and here are the 8 best tips we received.
According to figures from a survey we conducted last spring, 7 out of 10 people say they blow their budget during the summer months. To encourage more smart saving without sacrificing enjoyment, we asked our followers to share their best “summer hacks.” In other words, tips on how to enjoy yourself without having to spend extra money!
Here are some of the best responses we received:
1. Summer list – for better planning
”"We often make a little summer list with the children of things they want to do, and then we tick them off at a leisurely pace. It creates both anticipation and many great moments together. A good summer hack is to plan simple, free or cheap activities in advance, so you don't have to worry about 'what are we going to do today?' stress. With children, it becomes extra valuable to have beach trips, forest walks, bike rides and picnics close at hand – and something they love is camping, even if it's just in the garden or a night near home."‘
2. Prepare food and snacks in the freezer
”The freezer is our family's best friend in the summer. We plan our weekly grocery shopping, bake and cook food based on the plan, and put it in the freezer. Ready-made meals and snacks in the freezer are perfect for beach days, outings, and other spontaneous summer adventures. That way, we avoid making many expensive impulse purchases.”
3. Pause streaming services
”"I'm canceling all streaming services during the summer except one, since we're out all day anyway. It saves around 800 kronor a month and you still don't have time to watch everything."”
4. Swap toys and gadgets with neighbors
Swap stuff with neighbors and friends instead of buying new. We have a group where we borrow tents, children's bikes and bath toys from each other. It works great and everyone saves money.
5. The sun protection factor trick
”"Sun protection factor is an expensive product, but it is needed. A savings tip is to fill empty plastic containers from old deodorant roll-ons with sunscreen. They are perfect for preschool, school or leisure time, and otherwise have a tendency to disappear.".
With roll-ons you can apply sunscreen to your children without it dripping, and by dividing a bottle into several smaller packages, the same bottle can be used in several places or for several children. It is significantly cheaper than expensive ready-made SPF roll-ons – making your own costs around a quarter of the price.”
6. Change of residence
“Home swapping is my best summer hack. By swapping homes with family, friends or via sites that mediate home swaps, you get to experience new places, both in Sweden and abroad. You save many thousands of Swedish kronor by not staying in a hotel or renting accommodation – money that can instead be spent on experiences and good food.”
7. The cooler bag
“The cooler is summer's best friend. My hack is to let the cooler transform any lawn into a restaurant, any beach into a café, and any car ride into something more enjoyable.”
8. Excursion exchange
”"We're running the simplest savings tip of the summer: "excursion swapping". Instead of each family having to come up with and pay for their own activities, we take turns inviting them to small free adventures. One family brings coffee to the forest, another organizes a barbecue in the park, a third arranges an evening swim and music.
There will be no new costs but maximum summer feeling, and suddenly the whole summer feels fully booked without your wallet noticing anything. A little social, a little creative and much cheaper than amusement parks and café visits.”
3 winners will receive food worth a total of SEK 50,000.
The entries were part of a competition on Sambla's social media, where three winners will now win food worth a total of SEK 50,000.
– We want to encourage this type of creative saving and it was absolutely amazing how many good contributions we received! More people sharing with each other also means that the tricks are spread and that even more people can save even more, says Povel Arwidson, financial writer at Sambla.
The winners are Thomas Broström in Boden, Emma Ljunggren in Nacka and Bonnie Olsson in Ängelholm.
