As the saying goes, “Necessity is the mother of invention” and if I’ve learned anything from experiencing financial hardships, it’s that money sometimes creates more options, but the lack of it doesn’t need to stop you from enjoying fun activities with your family. Perhaps limited funds will necessitate more creative planning, but with some effort and a willingness to be flexible, it’s actually quite possible to experience outings, events and even vacations with your family without spending much money at all.
Time Share Tours
You’ve seen the mailers. They’ve probably gone directly into your “file cabinet”. Those elaborate sales pitches for the luxurious townhouses or exotic resorts that you know you’ll never visit are quite ubiquitous. Even if you’ve never gotten one by mail or email, you’re no doubt familiar with the routine – come see our lovely property and we’ll give you a prize just for coming to check it out and giving us your opinion. The only problem is that, of course, they don’t just want your opinion…they want your money. Now, you may be wondering why I’m talking about junk mail in an article about family fun on a budget. Well, I know you may not be interested in the previously mentioned kind of sales offers, but you may be interested in free Disneyland tickets or having your hotel room paid for while on vacation.
Ah yes, my family and I have gotten free tickets to Disneyland, a hotel room in Las Vegas and tickets to see a Broadway show along with dinner at a fancy Manhattan restaurant. Clearly you don’t get these perks for nothing, entirely. On all occasions, we had to attend a sales presentation in which we were given information about a time-share (or vacation rental) property.
In general, these kinds of presentations last for about an hour and a half and are often quite entertaining and interesting. After it’s over, you’re free to leave without any obligation to buy anything. Now I’m not advocating that you attend these events if you’re not somewhat interested in the location, since that is after all what they’re selling. But if you’re planning on a vacation to a certain location anyway or if you’re interested in finding out more about an area, why not Google “time-share” tours for that location and see if you can sign up for one that coincides with dates that you’d like to travel there? It worked out quite well for my family in all three of the above-mentioned circumstances and we had great experiences that we normally wouldn’t have had without spending extra money.
Volunteering
Luckily both my husband and I have always agreed upon the importance of instilling in our kids a sense of responsibility towards helping out in their community. We regularly volunteer at various local organizations such as food banks or convalescent homes. We’ve done arts and crafts with Senior Citizens, handed out sandwiches to the homeless and raised money for pet rescuers by selling lemonade in front of a local pet store. Especially for small children, volunteering it’s a great way to spend quality time with them and boost their confidence. They get a thrill because they immediately see they can do something that has the power to make someone smile or help people feel better in some way.
The Library
Sure, the local library in your town is a great place to borrow books or rent movies for free, but have you ever looked at their events calendar? I know that I didn’t until I had kids. Once I did, though, I was pleasantly surprised to find tons of events and activities that could keep me and my kids busy all month. From kid story-times to jugglers, magicians, petting zoos and even a pajama party, there’s bound to be something to keep kids of any age entertained – all for free!
GoCityKids
GoCityKids.com (Now ParentsConnect.com) has been a life-saver for me. From the time my kids were old enough to crawl, I have faithfully checked their website on a weekly basis for things to do in my neighborhood and beyond. They have a HUGE database of activities that are local to more than 50 cities around the U.S. Some of the events cost money but there are many free and low-cost listings to choose from as well. So if you’re short on time and are looking for a one-stop shop to plan weekend activities, this is it.
Mommy and Me Movies
One of the things I miss about “pre-kid” days is being able to go to the movies whenever I want to. To see grown-up movies. These days, of course, my DVD cabinet and my outings to the theater are dominated by animated selections (usually with talking animals in it). Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed some of the especially clever kid fare out there (Ratatouille being my favorite), but sometimes it’s nice to relax with a flick that has a little bit more of a mature theme. Luckily, most of the large movie chains understand this desire and have come up with Mommy (or Daddy) Movies in which the theater offers grown-up movie selections on a specific day in the week, during the day, where the lights are kept dim, but not turned off. This allows parents to facilitate diaper changes and keep a watchful eye on small toddlers who are crawling around nearby. They even offer kid-friendly snacks and toys to help keep the kiddos occupied while you enjoy an “adult” movie. Clearly this type of set-up is only appropriate for parents with kids up to around 2 years old, so this option is no longer open to me, but I’ll tell you what – it was sure good while it lasted!
Tisha Berg’s Blog, Biz Mommy, offers tools, education and money-making advice for new bloggers and aspiring online business owners. She also writes about living a minimalist lifestyle on her blog, What Matters Right Now. In addition to maintaining her own sites, Tisha also sometimes blogs for Working Mother Magazine and writes a home-based business column for The Los Angeles Examiner. You can connect with Tisha on Twitter @TishaBerg and get regular listings of work-from-home job opportunities via her Facebook Group, The Biz Mommy Work From Home Job Board.
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Hi Tisha! Thanks for this – even though I am an Auntie and not a Mommy, these are great ideas for the Cool Uncle and Fun Auntie, too. And I’m going to forward it to my sister-in-law!
Great ideas, Tisha.