Dear Piggy Bank,

It doesn’t matter how old I get, I still remember the anticipation of summer holidays. The end of the school year is always the trigger! July 1st long weekend is a great way to kick things off and even though it doesn’t look like the weather is going to be stellar…it’s a long weekend and it’s the first of many weekends away. The only thing niggling at me is whether or not I have enough money to pay for all the fun things that go on in the summer. It’s lousy to have a big bill at the end but it’s so hard to say ‘no’ to weekends with friends, bbq’s and summer entertainment. What do you recommend?

Summer Holidays

 Dear Summer Holidays,

It’s true isn’t it, even though most of us look forward to summer fun and almost everyone takes some holiday time in the summer, very few Canadians are well prepared enough to cover the costs of the holidays. Typical expenses include:

• Travel – Transportation, accommodation, food, entertainment
• Entertaining – Food, alcohol
• Fun – Admissions to fun parks, movies, eating/drinking out, concerts
• Summer Camps and Activities
• Sports – Equipment, fees and repairs

Although it’s a little later than ideal, it’s a good idea to take a look at the calendar, list the activities you would like to do and estimate the cost to tally the associated expenses over and above typical expenses. Now comes the hard part….deciding what to do if you can’t afford to do everything in your plans. Choices are never easy but stressing about the bills at the end of the summer isn’t fun either. Making informed decisions pays off though and whether you choose to save on this to spend on that or not go here to go there it’s your choice and you can own that!

Enjoy the long weekend,

Dear Piggy Bank