(Family Features) Whether you are planning staycations or hitting the road for a longer journey, summer is a time of festivities and gatherings. When getting together with family and friends, take advantage of these tips and tricks for surviving summer.

• Be a Summer Shenanigan Prepper: Admit it…music festivals, backyard barbecues and summer outings can get a little messy. Fortunately, with just a little preparation, you’ll be ready for whatever you choose to do this summer. Keep a back-up party kit on hand with necessities like suntan lotion, water, snacks and towels, as well as baby powder to help remove sand from your skin quickly and easily. Also consider buying a pack of inexpensive white t-shirts so you have a low-cost change of shirts that can easily be turned into a rag if the event and your shirt get too messy.

• Reward Yourself for Summer Travel: You should be rewarded for your summer travel. However, you aren’t a magician, so avoid the smoke and mirrors and don’t fall for points-based rewards programs that create an illusion of loyalty. Points programs often require complicated redemptions and limited ways to collect. A simpler way to save is participating in rewards programs that offer cash back and automatic discounts that consistently put money back in your wallet. For travelers hitting the road this summer, BP’s refreshed Driver Rewards program gives drivers three choices for saving – for every $100 they spend, they can earn .25 cents per gallon on future fill-ups. Plus, BP allows participants to enter their phone number at the pump to make earning and redeeming rewards easy.

• Live Like Locals: Skip the touristy restaurants on the main drag and look for the diners and dives that locals prefer for a real taste of the area. Make a point to find out what the locals do for fun at night. Expand the activities you can choose from by inserting yourself in the action for memorable experiences that you can boast about for years to come.

• Avoid Letting Money Melt Away: During hot summer days, purchasing multiple bags of ice can melt your money away. Plus, why waste time on extra store trips? Avoid the mess by adding salt to ice water. Doing so will decrease the melting rate of your ice, making it a great way for keeping things cooler longer during road trips or outings. For the more adventurous, consider using dry ice to keep food and drinks dry and cold for long periods of time.

• Eliminate Bugs, Not Cash: Planning a picnic or barbeque at the park or in your backyard? Rather than buying costly bug sprays or insect repellant gadgets, mix water and soap in a spray bottle and spritz it on a picnic table and clothes to help keep bees away.

There’s no vacation experience quite like a road trip. Pack your bags (lightly so there’s room for plenty of souvenirs), embrace the simplicity of a trip that sets your inner explorer free and put it in drive.

Note: All rewards are valid for a single use only, up to 20 gallons. Any unused rewards are forfeited. May not be valid with other offers. Rewards expire 365 days after the end of the month they are earned. Rewards are earned and redeemable at participating locations with operable transaction networks. Not valid where prohibited by law or in AL or CA. See our Terms and Conditions for further details and our Station Finder for participating locations at mybpstation.com.

Learn more at www.mybpstation.com.

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