Summer is here, and with it comes unique challenges of trying to fit all of your responsibilities into the available hours in the day.
Balancing everything in during the other seasons is hard enough, with work, freelancing, and family commitments, but in the summer time, everything just seems to ramp up in a whole new way.
Weddings, family reunions, vacations, camping trips and yard work all compete for our time and sometimes leaves me feeling like I need a vacation from my vacation!
It’s not always easy keeping up with everything, especially if you’re a side hustler like Michelle and I. That said, there are a few ways we can make sure that everything essential gets accomplished, while still fitting in the important things, like family.
Use the Daylight
In my neck of the woods (Eastern Canada), it gets dark at around 5:30pm in the winter time and stays that way until about 8am. This can make getting anything done outside of work hours less than appealing. Fortunately we have the complete opposite situation in the summer time, where it doesn’t get dark until 9:30pm, and even then it only lasts until around 5am.
Due to this, I love using the extra summer day light to my advantage in the summer. It’s so much easier to get up in the morning when it’s already light out, so I try make sure to get up extra early and accomplish a few tasks (some days I try and fail).
In the same vein, being able to stay outside to accomplish things like yard work and visiting family late into the evening allows me to just plain old get a lot more done than I would want to in the dead of winter when the thought of venturing off my warm couch and into the cold just makes me want to hunker down underneath the blankets.
Multitask
Combining tasks is a great way to free up spare time. For example, I love reading, but I have a terrible time carving out an hour of my day in order to turn some pages. So, I listen to audio books while running, walking the dog, and doing yard work. I actually get more books read this way then I do by reading them on my eReader all winter.
The same goes for family gatherings. Want to go camping but also need to organize that family reunion Why not have the reunion at a camp ground? This is a great way to visit with family and it also spares family members the headache of having to host.
Just Say No
To me, summer is about recharging from the frozen darkness of winter and soaking up the beautiful scenery.
It’s about taking the time to feel recharged and catch up on life.
If I said yes to every side hustle opportunity, volunteered for every project at work, and accepted every social invitation, I’d be run off my feet in under a month. So, I’ve had to learn to say no. Sometimes it feels pretty bad, sometimes my ridiculously over-inflated sense of guilt makes me feel like I’m letting people down, but I’ve learned that in order to do my at my best, I have to do less.
Summer is awesome, it’s my second favourite season (Fall wins that one) and I love taking the time to get out in nature and enjoy the beauty that this season has to offer. In order to do that, I have to be super efficient with my other life commitments, and using these tips, it’s been smooth sailing so far.
What plans do you have for the summer? How do you find time for it all?
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DC@Young Adult Money says
I love your idea of "just say no." Sometimes we take on WAY too much, including work, volunteering, social outings, etc. It can really start draining us. I love taking advantage of daylight in the Summer, especially since in the winter I usually leave for work before the sun is up and come home when the sun is going down. Great post, Jordann!
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Holly@ClubThrifty says
I love it when it stays light until 9:30 here too! That means I can pull weeds or do something outside after my kids go to bed at 8!
plantingourpennies says
The extra daylight makes it harder for me to shut down and decompress at the end of the day, so I find myself a little bit more perpetually short of sleep in the summertime. I need to set some sort of alarm that makes me stop working at 8pm or so to get to bed and get to sleep at a decent hour!
Your Daily Finance says
A lot of rain right now so hopefully that stops soon. Got a lot of plans to work on the yard and get it the way we want it for the new home. Plus the kids have a lot of activities going on as well. We want to go on a family trip this summer but have to see how that goes. Really a great time to enjoy the beach and grill.
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Jai Catalano says
Saying no is so tough. When I was a dancer I had to learn to say no to the offer of publicity. Promoters would compensate me by setting up a station of passing out flyers. I finally learned that I needed to be paid every single time unless the project furthered my career. Why? Because someone was getting paid for my hard work.
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LifeorDebt says
Summertime does get busy! We've pulled back on the amount of stuff we put the kids in– just to help us retain a sense of freedom.
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Laurie says
Jordann, you're right on track here, and I love the part about "saying no". We are saying "no" to overtime for Rick, even though we could really use the money to pay things off. He'll be working 1 or 2 weekends a month instead of all 4. It was a difficult decision in a way, but life is more important than money!
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John S @ Frugal Rules says
While I hate the heat, I love summer because of the extra daylight. We're usually working out in the garden, playing with the kids outside or taking a walk around the neighborhood.
