Slip ‘n’ slide

A great way to enjoy a summer’s day with friends without spending a penny. This is assuming you have (preferably strong) bin liners, some tape, and washing-up liquid. Tape as many dust bin bags as you wish in a long line and place them in your garden on a stretch of grass. Lather them in warm soapy water and hey presto, you now have your very own temporary water slide.

Camp at the beach

Choose a nice hot day and bundle in a car with a group of mates. Head to the nearest beach armed with a towel, swim shorts, and your sunnies. Build sandcastles, go for a dip in the sea, play frisbee on the beach and why not even find a campsite and cook up a BBQ in the evening. If you have a mate who plays guitar invite him/her too and enjoy music around a campfire.

Picnic in the park

Pack a blanket, some food, drinks and why not make your way over to the closest park with some friends. Prepare some nice food beforehand and pack it all up in a hamper. Explore the gardens/park – see if you can find an ice cream van and enjoy a 99 with a chocolate flake. Relax and enjoy the perfect summer’s day in the park with your mates. This is also a great opportunity to study in a calm atmosphere, where you’ll get more revision time than at home.

Summer Road trip

Something we often say but never do. Pick somewhere random that you’ve never been to before on Google maps, and with a group of friends go on a random road trip. Be spontaneous and don’t plan anything. Just pick your location, drive there and see where the day takes you. If you have any friends from back home who also went to uni why not ask to visit them and save on accommodation costs. You can then return the favour and invite them to stay at yours, and if you pick a nice day make that garden slide again!

Festival

Why not treat yourself and budget for a festival ticket this summer. Although prices can be expensive, choose wisely and you could get yourself a bargain festival ticket, especially if you book in advance. Plan this properly and take things like cereal bars, water, toilet roll, a poncho, and some paracetamol! Spend a little time thinking about what you’ll need to take and you’ll find yourself saving quite a lot of money.

Create your own festival

If you can’t afford to go to a festival then don’t, create one at your student digs. Invite a load of mates and get them all to bring their favourite tunes on their phones, tablets, iPods. If you can, hook up different music in different rooms of the house. Instead of paying festival ticket prices try and get your mates to chip in £10-£20 each. Get some food and drinks in, get a BBQ lit, create your own mini bar, and if you have one, camp out in the garden.

Customise some old clothes

This idea is perfect for a rainy summer’s day. Plus it’s a great way of making use of those items of clothes that have been hanging up in your wardrobe for months without being worn. Get creative… Try cutting your old jeans into shorts, cut off and stitch pockets from a shirt to a t-shirt, dip-dye your old tatty converse trainers and make them one-offs. You’ll be surprised how creative you can get after a few attempts.