12 Frugal Living Tips For Summer


Summer is the perfect time of year to live more frugally. Here are 12 frugal living tips for summer that will save you money & even put a little extra in the bank. #frugalliving #frugalsummer #frugaltips #frugalsummertipsI look forward to summer for many reasons, but the number one reason is because our living costs go waaay down. We turn off our heat, head outdoors and take full advantage of the bounty that summer provides. And we enjoy every sun-soaked moment of it while still planning and puttin’ up food and supplies for the leaner months ahead. 

In true homesteader style, we work hard during the summer months and are always thinking about the next season and even the whole year ahead. But we make sure to take time to enjoy the simple things in life too. Because that’s why we chose this lifestyle after all.

If you’ve found yourself on a similar path or you’re simply looking for ways to save a little extra cash this summer and live well for less, here are 12 tried and tested frugal living tips for summer that you can use to save money this season without sacrificing a thing. Because summer is the time of year when we finally get to enjoy the fruits of our labour and the abundance that nature provides, and there’s no price tag on that.

 

Related: 12 Frugal Living Tips For Spring

 

1. Attend Free Events

Summer is THE time for free outdoor events in just about every city, small town and rural community. Fairs, parades, outdoor movies, barbecues and celebrations abound in the summer months. Check out what’s going on near you and plan some free family time around your local calendar of events. 

 

2. Go Camping

There’s nothing more frugal than temporarily living off-grid for a few days (except maybe doing it full time). But camping can get expensive if you’re not careful. But all you really need is a tent, a sleeping bag, some basic cooking equipment, a way to make fire and a enough food to get you through and you’re set to live money-free in the wilderness for as long as you like! Play cards, sing campfire songs and tell stories for entertainment. And if you have your permits, maybe even do a little fishing and hunting to feed yourself and stock your freezer.

To make sure your camping trip stays frugal, opt for a site at a free campground or find somewhere a little more off the beaten path.

 

3. Cook Outdoors

Whether you’re off camping or chillin’ at home, you can save some money on electricity by cooking outdoors this summer. Fire up the barbecue at the very least, and cook over a campfire whenever possible. 

If you want to up your outdoor cooking game, try cooking in a dutch oven or use a Sun Oven to cook, bake or even dehydrate your food outside using solar power and zero electricity. Good for your wallet, good for the planet. And most importantly, good eating all around!

 

4. Lay Out Under the Stars

If you live outside of the city away from all of the bright lights, you probably have a great spot nearby to lay out under the stars. And if you live in the city, you should probably find one.

Summer is the best time to stare up at the endless night sky and contemplate life and our place in this vast Universe. Get a map and try to spot the constellations. Have a competition to see who can find the most. And don’t miss the annual meteor shower that happens every August in the northern hemisphere. The meteor showers take place between August 10 and August 13 each year.

 

5. Hit the Beach

If you live near an ocean or a lake, schedule in some beach time this summer and head to the shore for a free day of family fun in the sun (or some relaxing alone time with a good book if you’re so lucky). Bring a cooler with a few cold drinks, some snacks and sandwiches, towels and chairs and a bucket of toys for the kids to play with and you have all you need for a frugal day down by the water this summer.

 

6. Plant a Fall Garden

I was going to first suggest that you should grow your own food, but by summertime you probably should have thought about that already. Hopefully you are already growing your own food (but if not, definitely follow the next tip to go frugal this summer). Summertime, however, is the time to start planning for a fall garden.

Plant cooler weather crops like winter squash, beets, carrots, cabbage, kale and salad greens and enjoy harvesting from your home garden well into the autumn and even winter months. Check out fall planting guides and first frost dates for your local gardening zone to know what to plant when.

 

7. Shop the Farmers Markets

If you’re not growing your own garden (and even if you are), hit up your local farmers markets this summer to get your hands on organic, local, seasonal produce at a good price. Plan meals around what’s in season and cook frugally with the bounty that summer provides. And stock up on that goodness to preserve some for winter when organic local produce is scarce and the cost of living goes up. It’s well worth the investment now!

 

8. Preserve the Harvest 

Speaking of preserving, be sure to do as much as possible this summer and don’t let anything go to waste! Whether preserving your own food that you grew at home, fresh produce from your local farmers markets or food you’ve foraged, gathered, or hunted, be sure to use what you can fresh and preserve the rest to enjoy throughout the rest of the year. Learn to can, dehydrate and ferment foods. And if you’re really short on time or don’t want the hassle, at least throw your excess in the freezer for a later date. Stock up now while supply outweighs demand and you’ll be thankful when supplies are low and costs spike in the winter.

