As soon as the warm weather hits, I am ready to get to work on summer projects.  It is the perfect time to start planning now.  The weather is not great and the thought of summer gives you that little extra boost to get through to spring.

My poor husband, this is the time of year that my project list gets incredibly long…because in my fantasy life we have unlimited funds and all the time in the world, right?  Thankfully, my husband grounds me and after talking about all the projects, we land on what is actually possible.

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How To Start Planning Summer Projects!

Step 1 List All the Projects

This can be an ongoing list of all the projects you ever wanted to do.  As you think of new projects you can always add them on to this list.  On our list, we only put the projects that cost more than a $100.  This keeps the list clear of the really little things.  In the end, the goal of this list should be limited to projects you need to save for.

Step 2 Figure Out Which Projects Are The Highest Priority

This sounds like a simple step, but what you may find is your priorities may be very different than your husbands priorities.  You may also realize what you want to do is not what you should do.  Replacing a furnace is definitely not as fun as replacing flooring…but sometimes it needs to be done.  So look over your list and decide what projects are the top priorities.

We created a tab on our monthly budget.  It is a very simple chart, but allows me to color code projects and helps me keep track of which projects we are working on.  You can make the same type of list on any piece of paper, so I have created a simple and fun printable for you to use!

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Once you subscribe you will receive the password to access all the Soon To Be Charming Printables…including both the Summer Project Planning Printables here!

The Project Notes Printable is the perfect sheet to help you keep track of who you called for estimates, and any other details or notes you need for your project.

Step 3 Get Estimates

Once you decide on your priorities, you need to get estimates.  If that means having a professional come out and give you a free estimate, do that.  Other circumstances may require you to do a little research to get a closer cost estimate of your desired project.  Try to be as detailed as you can.  This is an important step because you can’t budget or plan a timeline for a project you have no idea how much it costs. 

It is also a good idea if talking with a professional, to find out how long the wait time is during the summer.  For example with window installers, when you are ready to book, they told us to expect a month before installation.  That is good information to get…finding out how busy a business is during the summer will help you determine the best time to book your project.  However, don’t let that push you into booking before you are ready.  For us, we pay cash for all projects…so it doesn’t matter the wait, we won’t book until we have the cash ready.

Step 4 Plan Your Timeline

This is where a budget comes in handy.  We have a line item for our projects and we can see how much we set aside each month and how many months it will take us to save for a project.  I still like to live in my fantasy world…I always think oh yeah we can save that in like two months.  Then my husband points me back to the budget and says, um No…look at the budget.  My best advice would be to be realistic.  Some projects may have to wait for next summer…which I never like to hear, but it is the smartest thing to do.  Two years ago, we installed 1/3 of the windows in our house.  We broke up the installation so it was more affordable.  If you have a huge project, looking into ways to break it up may be a great idea.

When planning remember not to max out your project expenses, because life still happens.  Believe me, a few years ago when we installed 1/3 of the windows, we also replaced our roof.  Then two weeks later the engine in our car blew.  The cost to replace the engine was more than the car was really worth, so we had to buy another car (we only pay cash for vehicles).  Thankfully we had our emergency fund!  Make sure you keep saving for projects separate from emergencies!

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Step 5 Complete Your Project

Your project list definitely doesn’t show all the blood, sweat and tears of working on a project, but checking it off helps.  Plus nothing is more satisfying than completing a project you have saved and planned for!  Especially if you have a bunch of big projects, keeping track of all your completed projects helps you feel like you are getting somewhere.  So at this point have fun and enjoy your finished project!

Last summer we finished this big project.

If you missed our Complete Playset Makeover, Check it out HERE!

I am so ready to get outside and do something!  If you are the same way, try to using that energy in an organized and productive way with my planning steps above!  Hope it helps a little, happy planning to you!

SAVE IT FOR LATER!