With finals coming up, and summer in the midst, students are excited to start making plans for the next two to three months of no school. But most are running into the issue of finding things to do that are fun and cost effective.

However, there are plenty of things to do that are great experiences for college students and don’t require a pretty penny.

Concerts are one way to spend summers. For any student who is trying to stay in the area and save money, Kansas City is great for hosting shows that cost little to nothing. Over the summer, the Kansas City Power and Light district have a free “Hot Country Night” concert every Thursday night starting at 7:00 p.m. HCN is a must for any country music fans. You can get a lineup for the summer closer to May on their Facebook page: facebook.com/hotcountrynights.

For alternative fans, Kansas City’s best alternative radio station, 96.5 The Buzz always host events like “Buzz Beach Ball” and “Buzz Under the Stars” to accommodate big bands like Glass Animals, Alabama Shakes and more. These outdoor events are perfect because tickets for buzz concerts usually don’t go over $50.

Another idea for budgeted fun are road trips. Packing up the car and getting some friends together to get out of town for a while can be very cheap when splitting the cost. And getting to know a new city is always a fun, new experience.

Something not thought of too often, but useful is picking up a new hobby. With homework and class eating up a lot of time during the school year, it can be hard to try out a new task or complete a project. Summer is the perfect time to put that task or project to use.

Volunteering and taking on an internship is a useful way to spend summer time doing something that will help someone else and help with meeting new people. It can also be great networking for a future job in that field. Find internship and volunteer positions at ​www.internships.com​ or www.volunteermatch.com​ and search for opportunities that apply to your degree or field of study.

Another idea for cheap fun is to go to a Royals game on student nights. At Kauffman stadium, every Wednesday night is student night which means tickets are only $10.

There are also a lot of great outdoor activities to do over the summer. Hiking or just any physical activity can be worthwhile in the sun. To cool off, take a trip to the local water park or pool. And, of course, hosting a barbeque or bonfire is always a fun time. Invite friends over and tell everyone to bring some kind of homemade dish. This is an inexpensive way to have a party but not spend a lot of money on food and drinks.

Deciding on what to do while the sun and school are both out can be difficult, especially for students who are trying to have fun on a budget. It is important for students, no matter what they plan, to stay safe. From everyone at Park, have a great summer!