Family Night on a Budget!
When you and your family are on a tight budget, sometimes one of the first things to be cut out is money for entertainment.
When our 3 children were small, my husband and I always tried to find fun things to do as a family that didn't make a huge dent in our budget.
One thing we recommend is setting aside one night a week for "Family Fun Night". Turn off the TV and the phone and do something together. It doesn't have to be an expensive outing, but do plan ahead and let the children have some input into your plan.
Here are some ideas for 'family fun on a budget'.
1. Take a walk through your neighborhood. Say hello to everyone you meet, whether you know them or not. Point out to your children some of the beautiful things in nature, maybe the beautiful sunset, someone's pretty flowers, the clouds in the sky.
Teaching them to enjoy and appreciate simple things is one of the greatest gifts you can give to your children. When you arrive back home, treat yourselves to homemade ice cream sundaes!
2. A great source of cheap entertainment is your public library. At our library, we can check out family videos and jigsaw puzzles as well as books. Check out a video the whole family can enjoy and pop some popcorn (maybe the old-fashioned way-- some children don't even know there's any other kind but microwave popcorn!)
3. Have a family picnic in the park. Let the kids help prepare the food--make sandwiches, pack an ice chest, make cookies for dessert. The town we lived in when our children were small, had a nice park with lots of playground equipment. It was a real treat for them.
4. During the school year, we took advantage of entertainment the school had to offer. For example, a couple of times a year, the high school band has a free band concert. The Christmas concert was always our favorite. Some schools have drama clubs that offer plays from time to time. If you live in a college town, you will have access to even more opportunity for free or low-cost concerts and plays.
5. In the summer, set aside one night to make home- made ice cream. Invite grandparents to come over and talk about the "old days". Maybe you would even like to go so far as to make the ice cream with a hand cranked freezer. If your parents don't live close, think about inviting an older couple or person from your neighborhood. They will enjoy it and so will your children!
6. During the winter months, when it's impossible to get outdoors, make some hot chocolate and read aloud a classic book, in installments. Research shows that children who are read to from an early age, are better readers themselves.
I'm sure you get the idea by now. What you do on family night may not be as important as just doing it! Keep it simple and fun!
--Good character, like good soup, is usually homemade!
Cyndi Roberts' website, "1 Frugal Friend 2 Another" will show you ways to save money everyday. Receive a Free e-course on saving money at the supermarket! To learn more, visit http://www.cynroberts.com
written by: Cyndi Roberts
Other Related Budgeting Articles:
How often do we look round our homes and think, "I wish I could spruce things up a bit ... if I only had the money"? Well, brightening up a home certainly doesn’t have to break the bank. Follow my tips on how to give your home a lift without...
Home offices are all the rage right now. Some individuals choose to work from home to be closer to their families, while others set up a home office to keep up if they are ill or unable to come into the office. Whatever the reason, you will need a...
If you only had $300 a month to spend on groceries for a family of four, could you do it? What sort of food would make the list and what would stay tauntingly on the store's shelves? Whatever your reason for having a tight budget, the truth...
Getting a kitchen remake can be tough on your bank account, but there are some ways that you can give your kitchen a whole new look even if you are on a tight budget. These 5 decorating tips won’t break the bank but will have a lot of impact on the...
Right now one of the most popular shows on television is, “Trading Spaces.” If you haven’t gotten an opportunity to watch this show, the object of the game is to decorate one room in someone else’s house with a budget of a $1,000. The decorator’s...
Grocery shopping is one of the first places you can learn how to be frugal. I am amazed when I go to the grocery store how many times people are spending so much more money than myself and getting half the amount of stuff I have within my cart....
What childhood memories do you hold dear? For me, it was all the times "life happened". The little things like playing outside, riding my bike, playing at the park, swimming in the lakes, laughing with friends. None of those moments cost a cent,...
Read the Latest on the Not Made Of Money Blog :
Resource Center
Submit your topic related site and we'll
review it for our Partner Sites where we
provide link exchange information.
Tour our site using the Site Map. We respect your privacy - see our terms for more info.