It's summer, which means my iced coffee budget has accidentally quadrupled. (oh nooo) And yet everything else is somehow also more expensive right now, so I'm out here feeling guilty about both at once. Make it make sense. 🥴
So this week isn't about cutting anything out. It's a running list of our favorite, smart summer swaps — not free, just less. Ideas you can act on today, nothing too crazy or fancy but…smart.
In this issue: a running list of summer swaps for the things we’re already spending on anyway.
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💸 Smart Summer Swaps
👉 The childcare swap. Instead of: extra camp days or a full-time sitter to cover gaps. Try: team up with 4 other families (5 total). Each 2-parent household sends one parent to host, 1 day each week. That means across the group, 2 PTO days per person, per month. A worthy sacrifice to save some major change. (Off we go, to look for friends.)
The water park swap. Instead of: $40-60/person water park admission. Try: backyard inflatable slides have gotten genuinely impressive — most now come with the pump/blower built in. This one for $250 is the one we’re getting our kiddos for their bday, and bonus it’s on sale Prime Day this week- not too big, not too small.
The ice cream swap. Instead of: chasing the truck or paying scoop-shop prices every time. Try: nobody said you can't bring a whole tub of ice cream from the grocery store to the park, as long as you've got enough ice packs to keep it solid. Or go the mess-free route with these popsicle molds — batch a set Sunday night, no less drips.
The movie night swap. Instead of: $15-20/ticket at the theater. Try: a budget projector for the backyard — here’s a bunch under $60 so you don’t have to be annoyed when your kid starts to wander off 25 minutes in (just us?). Pairs with a sheet hung on the fence.
The "new toy every outing" swap. Instead of: buying a new pool/beach toy every trip. Try: a toy swap with 2-3 other families — everyone drops off what their kid's outgrown interest in, everyone leaves with "new" stuff. Free.
The takeout swap. Instead of: $50+ in delivery because cooking after a pool day feels impossible. Try: pick up a pizza (Costco wins here at $10ish, feeds the whole family) and take it to the park or your own backyard. No cleaning whatsoever. Same "didn't cook" relief, fraction of the cost.
The big trip swap. Instead of: an expensive multi-night resort stay. Try: a day pass to a nearby hotel or resort pool — ResortPass and DayUse.com both let you book pool/water park access for the day, no overnight stay required. [We covered this in more depth back in February's Spring Break issue if you want the full breakdown.]
Which summer swap are you actually going to try?
K that's all. You're the best and we love you.
-CK "80% Iced Latte" Fuller (Editor) & the JB Crew 🫡
P.S. Next week: the universal toddler complaint — "I'm bored" — and what actually works.
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