How to Spend the Summer (Without Spending all your Cash on Gas)

Summertime, and the living is easy. The weather’s nice and the kids are out of school, so there’s plenty of opportunities to go to the beach or to the park and visit friends and family.

One not-so-teeny problem: Gas is so expensive you almost have to get a second mortgage on your house to pay for it. And given the current mortgage crisis … well, you get the idea. Times are hard. It feels a little like being grounded.

So with gas prices hovering around $4 a gallon in most parts of the country and approaching $5 in others, getting out of the house and into nature could take some creativity.

Carpooling, for example. That trip to the pool across town doesn’t seem so expensive if you take a bunch of kids from the neighborhood and split the cost.

Or taking the train to your grandma’s house up north. If you’re traveling solo, one ticket is probably going to cost you a lot less than the gas would to drive.

And just think, using less gas is better for the environment–so not only are you saving money, you are saving the planet! In fact, maybe we’ll all learn that saving gas isn’t that hard and we’ll keep doing it long after this crisis is over.

I’d love to hear your ideas, so please use the comments field below to share tips and sound off about how gas prices have affected your summer activities.

We can’t stop living, so tell us how you plan to see some countryside, reconnect with people and enjoy the longest days of the year–all while avoiding the pain at the pump.

Read more: Children, Life, Transportation

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

KS G.

4:49AM PDT on Sep 28, 2011

Thanks for the article.

send a green star

Jennifer C.

5:58PM PDT on Sep 21, 2011

Thanks.

Masha S.

5:05AM PDT on May 29, 2011

that time again!

Richard L.

4:25PM PDT on Jul 27, 2010

find a place that accomadates your needs

4:40PM PDT on May 24, 2010

find a place that has most of things your looking for

Marianne G.

2:44AM PDT on Apr 22, 2010

rent a cottage nearby a lake or the sea then you travel is a two way expense. you can go fishing, swimming. play ball games outside the house, have BBQ. bring bikes and you can explore the new area where you rented the cottage. A holiday you will remember!

Ashley N.

1:24PM PDT on Apr 2, 2010

Hmm, this is definitely dated. Gas at $4-5/gallon? Good ideas though!

Ellinor S.

8:45AM PST on Mar 9, 2010

thank you

Mervi R.

3:59AM PST on Mar 9, 2010

Thanks!

Rebecca Y.

10:33PM PDT on Jun 23, 2008

we're moving to a new home this summer, and luckily its in a much more bike-friendly neighborhood than our current place. So I'm hoping to get the kids comfy in the bike trailer and bike them to local parks more than I'm able to now.