Make a Payment Rates About Careers Contact Locations

Four Steps To Affordable Summer Celebrations

May 21, 2018 Summer celebrations don’t have to break the bank. Our four-step plan means affordable holiday fun. Summer’s here, hooray! After months of cold and unexpected snow, it’s time to kick back and enjoy with some fun summertime celebrations.  But as you get ready to kick off the season, don’t leave your money smarts behind. Here are four steps that can help.

Step 1: Plan ahead.

We’re all for spontaneity. But if you know being spontaneous sends your budget into the red, why go there? Instead, sit down with your family, friends or whomever you’ll be spending the holiday with and have everyone write down an activity wish list. Letting everyone have a say will go a long way toward making the holiday fun for all.

Step 2: Do a budget check.

It can be tempting to think, “Hey, it’s summer and I’m gonna live a little!” But we all know how fast those “live a little” moments can turn into a big bunch of credit card charges. And who wants to be paying for summer fun when the snow’s about to fly? Look at the list of activities your gang came up with in Step 1 and try to assign a cost to each. If they’re old enough, get the kids involved. Is a trip to Noah’s Ark or a Brewer game on their wish list? Do they want to have their friends over for a pre-summer slumber party? Have them research the costs and report back.

Step 3: Revisit and refine your activity list.

Once everyone’s done their homework, add up the costs. Does that amount fit into your family’s fun budget this month? (And if you don’t have a monthly fun budget, check out and set one up. It’s a great tool and one that can really help you get and stay on track with your spending). Need to cut some costs? Look at the activities your loved ones suggested. Can’t afford a Brewer game? Is there a minor league team you can root for instead? Waterpark too pricey? Create some water fun in the backyard or head to a local lake. Check online for cheap or free activities. Be creative! Life’s best moments aren’t necessarily the ones with the highest price tags. Challenge your friends and family to see how little they can spend!

Step 4: Build in some little splurges.

We all need some little luxuries – and if you plan them ahead of time (and build them into the budget, instead of adding them on top), you’ll be able to have a great time and stick to your budget too. Now get out there, own your money and have a great summer! And if you want help reviewing your budget, our Summit financial experts are . You might also be interested in Financial success isn’t how much money you have — it’s feeling good about what you’re doing with the money you have. Here are some tips on how to prioritize your debts and bills, negotiate with creditors and get your late payments back on solid ground. Even in these challenging times, there's  whole lot of good happening! At Summit, we've always believed financial success happens together and that's been truer than ever this past month. Here's what "together" has meant for our community. Navigating finances after college is hard, but you can take it one lesson at a time. Get tips for managing money and paying off student debt after graduation. Navigating finances after college is hard, but you can take it one lesson at a time. Get tips for managing money and paying off student debt after graduation. If you’re not sure if something is a scam, it’s ALWAYS better to act like it could be! Fraudsters are always coming up with creative new ways to steal from you and quick to take advantage of a crisis. Here are some of the most popular recent scams to watch for. With a little planning, you may be able to actually save a little money during the holidays. Check out these tips to keep costs down without missing out on the holiday fun. Some scams go right for your money; others try to get you to part with personal information – like account numbers, Social Security numbers, passwords, and personal identification numbers (PINs). Find out what you should look for and how to protect yourself. The holidays can be stressful & that’s why it’s important to prioritize your self-care. Use these tips to reduce stress without draining your bank account. Your home is your castle, your refuge and—let’s face it—a place where it can be very easy to sink a big chunk of money. Which is why you’re always on the lookout for “sweet spots”:  those home improvements that add comfort, safety or a little zing of style while you’re living in your house and will boost the asking price when it’s time to sell. And if you can find a way to save money on those improvements or cut home expenses at the same time, well that sweet spot just got a little sweeter! Featured Products Certificates Checking Accounts Home Equity Loans Home Loans Business Banking Certificates Checking Accounts Home Equity Loans Home Loans Business Banking Financial Education Upcoming Events Programs Tools & Calculators On-demand Webinars Podcasts Upcoming Events Programs Tools & Calculators On-demand Webinars Podcasts About Equity in Money™ About Summit Careers News Community Giving Equity in Money™ About Summit Careers News Community Giving Help & Support Contact Us Member Support Center Schedule an Appointment Find a Branch Contact Us Member Support Center Schedule an Appointment Find a Branch Please read the following before proceeding to: The website you are about to visit is solely the responsibility of the merchant or other party providing the site. The content of this third-party site, including materials and information, is solely the responsibility of the provider of the site. The Credit Union is not responsible for any such third-party content. Any transactions that you enter into with a vendor, merchant or other party that you access through this third-party site are solely between you and that vendor, merchant or other party. The Credit Union does not endorse the content contained in this third-party site, nor the organization publishing the site, and hereby disclaims any responsibility for such content. The Credit Union Privacy Policy does not apply to this third-party site, and for further information you should consult the privacy disclosures of the third-party site. NCUA Insurance Estimator Privacy, Security & Accessibility Rates, Fees, Terms & Disclosures Routing Number *  The Wisconsin's #1 Mortgage Lender designation is based on the number of loans in 2022, gathered from the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data compiled annually by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The results of the data were obtained through the LEI: 254900NTAC4H10MGSU23 **  SBA Lender of the Year Award for Credit Unions as awarded by the Small Business Administration of Wisconsin in 2023. Copyright 2024 © Summit Credit Union. All rights reserved. If you are using a screen reader and are having problems using this website, please call 608-243-5000 for assistance. Insured by NCUA