 

9. Forage & Collect

Summer is the time when everything in nature is most abundant. Take advantage (without taking more than your share) and head out into the wilderness on a foraging trip for berries or other wild fruit or greens, or to collect up some firewood to stock your woodshed for winter. Or maybe just take a trip to the beach to collect seashells, driftwood or other fun things to create art out of. Either way, now is the time to gather up all that Mother Nature has to offer and put it to use in resourceful and creative ways!

 

10. Live Electricity-Free (Almost)

Take advantage of the hot, sunny weather and put laundry out on a line to dry over the summer months. Save money on heating costs by turning your heat off and letting the sun warm your house (or closing your blinds and opening a window to cool it down). If you use and/or store solar power, now’s the time to soak up the sun! Turn off the TV and go play outside. Cook and dine and entertain outdoors around a campfire. Read a book. Whatever you do, do your best to power down and unplug as often as possible. Summer makes it easier than any other season to live without electricity and save money in the process. Take advantage!

 

11. Repurpose Something

Summer’s a perfect time to clear out some clutter and find things you forgot you had. Take a walk around your property or clear out a cluttered closet and decide what to keep, toss and repurpose. Maybe you have some old sheets that can be remade into a dress or some cushion coverings. Or make a rag rug out of old fabric scraps. 

If you tend to collect scrap wood, metal or other building materials throughout the year, summer is a great time to put these resources to use. Here are some simple, frugal project ideas that can be made from scrap wood and other materials you might have laying around.

 

12. Plan Ahead For A Frugal Winter

While winter might seem decades away, rest assured it’s only a few months. And there’s no time like the present to start planning ahead for the cold, busy and expensive winter months and holiday season that’s coming whether you like it or not. 

Whether you’re preserving food and “puttin’ it up” for winter, making extra jams, jellies, pickles and preserves to give as Christmas gifts later on, gathering natural materials for homemade projects you can make for gifts or just to keep busy over the winter, or even just stashing away some extra “snowy day” cash for the season when living costs seem to skyrocket, it’s a wise idea to start thinking about wintertime now and start putting a little extra away for later while everything else is cheap an abundant. It might be more of a frugal tip for winter than for summer, but to live a truly frugal life you need to always be thinking ahead.

What else do you do to live frugally during the summer? I’d love to continue to grow this list so I totally encourage you to leave your own frugal living tips in the comments below:)


CATEGORIES
HOMESTEADING
REAL FOOD
NATURAL LIVING

2 Comments

  1. Sharon Gullikson

    I think that a couple of these depend on where you live. I go to a farmers market each week because it’s at a park I walk through with my friends. But the produce is much more expensive than the grocery store. And camping isn’t cheap anymore. Yes, it’s cheaper (most nights) than staying at an Airbnb or hotel, but it does add up at $35-145 per night. I like your ideas. Let me add one of my own: I am unfollowing almost all of the companies (mostly craft companies) I follow on social media, and I’m on their email lists. I am tired of them shoving certain things down my throat. So I won’t see their posts which may tempt me to buy from them. I am not going to give these companies my money or time anymore. I have more free time now, and will spend much less money!! I have so many crafting supplies and tools that I could start a large store, so I definitely don’t need more stuff. Their nasty posts are benefiting me 🙂

    Reply
  2. Peyton

    Also disconnect from cable and those satellite. I’ve disconnected over 2 yrs now and you will Save tons of money

    Reply

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ABOUT ANNA
Hi! I’m Anna, and I’m a city girl turned modern homesteader who’s passionate about growing, cooking and preserving real food at home, creating my own herbal medicine and all-natural home and body care products, and working toward a simpler, more sustainable and self-sufficient life each and every day. 
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It’s easy to romanticize homesteading, but the truth is that those homegrown vegetables, those freshly laid eggs, that loaf of bread rising on the counter, and that pantry full of home-canned food takes time, effort and dedication. It doesn’t “just happen” overnight!

But if you work on learning one new skill at a time and gain confidence in it before moving onto the next, one day you’ll be looking back and marvelling at how far you’ve come.

That’s where I’m at now. Life today looks a lot different than it did 10 years ago, when our homesteading and self-reliance journey was just beginning.

Back then we still lived in our city condo and were just beginning to dabble in all of this stuff. But my husband Ryan and I felt a sense urgency to start pursuing a more self-reliant lifestyle, and we committed to taking small steps, one day at a time to make that vision a reality.

Over the years we’ve continued to put one foot in front of the other, adding new skills and tackling new projects along the way that have helped us get to where we are today.

