"Spending" your summer

Barbara

Anyone else excited for the unofficial start of summer after yesterday's holiday?  Personally, my excitement is fueled by the return of white shoes and linen pants to my wardrobe rotation! :)

I'm only half kidding — I'm old school like that. 

Important fashion rules aside, I do welcome this seasonal change, even though I don't get the traditional "summer break" anymore. (I knew I should've gone into teaching!) To be fair, I haven't had a true summer break since high school. Summers during college were just as busy as the school year!

How are you spending your summer? Between internships and summer school, I bet you guys don't have much of a summer break either!

Speaking of spending your summer, the unofficial start of the season is a good time for a budget check. If you're living off your financial aid through summer school or during an unpaid internship, it's especially important to resist the temptation to spend on non-essentials.

Here are some suggestions for minimizing your summer spending (I plan to do all three of these):

• Cancel your gym membership and play outside — just remember to put on the sunscreen  first.

• Invite your friends over for a potluck cookout instead of paying for overpriced food and drinks at outdoor cafés.

• Find cheap entertainment: convince your father, sibling, or handy roommate to build you a cornhole  game for hours of backyard fun!

Now, if only the weather would cooperate, I could get down to business. Summer…hurry up!