Coffee is non-negotiable for me, but hot coffee is less appealing when it’s 90-something outside and  ordering iced coffee out can get costly.  Making cold brew at home requires a little patience, but is simple to make and much easier on the wallet.  When I know I’ve got a busy week with a lot of time spent at home I’ll make a bulk batch of iced coffee based off of this recipe, but most times I’ll make a smaller batch using a french press, doubling the number of scoops I’d use for hot coffee.  With a little cream and sugar, it feels like an indulgent treat.

An embarrassing amount of my closet is made up of white, and yet I’m the first to admit that I’m not the most graceful person so spills are unavoidable.  I’ve ruined far too many favorite pieces with a little spill I’m not able to treat quick enough and then never fully fades so Dryel stain remover pens are my hero.  I have one in the car, one in the kitchen, one by my computer, and one in my purse for all those “whoops” moments.  It’s saved me a fortune on dry cleaning because I’m not running to them constantly to try to fix these set-in stains and my summer whites stay looking bright.

I feel like it’s so much easier to be creative with date nights and friend outings in the summer.  From free concerts, carnivals and fairs, outdoor movies in the park, and even backyard game nights, it’s easy to stay wallet-friendly and have a great time.  Living in a cute little town five minutes outside of Philadelphia means it’s never hard to find something going on, but it can be just as much fun to grab an inexpensive bottle of wine and your favorite game to play under the stars.

We’ve made riding our bikes a part of our daily routine.  It’s a great way to get exercise and way cheaper than a gym membership, but also, in my opinion, more enjoyable.  Anything we can get done within a reasonable distance we’ve been riding our bikes for, which has also been saving us on gas since we’re not taking the car out for every little errand.

It’s really easy to find an excuse to eat out — to celebrate the weekend because it was a busy day, nothing in the fridge seems appetizing, just to name a few.  It gets costly so I’ve been looking for other ways to make home-cooked meals feel more special.  We have a great local farmer’s market so every Saturday I pick fresh fruits and veggies and try to come up with new recipe ideas to try out.  It helps keep me inspired to get in the kitchen and since I hate the idea of wasting the goodies I come home with I’m less likely to run for the take-out menu.

What are your favorite money-saving tricks in the summertime?

This post was sponsored by Dryel, but the opinions expressed are completely my own.