While there’s always more we want to learn and do, as I look around me right now, I’m so grateful that we took those first steps, especially considering what’s happened in the world over the past few years!

If you’re also feeling the urgency to take the first (or next) steps toward a more self-reliant life, this is your final reminder that today is the last day to join The Society of Self-Reliance and start levelling up your homesteading and self-sufficiency skills so that you’ve got what it takes to:

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Link in profile to enroll before midnight tonight, or go to thehouseandhomestead.com/society

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There are so many reasons to grow your own food at home:

💰 Saves you money at the grocery store
🍴 Healthier than conventionally grown food
🔑 increases your overall food security
🫙 Gives you an abundance to preserve and share

But perhaps the number one reason is because it just tastes better!

Not only does food taste better when it’s freshly picked or allowed to ripen on the vine, there’s something about putting in the work to grow something from a tiny seed and then getting to see it on your dinner plate that just makes it so much more satisfying than anything you’ll ever buy from the store.

Plus, having to wait all year for fresh tomatoes or strawberries or zucchinis to be in season makes that short period when they’re available just that much more exciting!

With the world spinning out of control and food prices continuing to rise, it’s no wonder more people are taking an interest in learning to grow their own food at home. But that also means changing our relationship with food and learning to appreciate the work that goes into producing it and the natural seasonality of organically grown fruits and vegetables.

(It also means learning to preserve it so you can make the most of it and enjoy homegrown food all year long).

In my online membership program, The Society of Self-Reliance, you’ll learn how to grow your own food, from seed to harvest, as well as how to preserve it so you can enjoy the fruits (and vegetables) of your labor all year long!

You’ll also learn how to grow and craft your own herbal medicine, detox your home, become your own handyman, and so much more (because self-reliance is about more than just the food that we eat… But that’s a pretty good place to start!)

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If you’ve been watching events unfold over the past few years and you’re feeling called to start “cutting ties” with the system and begin reclaiming your independence, The Society of Self-Reliance was made for you!

When I first launched this online membership program last year, my goal was to create a one-stop resource where members could go to learn and practice every aspect of self-reliance, as well as a space to connect with other like-minded people pursuing the same goal. And that’s exactly what you’ll get when you join!

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn inside the Society:

🌱 Food Security and Self-Sufficiency: Learn the art of growing and preserving your own food, ensuring you and your loved ones have access to nutritious meals year-round.

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Got out for an early morning harvest today. Been up since 3am, contemplating life, the future and the past, the order of things…

There is a rumbling right now, not just in North America, but around the world. Many of us can feel it, and know we are on the precipice of something big.

I’d been hearing about this new song that’s become an overnight viral sensation, written by an (until now) unknown singer named Oliver Anthony. His new song Rich Men North of Richmond has had 14 million views on YouTube in the past week alone, so I decided to check it out.

I also saw a clip of him playing a Farmers Market last week, and anything that has to do with Farmers Markets always has my attention;)

I can’t tell you how many tears I’ve already cried listening to that song. If you’ve heard it already, you probably know what I’m talking about, and if you haven’t, I highly recommend giving it a listen. All I can say is it’s been a while since a song resonated so deeply with me, and in this strange new world, I know I’m not the only one.

One of the lines in Anthony’s song is “Livin’ in the new world, with an old soul,” and that’s something I think so many of us in the homesteading community can relate to.

Trying to cling to better days; To a simpler time; To the old ways, all while doing our best to get by in the new world.

The world has changed drastically in the last few years especially, and it’s set to change in immense ways over the next few years. Today I’m feeling thankful for people like @oliver_anthony_music_ who give a voice to what so many are feeling right now.

Know that if you’re feeling it too, you’re far from alone. And while the future may feel uncertain and even a little scary, remember that if we stand united, we the people are a force to be reckoned with.

(Continued in comments…)
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Another garlic harvest in the books!

Garlic is easily one of my favourite crops to grow. It’s pretty much a “set if and forget it” crop. We plant in the fall and leave it to overwinter, fertilize a couple times in the spring, start watering only once the ground starts to dry out, and then harvest in the summer. We can even plant a fall succession crop after our garlic if we want so it really makes great use of garden space all year round.

Over the years we’ve managed to become completely self-sufficient with garlic. We now grow enough to eat all year (and then some!), plus we save our own seed garlic and usually have extra to sell or give away. And around here fresh, organic garlic ain’t cheap, so it’s a good cash crop for anyone who’s serious about selling it.

It took me a few years to really get the hang of garlic, but it’s one crop I’m now very confident with (knock on wood, because it’s always when we make statements like this that next year’s crop fails! Lol.)

