June is a good time to buy a refrigerator. Most stores have appliance sales in early summer but on fridges especially – and of that especially, floor models tend to go super cheap.

Summer camp: Paying for summer camp now, up front can save you loads of money over paying as you go each month. Plus some camps are still in early registration mode which also saves you money.

June is National Dairy Month, Fresh Fruit & Veggie Month, and Candy Month so many grocery stores run special sales on items in these categories.

Now is a good time to visit your local Farmers Markets too. Many kick off the summer season with extra produce and lots of reduced prices.

Consumer Reports notes that June is also a killer time of year to get discounts on…

• Computers
• Indoor furniture
• Small consumer electronics
• Summer sports gear
• Swimwear

Bonus all-year savings link:

With summer here, and folks getting more active, healthy eating should be a priority.  Fresh in season fruits and veggies are almost always less expensive than out-of-season produce. Learn what’s fresh and in season where you live with this handy Eat Local Guide. You can look up seasonal produce by state and time of year. For example, for early June, in Oregon, the freshest produce is…

• Asparagus
• Boysenberries
• Cherries
• Greens
• Herbs
• Rhubarb
• Strawberries

So, there’s a good chance these items will be on sale near me. Find your own best local produce buys.

Got any secret deals for June you’d like to share? Let us know in the comments.

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• Adults (12-64) = $9.75
• Youth (3-11) = $6.75
• Children (2 and under) = FREE

I have my 8-year-old son and I so it’ll cost us $16.50 just to go to the zoo once! Holy right. However, my zoo, like most zoos offers plenty of membership offers that make going to the zoo way more affordable.My son and I could get a $54 Zoo 4 Two annual membership that allows us free admission for a year, free parking, reciprocal admission benefits at over 120 zoos nationwide, discounts on Zoo train rides, gift shop purchases, and educational camps and classes, and much more. Going to the zoo just 4 times during the year more than pays us back for the membership.

Start looking for annual memberships at various local places in your town. Usual suspects include: zoos, museums, state gardens, theme parks, and more. If you’re looking for annual passes that will garner you savings on summer vacations check out the following:

America the Beautiful – National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass – Annual Pass – Cost $80: Gets the pass holder/s and passengers in a non-commercial vehicle into national parks at per vehicle fee areas and pass holder + 3 adults, not to exceed 4 adults, at per person fee areas. (children under 16 are admitted free).

The National Park System also offers:

• Senior Lifetime Pass. – Cost $10.
• FREE lifetime pass for U.S. citizens or permanent residents with permanent disabilities.
• FREE pass for park volunteers acquiring 500 service hours on a cumulative basis.

Get a pass for the state parks in your state – at least the ones that still charge admission.

If your family likes to camp you should check out the KOA Value Kard Rewards program. You earn points for each qualifying stay at a KOA Kampground which gain you $ off other stays. There’s also a 10% savings on daily registration fees at any KOA Kampground. Best of all KOA benefits are only $24 per year.

Which annual passes does your family typically buy?

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String and clothespins: I hang most of my clothes up to dry year round to save money, save energy, and to make my clothes last longer. However, if you’ve never hung your laundry up to dry, summer is a great time to try it out. A set of clothespins and some string is super cheap and you can hang the string anywhere between two points. Tip for apartment dwellers - hang your clothes right on the hangers on the shower rod.

Air conditioner filters: Air conditioner filters are super inexpensive but save you a lot on your energy bills during the summer. When your filters are full of gunk they don’t work as well and that means your air conditioner has to work harder overall which in turn raises your cooling costs.

Ice pop molds: Making homemade ice pops saves you money because they eliminate expensive boxed ice treats, reduces your gas use (no more frequent trips to the store), and it allows you to use up leftover foods in creative ways. Besides that, homemade ice pops save resources – there’s no excess packaging and your trash can doesn’t fill up with lame plastic ice pop wrappers. To save the most, buy ice pop molds that come with holders vs. ice pop molds that require wooden sticks.

Solar cooker: Solar cookers cook with the sun, kids think they’re way entertaining, and your house will stay cooler because you don’t need to turn the oven on, so of course a solar cooker will lower your energy bills too. You can buy a solar cooker or easily build your own. If you’ve never used a solar cooker, you’d be surprised at all the great recipes you can make with one. IF a solar cooker is not for you, try an inexpensive barbecue. No matter how you do it, cooking outdoors saves you money because it lowers your energy costs.

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Use these tips to save enough for some summer fun outing with the kids.

• Plan a successful garage sale for late spring / early summer.
• Collect cans and other pay-in-cash recyclables and turn them in.
• See if you can spend 1/2 of what you normally spend on Easter (yup it’s coming) and add that saved money to the summer fun pot.
• Look at your budget and see if you can cut something out now. The extra coffees on the go, cable (kids don’t need so many channels), chips from the grocery list. Make small adjustments now that will pay off in summer fun cash.
• Talk to your kids now. Discuss that trips are in but little souvenirs are out. Make sure that if they want items from destinations that they save birthday money or allowance money for those items.
• Start making a calender of free and low-cost events and destinations. Find out the free days at local museums, look into free concert series at parks, and more. You can check with your local community center for more low-cost ideas – most plan their schedules well ahead of time.
• Start buying summer gear now, when you see it on sale. I.e. stock up on bubble wands or snag a small pool before demand and prices go up.
• Hook up with other at-home-in-summer families. Not that this will make you money, but sometimes even a small group of 15-20 can get a group discount at local museums and other fun place which will save you cash.
• Prep for summer eating on the go. Start collecting reusable lunch sacks and water bottles now. Make it a goal to always take food with you this summer vs. buying where you go.

What do you do to prep for summer fun and savings?

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