Lazy days and warm nights. Beachside dining, boardwalk strolling. Surf, sun and fun. Vacation. It’s summertime and the living is easy. Sticking to your budget, on the other hand? Let’s be honest. Not always so easy.

The warmer weather can bring just the relief you’re looking for after a cold winter and busy spring, but it can also turn up the heat on your wallet if you’re overspending. By the time fall and pumpkin lattes arrive, you may have your work cut out for you to to remake your budget after summer .

Here are some ways to remake your budget after summer when you’ve been blown off course

budget after summer

Say goodbye to overspending

The first step to remake your budget after summer splurging is to pump the brakes on spending. At least temporarily. Finance experts say the key to kicking your summer overspending habits is finding a way to make cutting back fun. Yep, you heard right… fun.

If eating out has been a sore spot in your summer budget, for example, they suggests challenging yourself and your family to only eat what’s in the house for a week. You’ll rein in your spending by focusing on your own kitchen and clean out the pantry while you’re at it. Finding ways to stay entertained at home is another way to curb your spending impulses and remake your budget after summer.

Get back to basics with budgeting

During the summer months, new spending categories may creep into your budget. You might need new beach gear to hit the sand. Updating your outdoor furniture or grill may be a priority. Or you may be spending on pricey convenience foods if a busy schedule has you running all over the place. That can be problematic if you’re not making time for regular check-ins to see where your money is going.

What often happens is people get caught up in doing fun things over the summer and pay less attention to what they’re spending. That can spell trouble if they’re not keeping an eye on their credit card balances or monitoring what’s going in and out of their bank accounts as closely as they normally would. As summer winds down, they may be surprised at just how much they’ve spent.

Add up the debt damage

Swiping your credit card to cover summer travel or picking up the tab for dinner and drinks with friends at your favorite rooftop hangout can easily add up. Totaling up your balances at the end may be a bit painful, but it’s an important step in getting your budget after summer back on track. If you’re juggling multiple debts, you need a plan of attack for handling them in order to remake your budget after summer.

Leave room in your budget for saving

Saving is a goal you should be thinking about as you get your budget back on track post-summer. Short-term savings can keep you from having to rely on credit to cover expenses in a pinch, and long-term savings can help you prepare for financial goals.

Having three to six months’ worth of expenses tucked away in a savings account can be handy when an emergency strikes, so make building up your emergency fund a goal as the leaves start to change and you work on getting your budget back on track.

Don’t beat yourself up

Getting your budget after summer back on track can be challenging if you’re feeling guilty about overspending. Life happens, the key is to avoid dwelling on it. Feelings of guilt related to summer overspending can actually be a great motivator to get back on track with your budget.

Rather than feeling anxious about the bill, work on creating a plan for paying it down so you can get your budget back on track. From there, you can work on saving money for next year’s trip early so you don’t have to rely on credit again.

Use those feelings to create a sense of urgency to pay off debt quickly and, more importantly, create a vacation fund to make sure the same thing doesn’t happen next summer. Also, remember to look for a positive takeaway. If you made lasting connections with new friends or explored a new part of the world on a summer trip, that can help you keep your debt in perspective.

Budget after summer: Stay focused

Not all of your summer spending can be viewed through the same lens. What’s important is getting your budget back on track. While you’re at it, think about how you plan to approach next summer. Drawing a line in the sand on what you want to spend now can keep budget woes from putting a damper on your future vacation.