Budgeting When Kids Are Out of School

School breaks can drain your wallet fast, but they don’t have to. Discover practical budgeting tips for families, including how to involve kids in the planning, find free activities, schedule fun outings, and avoid surprise expenses while kids are home.

Published on 2025-06-30

During school vacations, two things tend to run low: time and money. If you’re here looking for time-saving tips, this isn’t that kind of blog. But if you're trying to stretch your dollars while your kids are home for weeks on end—we've got you covered. Here’s how to budget smartly for school breaks. Spoiler alert: The real magic happens when you get your kids involved in the process. Yes, really.

Budgeting: Fun for the Whole Family (Sort of)

We get it—“budgeting” doesn’t sound like summer fun. But hear us out. Not only is it essential to plan your spending during school breaks, it’s also a great way to teach your kids the basics of money management. That’s why we say budgeting is for all ages. When kids help create the vacation budget, they’re more invested in the goals—and they might even get excited about planning (fingers crossed).

How to Do It (Without Losing Your Mind)

1. Start With a Wish List

Sit down as a family and list all the activities everyone would like to do. Include free activities like inviting friends over or going to the local park, and paid ones like museum visits, movies, or that overpriced trampoline place your kids love.

2. Let the Kids Research

Ask your kids to look up local events, free fairs, city festivals, or museum days. You’d be surprised how many free or low-cost activities are happening nearby—and how excited they’ll be to “discover” them.

3. Think Inside the House

Not everything fun has to involve leaving the house (or spending money). Plan at-home activities like themed dinners, baking challenges, movie nights, backyard picnics, or even a mini DIY project. Bonus points if it doubles as help around the house.

4. Pick and Price

From the big list, choose which activities make the cut and estimate the total cost. Think of everything you'll need: tickets, transportation, snacks (so many snacks), and supplies. Don’t forget to budget for some unplanned ice cream runs too—those are basically inevitable.

5. Schedule It

Add your chosen activities to a calendar. If you can’t set exact dates, at least estimate the week or weekend. Having a visual plan helps spread out the expenses and avoid last-minute “We’re bored!” crises.

6. Keep a List of Backup Plans

Make a list of extra (mostly free) activities for rainy days, change-of-plans days, or days when everyone is just... over it. This list is your lifeline.

Before Summer Eats Your Wallet

Budgeting during school breaks isn’t about saying “no” to fun—it’s about saying “yes” to the right things, at the right time, without blowing your entire paycheck. And the best part? You’re showing your kids how to be thoughtful, resourceful, and financially savvy—even if they think they’re just choosing what movie to watch.

And that, dear reader, is what we call a win-win.

Looking to learn more smart ways to save money? Read all about it here. Or better yet