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How to Save Money at Expensive Kids’ Events

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Recently, I took my 4-year old to see Disney on Ice. We had a fabulous time with just the girls. I invited a friend, and her two little girls. It was our first time to see a show like this, and we had a blast. There was one problem though. The souvenirs. Yikes! They were outrageously expensive! And, of course, my friend was going to buy her girls each a gift, so I knew I was going to have to get something for my daughter too. As she and I both tried to talk our girls into the least expensive … Continue reading →

How to Save on Summer Tickets

After I published my posts on How to Save Money at the Circus, a couple of people sent me messages asking if I had any tips for saving money on tickets at other summer attractions, such as amusement parks and summer concerts. Well, there is practically nothing that couldn’t benefit from a clever application of frugal strategies. When you are looking to purchase tickets for a big commercial event or location, such as an amusement park, renaissance faire, the zoo, summer music concert or even the movie theater, you’ll want to explore all sorts of ways to purchase tickets. Most … Continue reading →

Fun With the Kids

On the weekends, around our house we always try to do something fun. It usually involves packing up the car and heading out to somewhere out of the ordinary. We just moved to Central Florida, so you can imagine the stuff there is to do around here. The problem is always, MONEY. How much can we spend this weekend and stay within the budget? Usually, it’s not very much so I search for fun stuff that is very inexpensive. The kids don’t care as long as they have fun. Museums are a fun way to stretch little ones minds and … Continue reading →

Don’t Eliminate the Entertainment Budget

Often, when times are economically tight, as they are now for most of us, the entertainment or fun budget is the first thing to go. Just because there is less money available, doesn’t mean that there has to be less fun. Do Put Something in the Budget for Entertainment Designate some amount for family fun, even if it is only limited to $20 a month or even less. Budgeting for entertainment sends the message that family fun is important, even when it isn’t expensive. If you create a zero-based family fun budget you may wind up indulging anyway, and blowing … Continue reading →

Five Free Fun Ideas Your Family Probably Isn’t Doing

By now you know how to save money on family fun, but are you really taking advantage of all of the fun family free stuff that is out there? There are plenty of things to do, to see and to learn that can be geared toward the different talents and interests of yourself, your kids and the family as a whole. If your family isn’t doing them, you could be losing out on a lot of free fun. 1. Join free classes and clubs. There are a number of free classes and clubs out there, just waiting for someone to … Continue reading →

Unconventional On-the-Road Eats

Don’t spend a fortune eating out on the road. Try these unconventional ways to eat while you are away from home and save your cash for bigger and better things. Main Course Only Pack your own selection of appealing side dishes and ad ons, such as apples, cut carrots, applesauce packs, yogurt tubes, pasta salad, cookies and brownies, grapes, bottled water, etc. Then when you are on the road, pick up main course items only. You’ll avoid spending money on the french fries, the super-sized drinks, the shakes and other extra items. To be really frugal, order a bulk entry, … Continue reading →

Frugal and Fun Fourth

Celebrating the Fourth of July can be both fun and frugal. Forgo the expensive shows and events and focus on those activities that could be had cheaply. Take Advantage of Freebies Many local and chain businesses are giving away free items to celebrate our Independence Day. You can take advantage of this to score some great freebies, from sanwiches, to cake to ice cream. Keep our eyes and ears open for these opportunities. Here is one to get you started. On July 4, 2012, Starbucks is giving away coffee. Make a New Tradition You can choose to save money by … Continue reading →

Get Ready for Kindergarten

Now, that my daughter is in preschool, kindergarten seems years away. But, in reality, it is only a few months down the road. This will be my first child entering Kindergarten, so I didn’t know much about the process of getting her enrolled for school. After talking to a friend yesterday, I had a little panic session. I live in an open-enrollment school district, meaning that I can apply to enroll her into any kindergarten classroom in the school district. Preferential treatment is always given to people living within a school’s boundaries, but it does leave some room for some … Continue reading →

Teach Your Preschooler What Foods are Healthy

This week in school, my daughter is learning all about being healthy. She got a healthy snack at school of carrots and apples. She came home with an adorable picture of a girl sneezing with a tissue between her face and hand. The picture said “Cover your mouth when you sneeze. Please.” They also learned about germs. Last night at dinner, my husband was talking to our daughter about food. He is a health nut and a preventive medicine Physician Assistant. He spends his days talking about how to eat healthy, exercise, etc. etc. He was teaching her about what … Continue reading →

Excuses For Not Using Coupons

You’ve heard the excuses to keep spending more money than you need to. You know which excuses I’m talking about. The “I don’t have time to clip coupons” excuse. (It might interfere with watching tv). Then there’s the “coupons are no good anyway, the food is all processed and unhealthy” excuse. Apparently those folks have never heard of Mambo Sprouts, or the great deals you can get in store on meat, produce and dairy when you shop carefully. There’s the “you can’t really save money because those products are always more expensive” excuse. The “I only see coupons for things … Continue reading →