With hungry kids home for the year and air conditioners working overtime, summer budgets can get tight quickly. 

Connie Miller with the DeWitt Savings Bank indicates that the summer brings a lot of extra expenses like childcare, higher energy costs, and bigger bills at the grocery store. 

Miller says making a plan should always be step one when it comes to getting your finances under control. She points to eating out rather than at home as a big spending place for people that can be avoided. 

For those student athletes in need of equipment, Miller recommends asking community members, thrifting, or checking Facebook Marketplace before buying brand new. Asking guests to bring dishes or other items to get-togethers is also a great way to save money. 

Miller suggests beginning to save for the back-to-school season now, before the expensive trips to the store to get clothes and school supplies. This is another great time to go thrifting or ask around in your community for hand-me-downs. 

We'll have more with Miller in the weeks ahead from the Hart Media Group on the latest ways scammers are trying to fool you out of your money, and how you can avoid it. Learn more by finding the DeWitt Savings Bank on Facebook.