If you're like me, you probably recently arrived home from college, unpacked your belongings, sat down in your kitchen, and thought: What am I supposed to do now? The semester has ended and summer vacation has officially started. The bad news is that most students are pretty broke from the various expenses of the school year, and the checks from summer employment won't start rolling in for a few more weeks... However, the good news is that there's still some summer activities you can enjoy without putting too big of a dent in your pocket! Here are 15 fun ways to spend your vacation, all under $15 (please note, transportation costs are not included).

1. Go to the beach for a day – If you live within a couple hours of the Jersey Shore, you have a number of possible destinations. The beaches with free public access include Wildwood, Atlantic City, and Sea Isle City (though only Wednesdays in SIC), and most other beaches (including Ocean City, New Jersey) have daily tags for $5 a piece or weekly tags for $10.

2. Check out local concerts – If you live anywhere near Philadelphia, you have access to free concerts everywhere. Check out local bands playing at bars & coffee shops or hit up local radio station Radio 104.5's free concert series - tickets are 100% free and each show usually has four bands playing! The only cost to you is parking, and there are flat-rate parking lots all around the city usually for $15 or less.

3. Spend the day in South Philly – Once you pay to meter park (usually $2.50/hour) or find a flat rate lot, you can spend the day browsing the eclectic shops on South Street, buy cheap slices of pizza at Lorenzo & Sons, and enjoy free entertainment at Spruce Street Harbor Park (which boasts shuffleboard, hammocks, ping pong, beautiful lights at night, and more).

4. Get a cheap meal or drink in your city – Whatever city you live closest to, you can find an easy way to have a fun night. In Philly, parking is free on Wednesday nights after 5 p.m. in Center City. In Pittsburgh, parking is free all day on holidays, including Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day. Allentown has 5 different free parking lots in their downtown city center. All you need to do after parking is pay for your drinks!

5. Visit a state park – Pennsylvania has 121 state parks and conservation areas to visit, all of which are free! You can pack a picnic and take a hike, ride your bike, or bring your dog along for a walk... just make sure you check each park's rules and regulations. You can find a local park here.

6. Get a library membership – Now that your mind isn't occupied by school work and textbooks, you can take some time to read books you enjoy. Find a local library and get yourself a library card to rent books for free!

7. Paint something – Summer time is a great time to get creative without the pressures of school to distract you. You can pick up some acrylic paints ($1/each or less), a 10x10 canvas ($7.50), and a brush set ($4) all at your local Walmart.

8. Plant a garden – What better way to enjoy the warmer weather than to go outside and plant some flowers or herbs? Head to Home Depot or another outdoor store and pick up a bag of soil for $5, a few seed packets for about $2 per packet, and a few small clay pots for $1.50/each.

9. Buy a Netflix subscription - If you believe that summer is the time to turn into the couch potato you always dreamed of being, then make sure you have the right supplies! For $8.99 a month, you can get a Netflix streaming subscription, which will provide you will thousands of movies and TV shows on demand. As for those movies that Netflix doesn't have right away, head to a Redbox DVD vending machine, for brand new movies to rent as cheap as $1.29 a night.

10. Go to the movies – Movies don't have to cost you a ton of money, especially if you skip the 3D option! In some areas, Regal Cinemas offers tickets as low as $6.50 on special discount days, and most other theaters have matinee (daytime/afternoon) shows at a discounted rate – then you can splurge on the $6 popcorn and still stay under $15 total!

11. Have a bonfire & make s’mores – If you can find some supplies to start a fire, invite some friends over and make it a party! Head to Walmart or another local store and pick up a bag of marshmallows for $2, chocolate bars for $3, and graham crackers for $3. As for the sticks needed to cook the s'mores - just look around in your backyard!

12. Go to a local fair or festival – Many towns, churches, high schools, and communities have fairs or festivals throughout the summer. These can be great places to find low-cost, homemade items or foods! Find a local event here.

13. Go to a fireworks show – This is an easy one - you can find a free show pretty much anywhere around the time of the Fourth of July!

14. Host a BYOB gathering for friends – You don't have to spend money at the bar to have a good time with your friends! Instead, invite everyone to buy a cheap bottle of wine & a block of cheese to share, or a 6-pack & chips with dip, and have a new kind of potluck.

15. Get dessert for dinner – Go out to a nice restaurant with friends for a late-night snack. You’ll get all the fun of going out to eat, without the heavy price tag for a full meal!