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6 Strategies to Reduce Your Spending at Summer Fairs and Festivals

By U.S. News & World Report

For many, summer is the season for community festivals, state fairs and music festivals. While all of these activities can be tremendously fun for everyone, they’re also notoriously expensive. There’s no place like a fair or festival to find endless ways to strip money out of your pocket for completely forgettable items.

That’s why it makes sense to use a smart plan for summer fairs and festivals. Arrive with a plan in place, and you won’t walk away with fading memories and a big pile of financial regret.

Here are six strategies to have fun while reducing spending at summer fairs and festivals.

[See: 10 Summer Savings Tips.]

Pack a meal before you go. The more food you can take with you, the better. If you’re just going to a fair or festival for a daytrip, pack a meal or two before you go. Fill up a cooler with food and beverages the night before or the morning of the trip, and enjoy those meals for lunch and dinner, skipping the expensive fair food. If you’re going to a multiday festival, load up your car with lots of granola bars, snacks and other nonperishable foods and hit your car regularly to restock. Granola bars and other such foods can really fill you up and are reasonably healthy at a very low price, especially compared to the cost of typical fair and festival food.

Take only a small amount of cash with you. Don’t take your credit cards and don’t take a giant wad of cash. If you physically restrict your spending before you leave the house, you’ll be more selective with your purchases and less likely to waste your money on the less important things. Think about it this way: Rather than taking $300 to make 12 purchases at a festival, take $100 instead and only make the four most memorable and worthwhile purchases. You save $200 and all you lose are the most forgettable purchases.

[See: 10 Offbeat Ways to Earn Extra Money.]

Plan out the free things you want to see. Before you go, or as soon as you arrive on site, get a program for the event and figure out what events are free, then attempt to fill up your time with those free events first. Don’t worry about paid events or other expenses unless you have blocks of time when you’re not interested in anything on offer. For example, plan your day at the city festival by marking off all of the interesting free events, then only hit any paid events that fill in slots (or the one or two paid events that are the core reason for your attendance). Don’t throw money at paid events you find in the moment.

Bring a water bottle. A water bottle can save you a ton of money on beverages. Just take one with you, preferably one you can keep in your bag when you’re not using it. When you’re thirsty, drink from that water bottle, then refill it at a water fountain. Many fairs and festivals even offer stations specifically designed to refill reusable water bottles. This will keep you from stopping at booths to buy expensive, unhealthy beverages or even from throwing money at bottled water.

Volunteer. One great way to enjoy a fair or festival for very little money — or even for free — is to volunteer. Volunteers generally agree to do some simple tasks at a fair or festival for some number of hours, and in exchange for that, they receive free admission to events and other perks. Depending on the event, those perks might include free food, free merchandise, free backstage experiences and so on. Often, volunteer experiences are enjoyable on their own, as they give you a chance to interact with other attendees and experience many of the events in passing. Look into the volunteer options available at fairs and festivals and see if any work for you.

[See: 5 Easy Ways to Make Fast Cash.]

Don’t buy merchandise at the venue. It’s often tempting to buy a souvenir shirt or some other item at a festival. After all, it’s nice to have a physical memento of the event. However, the price of such items at the venue is often very inflated, and if you’re willing to wait until after the event, you can often pick up the very same item at a fraction of the price. Rather than buying a shirt at the venue, wait for a day or two after the event and then shop around online. You’ll often find a great bargain.

Summer fairs and festivals don’t have to destroy your finances. With a few smart strategies, you can spend a lot less than you think and keep your financial house in great order.

More from U.S. News

7 Habits You Can Learn From Highly Successful Savers

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10 Strategies From Super-Saver Shoppers

6 Strategies to Reduce Your Spending at Summer Fairs and Festivals originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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