It’s possible to create memories with the kids without breaking the bank. Follow these frugal living tips to stretch your pennies and save your dollars!
Save on Dinning Out. With the rise of the web and daily deal sites, it is silly to spend full price on any meal. Subscribe to your favorite entertainment discount sites. This can include Restaurant.com, Groupon, Living Social, Eversave and more. Restaurant.com sometimes has a $25 certificate for as low as $2! Most of these sites require you to sign up for certain areas, so sign up for your local hometown. Don’t forget, as well, to sign up for emails of cities where you have trips planned. You can always cancel these emails after your travel.
Social Media. Educate yourself with Social Media. Do you have a Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram account? Follow all stores, restaurants, theme parks and city pages in your area. For example, follow restaurants in your town on Facebook. Special announcements and coupons might just show up in your newsstream! Print the coupons or share them on your mobile device when you visit. This also keeps you aware of any happenings with the restaurant like deals or special promotions. Pay attention to Kids Eat FREE Nights! Most restaurants tend to keep these on the same night each week!
Find FREE Offers in Your Area. Many cities have details about special events and concerts. This could be listed in a local newspaper, in an area magazine or also on a website. A simple Google search should help. Check out your city’s tourism website for FREE entertainment events in your area! A lot of these special celebrations are FREE and already paid for by your tax dollars. If your state or city has a large Sports Team, consider getting season tickets and selling them for dates you can’t go or consider attending amateur sporting events.
Grab a Museum Membership. Educate your children on something more than basic reading, writing and arithmetic. Check out exhibits for historical, scientific, artistic, or cultural interests. Many museums rotate their exhibits allowing you to experience something new and different with each visit. Not really into art or history, that’s okay! Many museums have special events that center around the time of the year. For example, our local Natural History Museum has a Halloween Howl for a time of Trick-or-Treating, Face-Painting and Spooky Trails. Sometimes these memberships also give you discounts to hosting your child’s birthday party!
Save for a Rainy Day. It doesn’t have to be raining outside for you to use your “rainy day” funds. Save, save, save. Either have a dedicated entertainment account or be responsible enough to drop loose change and cash into a jar. Create a family goal that everyone wants to enjoy – like a day to the local theme park. If everyone is excited about the family outing, then everyone is more likely to contribute to the savings. If you get rebates or gift cards, stockpile on these. They do not have to be used right away and having any form of available cash when traveling or creating the ultimate stay-cation will be appreciated.
Bring the Fun Home. Family Fun Night can be just for your small family or invite others over for a theme partu. Gather friends together for a potluck dinner. With every family bringing a portion of the meal, your savings will huge compared to trying to feed a family in a restaurant. Stay on a schedule and rotate from house to house each month. One family can host a Mexican Night, while another family hosts Italian. Expand on the fun by incorporating a fitting movie to the theme or by also tying in game night. Board games are cheap and reusable.
Most importantly, remember family night out is about connecting as family and creating an event that cannot be lost from one’s recollection. Memories are priceless and cannot be discounted. Sometimes the cheapest and simplest activities can create the biggest and longest-lasting impression!
Leave a Reply