The Best Things in Life Are Free
This afternoon, my husband, daughter, best friend and
I went to a baby dance party hosted by a club in our town. Tickets
were not inexpensive ($12 per person/non walkers were free) but we
thought it might be a fun event for our daughter and a good chance to
get to know people in our community. It was not. Maggie clung to my
legs in horror at the blaring music and flashing lights while cliques
of parents swarmed around us, their children running here there and
everywhere. Never a big dancer in my heyday, I stuck to the sidelines
and we all left after an hour, $36 dollars poorer and a bad taste in
all of our mouths. You live you learn, right? Well... no, not
really. It seems like the biggest money waster in our family is
"instant entertainment": the $20 or $30 we flush down the toilet every
weekend when we run out of ideas and end up hitting the mall, a
restaurant... or yes, a baby disco. So I've been brainstorming to try
and figure out ways not to just "pass the time" but to have memorable
weekends without having to cash in.
* Invest in yourselves: If your child is old enough,
why not enjoy the waning days of summer and have a lemonade, homemade
cookie, iced tea, etc. sale? This is also a great opportunity to teach
your children about business models. Let them "invest" in themselves
and purchase raw supplies, set prices, and see what you end up with!
At the very least, this is an all day activity that brings the whole
family together, and you might make a couple extra bucks!
* Rediscovery day: My daughter has so many toys that
old favorites sometimes cycle their way to the back. I love to dig out
friends we haven't seen in a few months (or years, depending on the age
of your child) and see what new activities we can enjoy with them.
This is a hint I remember from baby-sitting and it works wonders, even
with my toddler.
* Revive your patriotism: (Almost?) every community
in America has soldiers defending our country overseas and they need
our support! Why not have your artistic minded children create a care
package with heart felt letters of thanks and colorful pictures. With
a little research, you should be able to find a local man or woman from
your area who would love to feel the support of home! This also will
teach your children the importance of giving back in their community.
* Hit the Net: If you're reading this, you have access
to the Internet and access to all sorts of information on free (or low
cost), local activities for you and your family to enjoy. I like to
Google my towns name with, kid's activities, cheap and see what comes
up. We've hit farmer's markets with free petting zoos, learned about
low cost days at children's museums, and are planning on hitting the
hayride/farm stand circuit soon from this resource.
* Go 'sailing: Garage sale-ing, of course! Give each
family member a crisp $5 bill and see who can make the best find at a
local garage sale. We're being inundated with ads for all sorts of
sales this weekend (actually, I'm almost sleepless over a sale I've
seen advertised for next weekend. I can't wait!!!) If you only bring
the amount of money you're going to spend, that makes it VERY easy to
stick to your budget. OR you could plan your own garage sale.
Although we live in an apartment, I am drooling over using a friend's
front lawn to get rid of all of our excess clothes, toys, books,
DVDs... (we haven't always been frugal... sigh). The money will go
straight into savings and I will finally be able to see the floor in
some of my closets! Actually, are there any readers in the New York
Metro area who have a lawn to lend ;)!
What are your tips for keeping weekend spending under control? I'd love to hear your hints!
