Family Fun On a Budget
If you are anything like me, especially as a mother of a family of 6, you have a budget. You pinch where you can, and try to provide more value for your money; whether it be in food, necessities, items for your home, or fun times together. I grew up far from privileged, and for many of my mom years, we struggled immensely. So, I am wired to save where and when I can.
That being said, we have no lack of fun these days. There are so many things we can do as a family, even when we do not have the funds to do something extravagant. I'm going to share with you just some of the many ways WE have fun, without breaking the bank.
Walking
We love going to places where we can walk, or explore, as a family. We live in a small private community where walking is safe for our children. Our neighbors all know us and look out for us as well. But, sometimes its nice to get out of the usual.
When you think of walking, you think of walking around the block or walking to the park. But there's so many other places you can get that exercise and bonding as well. We live not far from Valley Forge National Historic Park, and only a couple hours from Gettysburg; two of our favorite large parks to walk and picnic at.
Ever think of going to the mall just to walk? It's a thing. I didn't like the idea of bringing the children to the mall when we couldn't afford to buy them anything. But, we could have lunch there, or treat ourselves to some iced cream at the end of our trip. Window shopping and asking what they want for Christmas and their birthdays is always fun.
We also live near outlets, which is pretty, much a mall outside, where the kids love to go. Walk around and browse, take laps. There's even a small playground at one of the crossovers. Use your imagination, research places in your area where you can both exercise and explore different atmospheres with your family.
Car Wash
This one might sound silly! My husband is really big on keeping our car clean and fresh. It's so much cheaper to get a monthly unlimited wash pass. And since we already do this, most of the time we make sure we go when we have all the children home. They love it! They laugh, they call the long rags spaghetti!! Again, use your imagination!!!! :-)
The Library
Did you know that a library card is free for your whole family? And as a member of your local library, there are a lot of free and low cost events that you also have access to. Libraries are a fun way to help your children learn and grow. They often have a small play area for littles with things like puzzles, and computers with educational activities on them. Not to mention, who doesn't just love reading? That's one of the BEST ways to bond with your children.
Check your local libraries website, or pop in and ask about events they have coming up. Ours has baby and me time, preschoolers story time, Lego play days, summer reading program with incentives; they even had a free anatomy science camp that my oldest attended when she was in 2nd grade. She loved it!
Museums
Not all museums cost money. There are many inexpensive and free museums, probably not far from you. There are even many that offer families on welfare admission for as low as $2. So, if you are in the boat we've been in before, that is always a relief that you no longer have to miss out on things like this.
These are just some of the many things that come to mind. No matter where you are from, I promise you, if you do your research, you can find some awesome ways to spend quality time with your family without having to stay home because you think you don't have the money. In the above picture, we visited Cabela's, one of our favorite outings. They have a lot of attractions in there that are free to look at. They have a cute fudge shop, restaurant too. The kids love to look at the animal displays and take pictures with them. And no matter how many times we go, the little ones ALWAYS ask us to read what EVERY animal is, and there are hundreds lol <3
So don't think about it too hard. Do your research and do what works for you and your family. And never put a price on your time with your family. It is indeed priceless!
