Have you ever noticed that summer can feel amazing and nerve-wracking at the very same time? Sure, there’s the beautiful weather, the long days and all the fun summer brings. But there’s also that slightly off-kilter feeling. You know, when your schedule never seems to be the same two weeks in a row and you’re constantly bombarded with new ways to stress out your budget.
Guess what? We have tips that will let you indulge in summer fun and stay on top of your spending.
1. Get the family involved.
Summer is full of activities that can blow your budget faster than you can say “deep-fried Oreos on a stick!” It’s no fun to be the Budget Bad Guy—so don’t! Get the whole family involved in decisions about spending. It’s good for kids to have an age-appropriate understanding of how money works and what it means to budget. Talk about what your family can afford to spend on fun and get everyone involved in coming up with a budget and monitoring how it’s spent. Challenge your kids to find cheap or free ways to enjoy summer. And take the time to anticipate and savor your splurges. Did you know that looking forward to something can be just as much fun as actually doing it?
2. Set up bill pay.
Nothing takes the fun out of the day like realizing you forgot to pay the credit card bill and now face a late fee. De-stress right now by setting up Summit’s free online bill payer. It’s fast, it’s easy and it will make your life so much simpler (all year round!).
3. Download Summit’s Mobile App.
Doing your banking online with Summit is FREE and easy, plus it will save you time and it will make your life less crazy. Plus, you can use it to deposit checks, check your balance, find the closest ATM or Summit branch and send a message to Summit staff.
4. Keep your finances on track with Summit's Climbr®.
When you’re traveling, hosting visitors or indulging in fun summer activities, it can be all too easy to lose track of your spending. Keep track of your finances and sign up for Summit's personal financial management tool, Climbr. Create budgets, monitor expenses, set goals and get transaction alerts to remind you of upcoming bills and avoid fees.
5. Send yourself reminders.
Got a mile-long list of things you’ve got to remember every day? Clear some headspace by using Summit’s online banking to set text and email alerts to let you know when a bill is due, a balance goes below your preferred minimum, and more.
Have the summer you’ve been dreaming of—without the stress! And own your money today with a little help from Summit.
Smart money tips brought to you by Red SHOES, Summit’s exclusive financial wellness program.
