In conjunction with the contest being run at MoneyLifeNetwork. I’ve been thinking about ways to save money over the two months I am off from work (I work in a school). Here are the tings I have come up with so far:

In addition to using my local library to take out books, I can spend some free time there; free air-conditioning, free internet (and I don’t even have to lug my laptop there), and no requirement to buy a latte.

I have gotten my bike out of storage, and will have it checked over before the term ends. This will mean I can use it for local errands, and begin to build up some endurance so I can eventually use it to do local sightseeing (and, hopefully, to commute during the fall).

I have several days set aside already that I plan to use in walking around my local nature preserve. I’m charging up my digital camera, and making sure my sketching materials are ready, so that I can have some wonderful days indulging in two of my passions

We are in a mini-heat-wave in New York at the moment, and this means air-conditioning when I am at home. I am currently running my air-conditioner at a pleasant 74 degrees, and in energy-saer mode. If I should go out, I would turn it off, and use the timer to set it to restart half an hour before my planned return. This will give it time to cool down all the rooms (except my roommate’s bedroom, which is around a corner and out of the air path. She has a small unit for when she is in her room.) FUrther, before I go to bed, I change over to sleep mode, which raises the temperature to 78 degrees gradually.

One of the best things about living in New York City is that there are tons of places I can go to that have air-conditioning and free wireless.
By using my registered Starbucks card once a month, I have free wireless at Starbucks (and there is a Starbucks in the building my ex [who is also my best friend] works at, so i can go there early if we are going to dinner).

Another thing I’m looking forward to is museums. Here in NY, there has been a trend to raise museum admissions so that many working-class New Yorkers cannot afford them. However, most museums have one evening or one afternoon a week when the cost of admission is either free or “pay what you wish”. (And a big, grateful shout out to the Metropolitan Museum of Art [including The Cloisters] for being “pay what you wish” at all times!)

There are also any number of second-run and other discount movie theatres. Since I don’t get to movies often during the school year, this is another air-conditioned summer treat, although since there is an admission fee, I tend to use this less than the others.

So, there are some wonderful free or low-cost hints for a summer vacation that indulges mind and spirit!

What are your vacation indulgences? Have you come up with some I’ve missed? Are there any of mine you love/hate? Enquiring minds would love to hear from you!