If you’re not a huge fan of the heat that July brings to the day, then you may find one redeeming quality about the month. That it, it’s actually National Ice Cream Month. This gives you a great reason to indulge in your favorite cool treat. Of course, you don’t have to spend a lot of money showing off your love for ice cream. There’s many ways to get more out this amazing celebration without harming your budget. So, get ready to have some fun with your dessert and maybe even try some new flavors, because this National Ice Cream Month is certain to go easy on your budget.
1. Free Ice Cream Day
Every year, free ice cream day takes place on the third Sunday in July. This year, you should mark your calendars for July 16 because you may spend the day sugaring up. Every year on this day, many restaurants go out of their way to serve free ice cream to their customers. In most places, you don’t even have to buy anything to receive your amazing freebie. Each year, Dairy Queen is known for giving away a free cone to each person that stops by. This is just one national chain though. You should also be able to find good deals in your own local ice cream community. Even if a store isn’t giving away larger ice cream treats, you may be privy to free coupons or samples of their products.
2. Clearance Machine
Since the summer heat is going to be hitting its peak soon, you may be able to find some exciting deals on ice cream machines. Usually, new models roll out around this time of the year, but you might not want to blow your money on these. Instead, check out the clearance section of your favorite department store, appliance store or even online shop. You should be able to find an older model that can do all of the same tricks for less money. You can even check out reviews before you buy to make sure your clearance item is going to be a dud.
3. Fruity Ice Cream
If you’re still on your beach body diet in July, don’t stress. You can still enjoy ice cream month by making a few substitutions. There’s many recipes online that will allow you to enjoy creamy treats with a fraction of the calories and fat. One of the best ways is to freeze some bananas. Once they are completely frozen toss them in your food processor and let it rip. You can enjoy just a plain banana flavor here or spice it up with vanilla extract, chocolate, peanut butter or anything else you have in mind. You can do the same thing with fruits like strawberries. This makes a great natural flavor, but you can toss in a little milk to help with the creamy factor. There’s lots of recipes for this online, so have fun with it.
4. Mason Jar
One of the easiest ways to make some no frill ice cream is to use a mason jar. All you need is some heavy cream, sugar and flavors to help make your treat out of this world. Simply pour the cream in the mason jar, add the sugar and flavoring and then shake it up hard for as long as you can. Once everything is mixed together, pop it in the freezer and enjoy it later in the day. You can also make whipped cream this way. However, all you do for this is add the heavy cream and sugar. Toss the ingredients in the jar, shake and put it in the refrigerator. Before you know it, you’ll have the makings of a sundae that didn’t cost a fortune and isn’t filled with fake ingredients.
5. Ditch Dairy
For a lot of people, dairy causes a whole lot of discomfort due to lactose. There are ice cream alternatives out there that can help you enjoy your favorite treat without the pain. Of course, these items can cost a lot more at the grocery store, but if you look hard you may find a few that suit your budget. Luckily, there’s a lot of great recipes online that will help you whip up your own vegan ice cream at a low price. These ice creams usually use milk made from almond, cashews or even soy. No matter what your choice, you can find your favorite flavors to imitate. The best thing about cutting out the heavy cream or milk is that it also cuts the calories and some of the price. So, you can really keep to your diet while enjoying some of the delicious flavors you grew up loving.
6. Shop Sales
One of the best ways to save money on ice cream this season is to buy it at the grocery store. You are bound to receive lots of coupons in the mail or from your local store to help you save a bundle on this item. You should also see sales popping up that will help you try new kinds of ice cream thanks to the holiday. Of course, sometimes you just want to grab some ice cream from a shop. Luckily, you should be receiving coupons for many of these stores in the month of July, because stores love to bank on holidays. If you don’t find any coupons look on your favorite stores’ social media pages or websites and you’re bound to find a long list of sales or even some coupons to help you save money. If the store has an app, make sure to download it so you can get Buy One, Get One deals and other sales when you order online.
7. Buy in Bulk
In the summer time, ice cream is one of the best things to keep in your freezer. However, if you only shop for smaller cartons or boxes of your favorite treats, you will more than likely end up spending way too much and shopping way too often for this item. The best thing you can do is shop for the big tubs of ice cream. You can find these in many generic brands and they come in a wide variety of flavors that will suit the whole household. These tubs are great for making milk shakes, ice cream cones and anything else your family craves. There are also large boxes of your favorite ice cream treats. For instance, if you love premade ice cream cones, ice cream sandwiches or even creamy popsicles then you’re in luck here. This will also help keep your family satisfied so you won’t have to budget in desserts for quite some time.
8. Order Soft Serve
When it comes to eating ice cream at restaurants, there is usually a high price tag that might detour you from enjoying National Ice Cream month. Of course, there is one option that is usually cheap, fast and delicious. This tends to be soft serve. You can find it at many fast food restaurants as well as some ice cream shops, so you won’t have to go searching for it. This ice cream is incredibly easy and cheap to make in the store as the proper machine, so you can grab a cone of the ice cream for a dollar or less in most cases. Often, this is the type of ice cream that stores will be giving away on free ice cream day. It comes in many flavors too, so the whole family is sure to enjoy without spending a fortune.
9. Shop Off-Brand
There is one simple trick that will help you save a whole lot of money whether you’re shopping in the store or eating out. That is, shopping off brand. Chances are, if you’re shopping at a chain store you may not be getting the best deals possible. Try to check out local options to get some great discounts, especially if you’re a regular. When it comes to shopping at the grocery store, you’re sure to find better deals on off-brand items too. Not only will you be able to find a wide variety of generic options of your favorite brands, but you can get larger containers too. In fact, some off-brand supplies even produce large tubs of ice cream that will keep your family satisfied with their sweet treat.
10. Portion Control
National Ice Cream Month may sound fabulous, but it could leave you with a large overdose of sugar before the month is over. One of the best things you can do during this month to save money and improve on your health is to exercise portion control. With all of the great deals, you may want to have ice cream every single day. Even though you will be saving money, you still won’t be doing your budget a favor since the money you are spending will add up. Portion control will also help the ice cream that you buy in stores last longer. You may even be able to create a big enough stock of your favorite flavors to last you through the next few months. Of course, portion control is especially important if you want to stay healthy and not go into the autumn and winter months feeling bogged down from weight gain.
National Ice Cream Month is possibly one of the best aspects of summer, especially when you factor in all of the hot weather. These ten tips will help you get more for your money, so you can enjoy the month to its full potential. With any luck, you’ll come out of ice cream month having explored a variety of flavors and types of ice cream.
