Cash Mortgage

Summer's almost here and, no doubt, families are starting to feel the anxiousness from their children about what fun summer will hold for them. In an economy crisis, like the one that our world is facing, it can be a little unnerving for parents as they try to figure out how they give their children a fantastic summer camp experience and still make ends meet. Well, there are ways that you can make this your family's reality without breaking the family piggy bank. Here's how:

Trade your services for a camp spot for the kids! Since the beginning of time, people have traded services for things that they need and want. Why should getting your kid into summer camp be any different? Bartering is very popular now, as so many are doing their best to manage through the economy crisis. Some camps may allow you to do certain work in exchange for a free pass for your kids. Another possibility is to offer your place of business as an advertising venue for the camp. Many camps will take advantage of the advertising opportunity and may offer camp spaces to equal the amount of the cost that they would have paid to advertise. Instead of just one week of camp, your children could potentially go several weeks and it may cost you absolutely nothing!

Earn a few extra dollars by selling bottles and other items to recycling companies or by having a garage sale. This is an activity that everyone in the family can get in on to help earn money for summer camp. Just make an effort, as a family to be on the look out for cans and other recyclables, and of course, save your own recyclables. Find your local recycling center and get the money for your work!

When people want to buy for cheap, one of the first places that they go is to a garage or yard sale. Once again, as a family you could sell some personal items that you don't have the space for or even additional food items on the day of the sale like cookies or lemonade, which work great when it's hot out! In an economy crisis, many families are staying away from the high priced retail prices and accepting gently used stuff. By selling these items your family could potentially earn and save enough money to send the kids to camp and still have a few dollars left for a little family vacation! Hey, it's possible!

Try a day camp instead of a residential, overnight camp. The whole point of being at camp is to spend time with kids and have fun. Plenty of community and recreation departments have created summer day camps that are absolutely great for kids. Many have a variety of programs that they offer and for those that want to "buy for cheap", they can by selecting programs based on their costs. The difference in price can be HUGE with residential, overnight or private camps costing upwards of $500 per week, while the community day camps can be as cheap as $35 or $40 per week per child.

Another great priced camp alternative are those offered through organizations such as the Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, or YMCA. There your child will learn wonderful skills and your family will enjoy not having to spend tons of money. Plus, with these organizations, they often have activities that are ongoing through the year and may offer additional discounts or camp scholarships if you and your child are members.