#Summertime is ripe for making #memories. People are out and about, taking time off from work and school, and visiting with friends and family at all sorts of warm-weather events. They’re also often buying #stuff they don’t need.
The good news is that you don’t need to buy a lot of #junk or spend a lot of #money to have fun. There are lots of #thrifty ways to enjoy summer and preserve the memories without adding a ton of #clutter to your home.
Let’s say you’re on a budget (and with prices on everything from hamburger to gasoline rising fast, who isn’t?) and have #kids at home. Take advantage of the public pools, playgrounds and parks in your area, or choose from a range of low-cost activities from Modern Parents, Messy Kids.
Brainstorm a list of ideas for your perfect summer and get the family involved, says Smart Mom, Smart Ideas. Then, “eliminate anything you can’t afford, eliminate things [that are] too far away and eliminate things with too many constraints” to create and your bucket list and plan events.
If a summer #vacation is on that list, keep #costs and #clutter at a minimum by skipping most of the souvenirs. Instead of plasticky gewgaws, bring home small, useful gifts such as local spices or handmade items, suggests Saskia’s Travel Blog: “I collect moments, not magnets.”
Make preserving your summer memories simple by taking photos and printing a few favorites for display. Keep a scrapbook to organize tickets, maps and papers. Learn a local recipe for later use, or buy exactly one special item that you can’t get anywhere else. If you must buy a souvenir, make it #sustainable and consumable — the local crafts or foodstuffs, for example.
To maintain memories without adding to the piles of stuff in your home, #minimalist Jules Acree says to write about your experience or take a photo. Only buy and keep #things that you use regularly, would pass down to your children or would grab “if your house was on fire.”
You can make summer memories without creating clutter. And nothing lasts like a memory!