It’s almost spring time! For us urbanites who are finally breaking out of the cold winter weather that means more enjoyable time outdoors. There are so many outdoor festivals and activities that we can enjoy, especially living in a city. There’s so much free entertainment that you can almost go the entire spring and summer without paying to be entertained. As a result you can cut back on entertainment expenses and also streamline some of your other expenses. Yes, definitely a perk of being an urbanite.

1) Free festivals. I just mentioned these. Do a quick internet search to see what festivals are taking place in your city. There are usually film festivals, music concerts, book festivals, arts and crafts etc. For example Baltimore has the largest free arts festival in the nation. There are amazing performances and tons of arts and crafts. All the performances are free to watch.

2) Block parties. Don’t just look for the huge festivals. There are a bunch of smaller block parties that happen as well. Look on the events calendar for the local newspaper and watch out for potential mentions during the local news broadcasts. These can be a fun change of pace with cool vendors and of course festival food.

3) Grow some food. Do you have a balcony or a corner in your apartment with lots of light? Now is the time to plant a few herbs like oregano, mint or thyme. They grow very well indoors. Vegetables that grow well inside are scallions, carrots, salad greens like kale and spinach. Growing a few of your own food items is good for the environment as well as your pocket.

4) Farmers market. Look up local farmers markets. The fruits and vegetables are usually fresher since they don’t have to travel from across country or an international location. You can talk directly to the farmers about what they use on their crops if you want to make sure you’re getting organic. Also the prices are usually better than what you’ll find in the grocery store for most items.

5) Hang dry clothes. Running your washer and dryer is a big contributor to your electric and water bills. If you have a small backyard or back balcony, hang your clothes out to dry. You can also utilize drying racks within the apartment. Set it up near a sunny window and your clothes will dry just fine and faster than in winter using the same method. Or that could just be me.

What methods do you use to have fun and save green in the spring and summer?

Saving your money and budgeting correctly are two of the foundational tasks needed to take control of your finances.  If you need additional support, I invite you to check out my budgeting course and my savings course.