An article in Old Fashioned Homemaking made me think of outdoor living spaces. 

Most people have a room in their house that is really a "living" room where so much of life happens. Do you create a space outside where you or your family spends a lot of time?

Was it frugal to put together?

I do!

I have a porch on the east side of my trailer that is wonderful in good weather.  It cost nothing to set up a "living space".

I have a few chairs.  At first it was a set of lawn furniture that my landlords left me.  As that collapsed, I put out my camping chairs for seating.  It makes for a nice place to read while dinner cooks in good weather.   Or just sit and enjoy the views and the antics of our local characters.

In warm weather I often cook dinner on what I call my "summer kitchen"...a really sturdy computer desk and hutch that a library was getting rid of.  I run an outdoor rated dropcord from the outside outlet to that and can use a rice cooker or george forman grill to heat something up.  Due to strong winds, many stray animals and some neighborhood riffraff, I only cook out there when I can actually sit and read or talk on the phone while it's cooking.  My phone jack is just inside the door so I do sometimes sit out there while cooking and talk on the phone.

When I'm not cooking on the desk, I put newspaper on it and use it for my potting bench.  I may move it where I can put a solar cooker on it this summer.

I got my corner of the yard with sun and shade and a old lawn chair a place to watch the wennies run around the yard and I get to spy on the niegborhood.

Youngest daughter's new boyfriend has 3 kids, she has 2 & my granddaughter - lots of kids on the weekend so we needed lots more seating at meals.  We cleaned of the back porch, set up a long table with a vinal red & white checked tablecloth (table, tablecloth & clamps to hold cloth down are used when I set up at farmer's market) and lawn chairs made a nice dining area.  Best part?  No cost & it saves what little sanity I have left.  Oh, the added bonus, the dogs will gladly clean the floor as needed or I can hose it off!

we have two patios one cement and one brick.  try to set up the brick one as adults with the patio set but of course kids stuff overruns it :)  the cement one connects with the walkway from the garage.side of house/kitchen door/front yard and basement door.  so more traffic and that is where the bbq is.  set up a little table for the kids.

We have a small cement patio right out the back door from the garage. 

The furnishings cost practically nothing.On it there is a covered porch swing ( gift from in-laws), a small white wooden table (thift store find hand-me-up from oldest DD when she was cleaning out - I painted it white), & the grill we inherited from DH's grandparents.  There is also a small box-type storage seat I bought on clearance from Kmart that holds a bunch of lawn toys, etc for the grandkids.  We have 4 small resin chairs, bought at yard sales, stacked by the swing for when the grandkids visit, but they prefer the swing.

The "patio" is in the shade by early afternoon, so it is a nice place when the heat of the summer is upon us, & the canyon breeze blows right through our back yard, which is another plus, unless you are trying to BBQ!

Several years ago DH covered over and screened in our mostly unused back deck.  We LOVE our screened in porch and use it as much as we can.  We have several chairs, a table with 4 chairs. On another section that is covered, but not screened, we have our grill.  We eat out there as often as we can once the weather gets nice. It is where we gather to talk, eat, read, relax, entertain our friends and maybe sneak in a little nap.  I have flower beds on three sides of the porch and we can enjoy the flowers, birds and especially the humming birds. 

Most of the furniture on the porch we either already had or I found on the side of the road.  Why people put out perfectly good, nice, metal yard chairs, that only need a new coat of paint for the trash is beyone me!

Our favorite outdoor space is a clearing in the trees out front. DH made a terraced floor of bark and last year made walls by stacking two cross-ties and topping with 2"x12" boards. The walls provide more seating and places for potted plants. The area is accesorized with bird feeders and wind chimes. There are a table with chairs and a settee with an improvised end table as furnishings. We often eat a meal out there or just relax in the evenings.  AM

Yes...

And it's my favorite place in the fall and spring-my own little world made up of;

A long covered patio (a must in Arizona)

A raised bed of flower's and veggies and herbs which goes the full width of the back yard

A large orange tree - planted in the center circle of blooming gardenias

A baja spa to relax in - patio table to sit and enjoy a glass of vino after work!

OK...I have now convinced myself to turn off my computer - and go relax :)

Deb in az

deblanc alot of people have the outdoor screen thing there I know Im there pretty much every year in quartside I quitt going there and go to flagstaff they got some nice calornia front room there the ourdoor thing like you described there my middle sister has that she lives back iin sadona area she has a quiet out screen thing and the out door porch area.