Raw Thoughts

Want to have as much fun as possible this summer, but keep your budget low?  Raw Talent Guitar has five money saving tips for you to spend less this summer and still have all the fun!

Summer is here again!

Even if you work a full time job, the summer is a time for recreation and leisure.  You might spend your lazy days at the beach or lying around the pool.  But when your thirst for exciting summer fun is unbearable, you might spend more than you intended.

Don’t forget to plan a bit to save so you can make the summer fun and productive.

To help you out, we’ve put together our Top Five Official Raw Talent money saving tips for summer.

1.        Use a summer budget; Put pen to paper

A budget shouldn’t frustrate you; it should set your mind at ease.  And once your budget is complete, it will give you confidence you’ll save money by the end of the summer.  But you must put pen to paper!

A two to three month budget written on paper or printed from a computer program will help more than you know, just make sure you include each activity for you and your kids – summer camp, guitar lessons, that second honeymoon – whatever it is!  And don’t forget the usual stuff – food, bills, gas and so on.  Got it?

It may be unpleasant at first, but a budget will help you identify where you can save and when your spending too much in general.

2.       Put the summer sun to your advantage and spend less

It’s nice outside.  So why not enjoy the summer sun while it lasts?!  Make sure you get outside on those sunny days, especially when it’s hot.

By cooking outside, you’ll save on electric and on air conditioning costs.  Even using a gas stove gives off heat, which makes your air conditioner work harder.  Electric stoves will use double your use of electricity use this summer, especially with that air conditioner running on full blast.

My family makes it a point to grill a few times a week to save money on our electric bill and we get to be outside as a family for a bit and enjoy the summer air.

Want more ways to save money by using the heat?  Put tape over the door on your dryer to remind you to use the sun’s natural drying power!  Keep that electric bill even lower by reducing your clothes dryer use and letting items air-dry in the summer sun.

It’s a bit old fashioned, but it works and it saves.  As your electric bill rises to combat the heat inside, do your part to go green, save nature, use the sun and reduce your bill a little bit more.

3.        Plan family vacations and summer trips wisely

I have kids and we live in Florida, so my kids love to go to Disney.  There is no way to avoid the massive crowds at Disney World, but go see Mickey Mouse when the theme parks aren’t so packed.

As most Floridians know, you don’t go to Disney World, or any Florida theme park, in the summer.  Why you ask?

It’s very hot, which results in an even more expensive trip; especially with family and kids who want to stop to relax and purchase cool down items like ice cream and water.  Plus, when theme parks are crowded, you experience fewer attractions and get less bang for your buck.

My family and I did go to Disney World this year, but in May during the offseason, and we saved a bunch.  Planning trips wisely in this manner is the same wherever you want to go.

Are you visiting Miami or the Keys?  Go in the summer, or whenever the off season is, to save.  If you want to visit New York City in December, go for it, but realize you’ll pay top dollar, simply because that’s when everyone wants to go.

4.        Don’t pay full price for event tickets

Groupon recently ran a massive discount on Britney Spears tickets.  Not into pop music?  That’s okay, because the summer is the time for huge music tours and tons of large music festivals, such as the Warped Tour or Lollapalooza.

I used to work for a large concert promoter, and the Raw Talent Guitar team is staffed by touring musicians.  Take it from us; these tours make a lot of money!

Want to spend less on concert tickets this summer?  Make use of the large preexisting network of discounters and resellers, including Groupon, Stubhub, etc.

Just keep an eye out for your favorite band, artist or singer, and spend a bit of time on the computer.  Convince yourself to not pay face value, even if your bid has to come last minute, or you have to sit a little further away from the stage than you want.  If you have to sit stage right instead of center stage, oh well.  At least you get to see Brittney.  *Ahem* we mean Maiden.  (Iron Maiden is on tour now, too!)

5.        Learn to play guitar at home on your own guitar with Raw Talent Guitar

Frank Hannon, the amazing guitarist and co-founder of Tesla, learned to play guitar over a single summer while immobilized with a broken leg.

Let’s focus on the positive and ignore the leg – in one summer’s time, a man was able to learn to play guitar, and then become one of the greatest guitarists in modern rock.

Take Raw Talent Guitar, a computer, your favorite guitar, and the summer and put them together for a learning experience to last a lifetime!  Who knows, you might have a career as a guitar player in the future…

Summer is a great time to learn guitar, and Raw Talent is a great way to learn while saving.  Not only is it a one-time purchase (unlike those subscription based sites all over the internet) but it’s in your own home.

Tired of traveling to weekly private lessons?  Raw Talent Guitar is a fraction of the cost of private lessons, which also cost time and driving dollars.  So let’s get started!