SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Saving money can be tricky. Luckily, Brad Pistole from Trinity Insurance and Financial Services has some tips to help you save some cash this summer.

“In the summer, there’s a lot of free time so we are involved in more activities,” said Pistole. He said things like church, basketball, and cheerleading camps are really expensive this year.

One tip Pistole recommends is budgeting:

“If you have a written budget and you know the type of events that you’re going to participate in the camps and the cookouts and the special ticketed events, then that will help you stay on track whenever you have a written budget,” said Pistole.

He recommends also looking for free things to do such as swimming or a free movie night at the park.

“One thing to really keep in mind for Missouri locals is the free special sales tax weekend… as the summer is going to end every year,” said Pistole. “We know… what’s coming. It’s back to school. So we’ve got to budget for our spending, for clothes and for school supplies. And for this year, August the fifth through the seventh is going to be the special sales tax weekend. Need to get that on calendars now to plan on saving that money.”

If you would like to learn more about budgeting and other financial advice from Pistole, click here.