Swimming is one of the most popular activities to engage in during summer vacation. However, if you’re not careful, it can land you juggling your budget. This is especially true if you plan on having your own pool. Luckily, there are many ways to avoid the high cost of having your own pool without forcing you to spend a ton on admission tickets to pools around your city. These ten ideas will allow you to embrace your pool time so you can cool down this summer without feeling like your budget is plummeting.
1. Consider City Pools
When it comes to swimming for cheap, one of the best options is to actually go swimming in a city pool. These public pools tend to have a cheap entrance fee and allows you to swim for several hours. Generally, city pools don’t have all of the bells and whistles that other pools might have, but they will still offer you the opportunity to swim and have some fun while getting out of the heat. Of course, city pools tend to be crowded at times. So, you might spend some time at the pool to see when the lulls are. This should allow you to choose some of the best times to hit the pol each day.
2. Community Programs
If you’re learning how to swim or you want to enroll your child in a summer swim program, then there is definitely a lot of great community programs to check out. More often than not, you will find these programs in high schools and colleges, so make sure to check out their summer program to see what you can get into. Often, the schools will use the summertime to help students gain teaching skills, so kids can gain lessons for free or a low cost. Sometimes, the schools will even allow for free swim periods for families, so that everyone can get in a bit of practice. These swim lessons can last for several weeks too, which will help keep your kids busy throughout the summer break.
3. Season Pass
One of the most efficient ways to swim during the summer months is to a purchase a season pass for your family. This might be a higher purchase at the beginning of summer, but if you use the pass on a daily, or even a weekly basis, then you are bound to save quite a bit of money in the long run. You can find a season pass at just about any institution. You might even luck out and find a pass for your city pool, which will save you even more money. Even if the only option you have is a water park, you will be surprised how much a family season pass can save you opposed to purchasing pool passes every day. This will also give the whole family something to do if you do find yourself broke or bored throughout the summer months.
4. Invest in Proper Swimwear
Although saving on the pool itself is very important, you also might consider the swimwear you have. Bikinis look cute and all, but if you plan on spending every day at the pool then you might want to consider adding something else to the mix. If you’re spending a lot of time in the pool, then you might want to cover more skin. So, instead of thinking fashion, you might consider a pair of swim shorts and a rash guard top to help protect you. Believe it or not, but these clothing options will help to keep you cooler and will prevent sunburn in many areas. This can help improve your experience in the pool, as you won’t find yourself sitting it out to allow your sunburn to properly heal.
5. Replenish Energy
Another way to get more out of your swimming experience is to keep your energy replenished. A lot of people will actually spend the whole day in the pool, which will cause them to feel exhausted before the end of the day arrives. Of course, this can also add soreness to the following day, which might encourage people to sit out the following day or two. The best way to avoid this is to keep your energy up during your swim periods. Make sure you eat or at least have a couple of snacks in order to keep you going. Junk food isn’t your best option here, so try to stick with fruits, vegetables, and even some carbs to keep you going. You should also make sure to drink lots of water to help keep you hydrated. Try to stop every hour or so to get a bit of water to keep you going.
6. Sign Up for the YMCA
If you’re struggling for a place to sign up for swimming, then you might want to look into going to the YMCA. One of the best things about the YMCA is you can get a family membership that will allow everyone to swim and enjoy everything that the YMCA has to offer for a cheap price. You can even keep your membership up for the summer and cancel later if you’re not certain that you can keep up with it throughout the school year. The YMCA offers a lot of pool options too. For instance, you can take swim lessons, swim laps or even enjoy the free swim periods that are offered for families. The YMCA offers a lot more to keep the whole family busy too, which will help give you a break from swimming throughout the day. Best of all, it will give the family a place to spend the entire day, so you won’t have to stress out over running the air conditioner at full blast.
7. Join a Team
When it comes to saving money on pool time, one of your best options is to actually join a swim team. You might have to pay a fee to join, but after that, you should be able to swim for free during practice sessions and competitions. Swim teams will help you improve your overall skills in swimming as well, which will definitely help you get more out of the sport. With competitions, you might even win enough money to help keep your love of swimming going. Of course, kids might also be able to join a team through their school. Often, schools will run practice during the summer months to keep their team fit when the season begins. This will definitely help make swimming more affordable and rewarding.
8. Sun Protection
The sun can really drain you and cause you to want to leave the pool earlier than you otherwise would. Instead of letting this happen, you should consider sun protection before you hit the pool. One of the most important things to do is add sunscreen to your day. Make sure you have a waterproof option and you reapply frequently. You also need to consider protecting your eyes. Sunglasses are a great choice, but you can also get tinted goggles to help you out in the water. A hat and coverup, while you are resting, is also crucial to protecting you. Apart from that, you should find a shady place to rest or choose an indoor pool.
9. Protect Skin and Hair from Chlorine
The sun isn’t the only thing that can ruin your swim sessions. Another thing that you should look out for is damage to your skin and hair caused by chlorine that is always present in the water. There are many ways to help protect yourself though, so don’t stress about entering the pool. One of the best things that you can do for your skin is rinsed off before and after every swim session. You should also make a point to exfoliate a few times a week, to help your skin get healthy again. Of course, moisturizing is very important to and will ensure your skin can heal with ease.
10. Stretch Your Body
Swimming is quite possibly one of the best exercises to try out. However, a lot of people forget to stretch before hopping in a pool. Stretching can help you get a lot more out of your swim sessions, even if you’re just goofing around with friends and family. Stretching will prepare your muscles for the movement they are about to endure, which will actually help your muscles strengthen with ease. Stretching after swimming is also important as it can help relax your body after all of the movement. If you can, try to do a yoga session before or after getting in the water. This will give you more energy during your swim times, so you get even more out of the pool time.
Swimming is a great way to keep cool and have fun in the summer heat. With these ten tips, you should be able to balance your budget as well as your love of swimming. You might even find swimming helps to improve your budget in some cases, as it will cut back on spending elsewhere. So, get ready to get the most out of your summer with these helpful pool time tips.