Brian@Luke1428 says
There are so many quality activities that a person can involve themselves in that sometimes we get overloaded. I have learned it's OK to say "No" even to things that I might enjoy. I know there are people who don't understand why I am not involved with some activities but for me it's all about prioritizing what is most important and focusing on those things first. This summer that means taking care of the kids as they are home from school and enjoying several fun vacations with the family. Oh…and working on my blog:)
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mycanuckbuck says
I must admit – I'd never get up extra early. And I'm with the others here – I'm learning to only do the things I really want to!
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MakingSenseofCents says
I love summer, but there are SO many things going on. Bachelorette parties, bridal showers, baby showers, birthdays, trips, and so on. I am jam packed all summer!
My recent post Finding Time For It All – Summer Edition
Kyle@DebtFreeDiaries says
I'm more partial to winter (probably because I love to sleep and snowboard!) but I often feel much more busy in the summer! I love the idea of multitasking. Typically I have trouble multitasking and need to focus on one thing at a time in order to accomplish anything, but taking a different approach to multitasking (like in your family reunion example) could help streamline everything! I've also found that making a priority list is helpful. Sometimes a task is a higher priority, but I find something else more interesting. Keeping a priority list helps keep me on track for my day.
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Suburbanfinance says
I love summer for all of the things that come up, but it's also so busy! I find people tend to come out of hibernation. I say no to the things that aren't important and prioritize.
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Andi says
Just say no is the most important tool to learn!
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Budget & the Beach says
I think saying no is one key ingredient for me. Luckily I'm quite the homebody so I don't need a lot of social plans to make me happy. One thing I love about summer is more time to play beach volleyball on the weekends because of the light!
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Hanna says
Multitasking is the way to go! We definitely need to enjoy summer and check out all the outdoor and travel oportunities!
krantcents says
My only plans are a short vacation and a weekend away too. Funny, you always find time for the things you want to do and I am just going to add a few things I have to do.
E.M. says
I definitely agree – having it be light out until 9 helps in being more productive. I plan on going for walks after dinner since it's still nice and light out. Fall is also my favorite season! I don't have too many plans for summer yet except for a baby shower in August. I am hoping to just get settled into my new apartment and establish a routine.
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Sean@OneSmartDollar says
I seem to always struggle with time in the summer because there are always things I want to be doing outside. In the winter it's much easier.
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Andrew says
I always try to multitask to get more things done. But I agree that sometimes you need to say "no" I have a side hustle that is seasonal and it takes up June and some of July…it's nice to make some extra cash but you have to balance it with relaxation and enjoying the summer.
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Nick @ AYoungPro.com says
"Use the Daylight" is one that I am making a goal to do this summer. I have wasted too much of my day for too long!
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iheartbudgets says
We're trying to get EVERYTHING done in the yard by July 3rd so we can relax and ENJOY the rest of the summer. I've also told my wife we need to block out 4 weekends where we don't have ANY plans and can just relax and enjoy the summertime.
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Matt Becker says
Fall is my favorite too! I love the extra sunlight of summer though. It's so nice to drive back from work when it's still light out. Saying no is a really great tip too. Saying no to others means you have more time to say yes to yourself.
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The Norwegian Girl says
I´m from the North of Norway, where we have the midnight sun, which is just the best thing ever! I visit our vacation home every summer, and I love going for walks during "night" just to enjoy the silence and the beautiful midnight sun shining on my face at 2.am! 😀
John@MoneyPrinciple says
Saying no is the most difficult thing but it doesn't only apply to refusing jobs every now and again. I find it very difficult to concentrate some times and am sometimes interrupted by family requirements. This can be very disturbing – the worst part is that I naturally want to help anyway!
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Simple Living says
Spot on with knowing how to prioritize things to make sure you get the most out of the summer days. Its kind of like budgeting and prioritizing your finances 🙂
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Keren says
I love love love the extra daylight! It starts getting daylight here at about 4:45 (full sunrise isn't until after 5:30) and that makes it so much easier to crawl out of bed at 5:45. On the rare occasion that I wake up on the weekends before the kids, I love to make coffee, sit on the front porch, and read a book. Aaahhhhhhh!
Our kids do not have any activities during the summer. All sports and Girl Scouts are over in June and that gives them the opportunity to recharge as well. Plus it helps my gas tank 🙂