Summer is here, and that means trips to the pool with your friends, vacations to the beach for total relaxation and cookouts with the whole family. Sometimes you want to bring your phone near the water or want to keep pesky bugs from biting everyone at the party, but don’t want to spend money on expensive phone cases or smell like bug spray. We have put together 15 of the best and easiest summer hacks for you and your friends to enjoy all season long. Most are with items you already own, and that means less money out of your pocket here and more money you can spend on your vacation.
Put Your Phone In A Plastic Bag
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Whether you’re at the pool or the beach keep your phone safe from water and sand by putting it in a plastic bag. Just put your phone in a Ziplock bag, and that’s it! You will still be able to use your phone while keeping it safe.
You can also buy Smartsleeves made to fit your phone perfectly. Check them out here.
Cupcake Liners Not For Cupcakes
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Keep bugs and leaves out of your drinks by putting cupcake liners on them like lids. You can stick a straw through them, and you have your own DIY drink lid. You can also stick them through a popsicle stick, and it will catch any juice that drips.
Natural Sunburn Remedy
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Everyone is out in the sun when summer hits, and with the sun comes sunburns. Instead of store-bought sunburn relief try mixing honey and fresh aloe. The combo will help soothe your burn and won’t dry your skin out. Not to mention it is way more affordable than premade sunburn relief.
Aloe Cubes
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Another sunburn hack for those on the go. Takes the leftover aloe from before stick it in ice cube trays and overnight you have frozen cubes of aloe that will soothe and help cure your sunburn.
Keep them in your cooler while you enjoy your day and pop one out as needed to keep the pain away!
Packing For Vacation
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School’s out, so that means vacations are a must during the summer, and packing for them can sometimes be a drag. To make your packing easier try to pick out your outfits in advance and stick them in plastic bags to keep your suitcase organized. That way you will know exactly what you are going to wear and it will all be in one bag.
Waterproof Your Bag
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You just bought a brand new bag, and you want to show it off at the pool or the beach, but it isn’t waterproof. The last thing you want is for your bag and everything in it to get soaked. Buy waterproof spray and spray it on your bag the night before let it sit and dry and by the next morning you will have your favorite new bag that is now ready for you to show it off wherever you go.
Keep The Bugs Away
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Instead of using and smelling like bug spray try making your own scented floating candle jars to keep them away. Just take a mason jar filled with water, a tea light candle, fruit peels and some herbs, and you have yourself a DIY natural bug repellant.
Not only will it look cute on your porch, but it smells nicer than store-bought bug spray.
Natural Highlights
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For all you blondes out there or anyone who wants to lighten up your hair for the summer stay away from the hair salon and just use lemons. Lemon juice is a natural hair lightener that has been used for years. It is way healthier for your hair than bleach and dyes and not to mention a lot better to your wallet.
Squeeze it directly into your hair or put it in a spray bottle and use it all summer long. Watch your hair go from dull to bright with only a few uses.
Mosquito Bites
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Summer nights call for mosquito bites galore. If you didn’t hit every spot with the bug spray and end up with a bite try putting toothpaste on it. It will stop the itching and dry it out for a quicker recovery.
Fitted Sheet On The Beach
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Instead of bringing your standard towel to the beach try bringing a fitted bed sheet as well. If you lay it out and put your cooler, books and any other items you brought on each corner it creates a place for you to enjoy the beach without getting sand everywhere. It also keeps all your belongings tucked away and safe.
Sand Removal
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Going to the beach is like summer therapy for any college student, but leaving the beach means tons of sand. For quick and cheap sand removal bring baby powder with you. Sprinkle it anywhere there is sand, and it will come right off. Baby powder is much more affordable than having to get a carpet cleaner to pick up all that pesky sand.
Tan Tattoo
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Sunscreen is a must when you are out in the sun during the summer time. However, being able to gauge how tan we’ve gotten is always fun. Instead of just going by your suit tan lines, try a tan tattoo. Just take some Elmer’s glue and draw a design wherever you like, let it dry, and that’s it! Layout in the sun and once you’re done peel it off, and you have a tan tattoo that will last you quite a while.
Cold Drinks Fast
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You’re at a party and ran out of cold drinks faster than you thought. Instead of worrying, try sticking your drinks in the freezer with a wet paper towel wrapped around them for 15 minutes. The wet paper towel will make the drink get cold much faster than it would if you just threw it in the fridge.
Condiment Tray
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Cookouts are always a summer essential but deciding what to bring can sometimes be hard. Try bringing all the condiments for the party by putting them in a muffin tin. You can mix and match different options depending on how big your muffin tin is, and it keeps your picnic table clutter free from all the different bottles.
You can also keep the tin from bugs or anything from drying out by sticking a piece of aluminum foil over the top for maximum freshness all cookout long.
Grape Cubes
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Nothing says summer like a nice refreshing glass of wine while sitting on the porch, but with that summer heat, your nice cold drink won’t stay cold for long. Instead of putting ice cubes in it and watering it down try freezing grapes and sticking them in the glass instead. It will keep your drink cold, and you can eat them when you’re done.
Try using white grapes for white wines and red grapes for red wines, It will keep the flavors vibrant in both your favorite wines and your grapes.