How to have a fun, stress-free beach day

If you live near the water or the beach you can save money this summer with a day at the beach. Check out this list of the top must have items for any day trip to the beach. Remember, you don’t need to pack your whole summer wardrobe and all the water accessories if you’re only going to be at the beach for less than 12 hours. So make sure you have the essentials and nothing more, you don’t want to bog yourself down with too much “stuff.”1 - SunscreenOf course you need to start your day off with a good sunscreen and a good SPF. We don’t want any skin cancer creeping in and even just an old fashioned sunburn will keep you down for days. 2 - One giant beach towel, one regular beach towel, one beach umbrellaThere’s no need for lawn chairs or tents. Just make sure your beach towel is larger than you so you can lay out in the sun without having to lay halfway in the sand. Your second towel is simply for drying off. If you’re the type of person who doesn’t like to be in the sun all day or you can’t be in the sun for medical reasons you can simply bring a beach umbrella, set it up by your towel and shade yourself from the sun. This way you won’t have to lug a large tent all the way down the beach for just a few hours outdoors. (Find stylish beach towels at Land’s End and Old Navy. Get them at great prices with an Old Navy eGift Card or Lands’ End E-Gift Card.)3 - Blow up floats/toysBring only one blow up float/toy per person or per kid. That way there are enough to share and trade but you aren’t overwhelmed with floats.4 - Sand toysIf you have children you definitely want to keep the entertainment flowing with sand toys, but again, don’t bog yourself down with too many sand toys. One sand pail per child and a few shovels/fish nets should be good. (Looking for a few toys at good prices? Check out at Amazon.com Gift Cards or Overstock.com eGift Cards.)5 - Snacks and WaterIf you’re going to be in the sun all day you need to make sure you stay hydrated and a few snacks will keep you energized and feeling full so you can wait until dinner to leave the beach.5 - Extra pair of clothes (including under clothes)After a day of swimming, sunbathing and playing volleyball not only will you be wet with saltwater and sweat you’ll be finding sand everywhere. Who wants to drive home like that? While you might not be able to get a full shower before jumping in the car you can at least wash off the sand and saltwater and change into some dry clothes.In the end, you want to be able to walk from your car to your spot on the beach in one trip. You don’t want to have so many lawn chairs, blow up toys, and ice chests that you’re tripping over your gear while trying to walk in the sand. Keep it simple. And remember, you can bring the whole house when you decided to stay longer than just a day. A quick day getaway to the water is the perfect prescription to soothe your mind and eliminate stress. Don’t add more stress on your beach day.