A #BrokeGirlSummer
To having a good time on a dime
Summer these days always seems to be accompanied by a theme.
Last year was Brat Summer, influenced by Charli XCX’s neon green, gritty album of the same name. The one before that was Swifty Summer thanks to Taylor’s Eras Tour taking over the country. If memory serves, 2022 was dedicated to being wild following two summers dominated by distancing due to the spread of Covid.
I think this summer (which officially kicks off at the weekend) is still finding its footing. What we’ve experienced in the lead up—bizarre amounts of rain, continued inhumane war crimes, and dystopian-level dictatorial governments—doesn’t give much in terms of inspiration. Especially if what you’re looking for is to have fun. However, fear not, for I think I have the solution to the “problem”: Broke Girl Summer. Allow me to explain…
A key part of both Brat and Swifty Summers, and even to some degree Let Loose Summer, was going out and being seen. At concerts, at restaurants, at social events. And of course vacations to interesting places. You might notice that all of these activities require money, usually a lot of it. The average price for a ticket to the North American leg of Eras Tour was around $700; tickets were cheaper in Europe, but of course required costly flights. It’s more difficult to easily calculate to what degree people spent to keep up with trends on a style level, but if the Brat-inspired fashion guides with their $89 Von Dutch hats and $292 white tank tops are any indicator, I’d say a lot.
The next step after spending the money is to document the results. Ideally on your preferred social media platform. My feed was so saturated with photo and video content from #ErasTour, #SourTour, #ShortnSweetTour, and most recently #CowboyCarterTour that I felt like I’d attended each despite never having bought a ticket.
I didn’t jump on any of these big trends, but my deep rooted sense of FOMO after two pandemic-drenched summers still led me to throw cash in other ways. Like seeing Harry Styles on his limited Love on Tour in 2022 at Madison Square Garden (the night’s specialty cocktail was around $25, and I of course had two). Come 2023, I flew to Chicago for Blink-182 and Ohio for Stevie Nicks co-headlining with Billy Joel. I also splurged on a writing workshop in Dublin as well as family trips to Provincetown and New Orleans. But last summer probably takes the cake. Three international trips (Zurich, Toronto, and Aruba) alongside many domestic ones, plus half a dozen concerts, including Green Day at Citi Field and Sad Summer Fest at Pier 17. It was amazing. It was expensive.
Just because I wasn’t attending the most popular things didn’t mean I wasn’t going anywhere. I very much was, and by last fall, my wallet was feeling stretched. To be honest, so was my body. I’d found the stay-at-home orders of the pandemic frustrating largely because it was the only option. Once restrictions were lifted, I was desperate for anything else. But in the mad rush to make up for lost time, I’d forgotten that sometimes it’s actually nice to stay home, to do something casual and less costly. When life is at its wildest, it can even be preferable.
This feeling is precisely what led to my decision to have a Broke Girl Summer. And what exactly does that entail? Oh, I’m so glad you asked.
Broke Girl Summer is, at its core, embracing the overlap between the low cost option and the chill one. It’s reading the books you already own or heading to the library. It’s reworking old clothes into fresh outfits. It’s cleaning out your cabinets and freezer to see what might become an unique, home cooked dinner. It’s meeting your friends in the park with a picnic blanket and a bottle of screw top wine to gaze at the clouds. It’s petting way more dogs. It’s finally watching that television show or film everyone adored, that you smiled and nodded your way through pretending to love too. It’s choosing to slow down as longer days and temperatures make you want to speed up. It’s giving you—and your bank account—space to take a deep breath.
And when you do choose to spend, Broke Girl Summer is about being more intentional with your cash. In years past, I would plan outings four or five nights a week: a combination of activities I saw on Instagram that looked interesting and restaurants I’d read of in Eater or TimeOut. A few were worth it, others were not. This summer, I’m instead trying to have my money contribute to something I really care about. Like supporting a friend’s reading series by showing up and getting a glass of wine, or buying a ticket to a debut author’s independent bookstore event.
The point, overall, is to move away from the capitalist idea that in order to have the best time ever, you need to be spending a boat load. When in fact, the way you’ll probably enjoy yourself the most is by surrounding yourself with the people and activities you love. Maybe you won’t see every sequin up close on a performer’s concert outfit or snap a photo wearing whatever becomes the hot new accessory. And that’s okay. Because what you will find is a different kind of peace of mind, which I believe will feel better.
Everyone’s Broke Girl Summer will look a little different. Maybe for you it means buying a pass to your local botanical garden to soak up as much nature and sunshine as you can. Maybe it’s making sure you achieve your 10,000-daily steps then rewarding yourself with a sweet treat at a local bakery afterward. Both of these—and many more—are completely valid options.
Despite having great outfits and (mostly) correct opinions, I’ve never made enough effort to crack the influencer code. But I may very well try again with this idea, attempt to get #BrokeGirlSummer trending. Going viral on the internet, after all, is completely free… If you have other ideas on how to spend a perfect Broke Girl Summer, feel free to share them in the comments below. Hope you enjoy your summer solstice!
Rachel’s Weekly Recs:
Sandal season is upon us, meaning my heels will inevitably dry out. My key to preventing this is the PureNaturals Flip Flop Foot Repair. No mess application and fabulous scents (my favorite is Orange Honey). Slip some on before bed to let the work happen while you sleep.
This weekend could finally be the one to break the rainy curse impacting the Northeast. If you’re in New York, I suggest taking advantage of the good weather with a trip to Smorgasburg in Marsha P. Johnson State Park. Be sure to stop by D’Abruzzo for great Argentine grilled meat and Vermont Maple Lemonade for a tart, tasty beverage.
The House just voted on a bill to revoke funding for PBS, meaning fewer resources to produce the best children’s programs around. Please consider donating to your local public media branch as well as calling your senators to fight back.