Top 3 Ways to Entertain Your Family on a Budget

As companies continue to tighten the belt and the average raise can't compete with the cost of living increases, it becomes more difficult to afford the extras that we have been giving or would like to give our kids. My kids in particular have become accustomed to manufactured entertainment. We always seem to be going somewhere or doing something and I find myself looking for ways to continue to please them without disappointing them, right or wrong. As gas prices continue to rise and the increase in our incomes become non-existent I've found some ways to lower our overall entertainment budget without feeling like we're giving anything up.

1. Auto-Draft. My husband and I get paid every 2 weeks. One of those weeks seems to have a little less "bills" to deal with and money is a little bit freer. We've set up an auto-draft into a "fun" account (just an extra savings account) for $100. This allows us during the summer months when we are super busy with baseball and a lot more outdoor activities that don't really "cost" us anything to be saving for 3-4 months so we actually have this fun money for when the weather is bad and we need to "manufacture" entertainment like an indoor amusement park, movies, etc. This way we don't charge up credit cards in lieu of keeping the kids busy and we can plan ahead for events or pay in advance for tickets without feeling squeezed.

2. Groupon. There are a lot of new social sites such as Groupon , Living Social , etc. that cater to companies and events in your area for up to 80% off the retail prices they charge. They send daily emails so of deals so that you can purchase them up front and many of them don't expire for up to 1 year. Make sure you read the fine print on some of the deals so you don't miss an expiration date or an exception (i.e. no kids allowed). I was able to provide a sailboat cruise for two for my husband and I for his birthday for 60% off and give him an unusual gift that gave us some much needed couple time as well.

3. Do Your Research. There are lots of establishments that have a Happy Hour, a discount night for families, or even an all you can eat night. Our bowling alley has a $3 Tuesday Night where all games are $3 each and all you can eat tacos are $3. This is the perfect opportunity to basically take the family and a friend for my oldest bowling with dinner for less than $50.

With just a little planning you can find ways to continue to live a rock and roll lifestyle without the price tag.