A while back I compiled a comprehensive guide to growing, harvesting and using garlic both as an edible and medicinal crop. This is usually only available as part of a paid bundle (or in the fall 2022 issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine if you’re a subscriber;), but for a limited time I’m offering it for free, no strings attached!

Plus you’ll also get access to my step-by-step video lesson on planting garlic so you can set yourself up for success with your garlic crop this year.

Comment “Garlic” below or head to thehouseandhomestead.com/garlic-guide to get your free copy!
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Going through photos and videos from our trip to the @modernhomesteadingconference and the vast majority are of our daughter having the time of her life!

Even if I personally got nothing else out of this gathering (which I most certainly did), watching her discover her own love of this lifestyle outside of what we do at home made my heart grow three sizes!

Homesteading is about so much more than homegrown food and self-reliance. It’s about passing on invaluable skills and an understanding of and respect for our connection to the land that provides for us to the next generation.

Being around so many other kids and families who are also pursuing a homesteading lifestyle helped show our little one that this is a movement that is so much bigger and greater than what our own family does on our little plot of land. This is a lifestyle worth pursuing, with a community unlike any other.

Glad to be back home and more excited than ever to involve my kids in everything we’re doing. But also, I think I speak for my whole family when I say we can’t wait to go back someday!
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#homesteading #modernhomesteading #raisinglittles
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If you’re simply looking for ways to save a little extra cash this summer and live well for less, here are 12 tried and tested frugal living tips for summer that you can use to save money this season without sacrificing a thing.
Head over using the link in my bio!
https://thehouseandhomestead.com/12-frugal-living-tips-summer/
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A brand new issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine just dropped!

In this issue:

🌱 How to forage and use five common edible and medicinal weeds

🏠 A sustainable, affordable alternative to traditional homes, greenhouses and more

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Tips for managing a homestead while raising a family (big or small!)

🫙 What to focus on when preserving food for true food security

🌹 How to grow and arrange your own cut flowers at home

🍓 The many ways to preserve summer berries (including 5 delicious recipes!)

💇How to make your own all-natural herbal hair care products at home

🧑‍🌾 Why “community sufficiency” is the new self-sufficiency

And more!

Visit modernhomesteadingmagazine.com (or click the link in my bio) to subscribe or login to the library and read the latest issue.

Plus, be sure to check out all of our past issues as well! There’s a wealth of information in our library on everything from farming and gardening to cooking and canning to herbal medicine, natural living and so much more!

*** This will be the last quarterly issue! ***

This little magazine has grown so much over the past 4 years and 32 issues, and now it’s time for another exciting evolution.

I’m excited to announce that we will be moving to an even more robust annual publication with the intention of offering the first ever print edition this fall if there is enough demand.

I’m also excited to announce the brand new Modern Homesteading Magazine blog, which is currently under construction and will be launching soon. While we will still be maintaining digital subscriptions, the blog will be accessible to all, free of charge, so that more people might benefit from the empowering and increasingly important information that we cover in each issue.

Thanks to everyone who helped make this issue happen! @homesteadingfamily @oatsandhoneyhomestead @omnivore.culture @thetaylor.leigh @doeraydesign (and more who don’t have IG pages;)

And a HUGE thank you to everyone who has subscribed over the years. Modern Homesteading Magazine would never have become what it is today without each and every one of you.

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If you’ve ever grown your own garlic, you might have noticed the spiral-shaped shoots that suddenly pop up in the centre of the stem, usually about a month or so before the garlic bulbs themselves are ready to be harvested.
These are garlic scapes, and believe it or not- they make delicious pesto! Get the recipe through the link in my bio- https://thehouseandhomestead.com/garlic-scape-pesto/
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This honey and chive blossom vinaigrette is a frugal, easy and healthy homemade salad dressing that pairs beautifully with fresh garden salads all season long.
Get the recipe through the link in my bio.
https://thehouseandhomestead.com/chive-blossom-vinaigrette/
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Whether you live in the city and grow a few herbs on your balcony, have a few backyard chickens in the suburbs or live in the country and have a larder full of enough home-canned food to survive the apocalypse, if living a more homemade, homegrown, self-sufficient lifestyle is important to you, Modern Homesteading Magazine was made for you!
Read it today through the link in my bio!
https://modernhomesteadingmagazine.com/
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This radish top pesto recipe makes good use of the edible radish greens that often get discarded once they’re separated from the root. The end result is a peppery, slightly spicy twist on a classic pesto recipe.
A perfect condiment for all your summer snacking!
https://thehouseandhomestead.com/radish-top-pesto-recipe/
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