7 Ways to Keep the Summer Spending Craze Under Control

Summer’s spending temptations abound: Longer days, travel and camp for kids are just a few of the places our money ends up during the warm months. “We have expenses in summer that we might not have the rest of the year,” says April Stewart, a financial coach who helps high earners take control of their money and build wealth. “A lot of times we tend to overspend when we aren’t intentional,” she adds

Stewart and other money experts say there’s still time to reign in expenses this summer — or as you plan ahead for next summer

Decide where you want your money to go“Get on how you to spend money,” says Keina Newell, a financial coach who specializes in helping single women

You want to plan for not only your bills, but also the fun summer expenditures, she says. “Let’s look at how you want to spend your time, maybe engage in experiences, dining outside more. ” To help you reflect, she suggests looking back on what you enjoyed spending money on over the past year, and what you didn’t

Where did you get the best return on investment

Those are areas you may want to prioritize in favor of other things

Setting a budget for those fun activities gives you permission to spend and enjoy the season while also erecting guardrails so you don’t spend more than you intend, Newell says

It’s an apach she s to call “permission budgeting

Map out (and plan for) big expensesKnowing what you want to buy in advance gives you a chance to set aside cash to fund those expenditures

You can use a budget spreadsheet to get started

Estimate upcoming expenses — including the ones that go up in the summertime — such as travel, family celebrations, air conditioning bills and summer camp expenses, Stewart says

Stewart suggests including items gifts for graduations and baby showers, along with the target spending amount, in your summer budget

Otherwise, she says, it’s easy to overspend by accident

Build in a cushionEven the best planners can get hit with unexpected costs in the summer months

Your air conditioning unit could break, your car could overheat or travel plans could go awry

To prepare for those types of surprises, Stewart suggests leaving a cash cushion in your checking account

You could also create a separate savings account for these funds

That way, you won’t have to turn to credit card debt or other high-interest loans to fund emergencies. “Create a summer savings account so you have money set aside,” she suggests

While more savings are always better, even setting aside one or two hundred dollars can go a long way if you suddenly need the cash

Just say ‘no’ to friends (sometimes)If money is tight, your friends are bably in the same boat, Newell says

Telling friends that you want to spend less could lead to a helpful conversation ways to have fun on a budget

You could take turns hosting a potluck, skip a big group trip in favor of local fun or find a free concert instead of a ticketed venue

Bringing up budgeting “doesn’t make you sound cheap,” Newell says, but helps normalize talking money with friends, which can benefit everyone. “It’s okay to say ‘no,’” Stewart says, when a friend asks you to spend money on an activity that you won’t enjoy. “Set boundaries for yourself,” she says

And if an activity pops up that would require you to turn to credit card debt or dip into an emergency fund, then decline. “If you can’t cash flow it, then it’s a no

Move on quickly from slip-upsIf you regret a splurge on a concert ticket or big night out, it’s OK — you can still recover and learn from the mistake. “Your spending is all data,” Newell says

Review it and reflect on it to learn from slip-ups

Cataloguing what happened so you can make a different choice next time turns the experience into something useful instead of just a sunk cost, she says

Avoid spending triggersWhen you reflect on your spending, you might notice certain triggers that cause you to spend more

Late night doomscrolling might lead to online shopping, for example, so you could opt to skip the scrolling when you’re tired, Newell says

Severine Bryan, an accredited financial counselor who helps women rebuild after divorce and other challenges, says she’s learned to be on guard against overspending on rainy days. “I just want some comfort food,” she says, when the drops start falling

Instead of ordering expensive takeout on a recent rainy day, Bryan opted to pick up soup at a local chain restaurant

It satisfied her craving in an affordable way

Seek out free funThe upside of summer is that it comes with many free activities, Bryan says

Local parks, libraries and community centers often offer free entertainment, including volunteering opportunities. “Not only are you enjoying yourself, but you’re creating memories,” she says, for yourself and for others

The authorKimberly PalmerKimberly is a personal finance expert at NerdWallet

She has been on the "Today" show and in The New York Times