Summer Expenses

Do your summer expenses normally go up or down during the summer?  Ours would normally go up slightly due to a summer vacation.  Sometimes activities are stopped for summer and replaced by camp fees.  Part of our summer expenses include a pool membership, swim team, swim team bathing suits, pictures and snacks at meets.  Maybe your food bill can go down if you don't need to buy individual snacks for lunches.  Every bit helps.  The swim club we belong to does not have a place to sell food day to day.  This is probably better but the ice cream truck does come around to try to entice everyone to buy something.  I could bring a snack similar to something that the children would buy at the ice cream truck to try to save some money that way.
I am finding out that my children don't have all the memories of the vacations that I had hoped.  Our son asked if he had ever been to a particular state.  Yes, we took a vacation in the state he mentioned but he was only 4 years old.  I personally do not have any memories prior to age 4 or 5 in my own life.
It is okay to have down time during the summer break.  Every moment does not need to be scheduled.  I have noticed that some places have discounts during the week even though it is summer.  That could be advantageous in multiple ways.  First is the discount and second is the place may be less crowded.
You can pace yourself and not do everything in the same summer.  There is an Aqua Park that looks to be fun but some of our children were probably too young to go in the past.  The best way to go would be on the discounted days even if that means a scheduled day off from work.  Many times earlier in the day or later in the day are the best times to avoid crowds.  Some places offer free or discounted twilight prices.  I have also seen pay what you wish for museum admissions.  
Whatever you do or don't do this summer, there is always next year.  Check out when the best sales are so you can plan for a certain time or destination.  Enjoy!