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!

Balance Transfer Checks

Recently we took notice of balance transfer checks. These offers to add to your credit card debt may appear tempting.
Here are a few items to take note of in the rules.

Interest will accrue on new credit card purchases (that are not at 0%) if your balance is not paid in full by the due date. I had seen a recommendation not to use the credit card at all if you are using the card for a balance transfer.

Minimum payments may go to pay off the lowest interest rate including 0%. Some of the companies may apply the money beyond the minimum payment to the highest interest rates first.

When you transfer a balance to a credit card it may not have the normal air miles and rewards.

I was surprised to learn that you can also deposit these balance transfer checks into the bank rather then just using them to pay off another credit card to get a lower rate. Assuming you were willing to get bogged down with using a credit card at all this could sound appealing. I can see many uses where this could come in very handy. The trick would be not to use the card for anything else until it is paid off.

Do the companies send these offers to you when you have a balance on the card or is it just a tool to draw in new business when you are not charging to the existing credit card anymore?

Good luck with your financial future!