Saving for Summer – KDAF Channel 33

By Cathy DeWitt Dunn

Summer is here! However, along with the summer fun comes a lot of added expenditures. KDFA Channel 33’s Neeha Curtis and Cathy DeWitt Dunn discuss how to save money this summer but still have a great time.

In this interview Neeha and Cathy take on topics like coupons, your AC thermostat, your summer budget, free activities, and more.

Saving for Summer Interview Transcript

Neeha Curtis: Hey, guys, we are here this morning, with Cathy Dewitt. She’s a financial advisor, and she is going to tell us how we can save some money this summer. So, Cathy, tell us where do we get to started?

Cathy DeWitt Dunn: You know, that’s a great question. I mean, Living Social, Groupon, there’s all kinds of great coupons that are just waiting to be redeemed for children and activities throughout the summer. It’s a really great place to start.

Neeha Curtis: How do you manage your thermostat to save just save some few bucks?

Cathy: Yeah, exactly. Well, you can get a thermostat that is programmable and the biggest challenge is that when you’re taking your children and you’re going out and you are doing activities, back of your mind, “Did I turn up the thermostat? We’re not going to be home all day.” So you can go ahead and program it and maybe set it around 78, 79 degrees and you can save up to $200 a month just by…

Neeha: Wow.

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Cathy: …you know, adjusting your thermostat and not having to worry about it?

Neeha: Now, any recommendation for parents or family, basically, to budget before the summer comes around? Is it something that they can plan for before?

Cathy: That’s a great thought that people need to think about because we spend more on our children during the summer, about $950 per child, according to American Express. And that’s sometimes more than we spend on them at the holiday time. So it is something that people need to maybe put some money away, but there’s all kinds free activities, too, that you can look for. And usually, on the weekends, you can take a look at the guide in your local area and see, you know, what recreational activities are free for the week. And then, they always list what’s coming up. So, those are things you would really take advantage of because a lot of the city recreational departments put on some great programs during the summer for your children. Also, at churches and religious organizations, they also offer free camps as well. But you need to look for those now before you are in the middle of the summer.

Neeha: So, for a lot of families, it’s really difficult to afford a summer vacation to go somewhere. What are some of the tips on a staycation?

Cathy: You know, just look in your local area and there’s a lot of resorts that offer, you know, come and use our facility for the day because maybe they are booked up in the evenings. And there’s also coupons that you might be able to find for dining. You know, if you can’t afford $4500, which is the average weekly vacation, you know, just hanging out in a resort in your local area, maybe driving just a couple of hours, you can make the kids feel like they went on a vacation. So those are some things you could really look for.

Neeha: Thank you so much for joining us this morning.

Cathy: Thank you.

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