Tag Archives: great deals for family fun

5 Ways to Spend Less on Halloween

The cute costumes, the Martha Stewart decorations, the bags and bags of candy…the cost of it adds up. Just like the dark monster in the corner, you are afraid to take a good look at how much your are actually spending. Halloween has certainly become a big holiday. In fact, according to the National Retail Federation, Americans spent more than $8 billion last year celebrating. Eight billion! Seriously. It doesn’t have to be that way. Instead, brandish your own bag of tricks to spend less this Halloween. You’ll be able to make it a magical holiday and leave the bills … Continue reading →

Netflix or Amazon Prime: Which is More Cost Effective?

When you want to get your entertainment on, you might choose a streaming service. After all, most of us do, and the cost of these services can be much lower than paying for premium cable channels or paying for cable at all. There are two such services that are dominating the market right now: Netflix and Amazon Prime. Both, for a fee, will allow you to stream movies and television shows to your computer, streaming device, tablet or smartphone. Which of these services is the right one for your family? Well, of course it depends. Let us take a look … Continue reading →

Nine Fun (and Free) Ways to Have Fun This Summer

Have fun with the family this summer without forking over a dime. There is a whole world of entertainment out there that you can get for free. All it takes is knowing where to find it. Library programs. Sure, you can take out books, movies and CDS, but did you know that you may also be able to take a free painting class, dig for fossils, learn how to play chess, make a kite, create an animated short, make a puppet, do science experiments, watch a magician and more? Libraries are getting very creative with their free programs, especially in … Continue reading →

Pay for Your Vacation in Cash

There are many merits to paying for your vacation in cash. For one thing, you can have more fun, knowing that you won’t be faced with tough bills when you return home, knowing that everything is taken care of completely. After all, you go on vacation to relax and spend time with the ones you love, not get stressed over the cost of every meal or t-shirt, or being overly focused on getting your money’s worth out of the trip. Paying in cash for your vacation may also have other benefits beside the mental and emotional ones. There can be … Continue reading →

Summer Vacation Savings

Spend less this year on your summer vacation, no matter where you plan to go! Compare Rates There is more than one way to go on vacation, so make sure that you do your research before booking anything. Compare costs for both packaged deals and separate travel and accommodations. The only way to know if you are getting a good deal is to compare it to other offers out there. Sometimes you can save quite a bit of money just by choosing to start your vacation on a certain day of the week. While this may not make much difference … Continue reading →

Low-Cost Ways to Do Good This Summer

Doing good for others can be a worthwhile experience for the whole family, not to mention a lot of fun. This summer, why not think about ways that you can lend a hand. There are plenty of different things to do that will give back to the community, and many of them involve the outdoors. That is a great deal for family fun, all while you bless others at the same time. It is a fallacy that you must have a lot of money or offer monetary charitable contributions in order to make a difference in someone’s life. Try one … Continue reading →

Four Free Things to Do This Summer

Summer is coming! Families all over are starting to plan their recreation for the warmest season. Fit in more fun this summer when you include plenty of free activities that won’t affect your family finances. Keeping the kids busy has never been easier or cheaper. Make sure to do your research early, as some of these free events require registration and can fill up quickly. Free Factory Tours All around the country you’ll find free factory tours. Witness the making or potato chip or chocolate or find out how jelly beans are formed. Sniff perfume before it is bottled or … Continue reading →

Camping the Frugal Way!

Family bonding! Fresh air! Life skills! Fun! No matter why you camp, there is no doubt that you ultimately do it because it is a great activity for your family. And while the expense might be worth the experience, that doesn’t mean that you have to spend more  money than is necessary. Camping can be expensive or inexpensive. It all depends on how you approach it. Here are some tips on how you can cut down the costs on your great escape. Go Car Camping What is car camping? Basically, you drive to the campsite and park your car and … Continue reading →

Fun Factory Tours by State

From meeting musk ox to sampling your favorite chocolate or jelly beans, factory tours can be a frugal way to fit in some extra activities this summer. Both fun and educational, their low-cost (in many cases, these factory tours are free!) makes them ideal for keeping the kids busy without negatively affecting your family finances. Here are some of the best and most interesting factory tours that are available across the country. Visit factorytourusa.com for additional available tours. Alabama Blue Bell Creameries “Folks of all ages seem to like our plant tour, but it may be ’cause they get to … Continue reading →

Four Steps to Affording a Family Vacation

Affording a great family vacation may not be as far off as you think! Use the following four steps and start saving now. Here is how. Estimate Your Vacation Costs Take the time to sit down and do some research to determine exactly how much your family vacation is going to cost. Include air fare or travel expenses, lodging, food, souvenirs or other additional purchases, and tips. You can an idea of your travel costs by visiting travel websites, asking friends and family who have taken similar vacations, or calling a travel agent. Don’t forget to keep in mind your … Continue reading →