My kids love to go out and have fun. We enjoy watching movies, riding go-karts, and eating at restaurants. But if you’re not careful, these activities can really add up. Here are some of my best tips to save money and still have fun!
Sign Up For Local Mall and Community Emails
Local malls and communities often send out emails announcing sales, free events, and even coupons. If you’re willing to filter through occasional junk mail, you might end up with great deals!
Our local mall had a month-long coupon special for a variety of shops. We got half-off go-kart rides, BOGO bubble tea, and free lemonade. It made for a nice mall outing for half the price.
Check For Discount Days
Most businesses have slow days during the week and to draw in more customers, they offer discounted rates.
Our local movie theatre offers $7 movies on Tuesdays all year.
Regal Theaters offers $2 movie matinees during the summer on older movies. It’s a great deal when you just want to get out of the heat and experience the theatre but don’t care about the newest hits.
A variety of national chain restaurants offer Kids Eat Free Days along with local places. Mr. Bean’s coworker has 5 kids, they only ever went out to eat on Tuesdays growing up because Kids Eat Free!
Make sure to check your local businesses for discounted days and take advantage of the lower costs.
Pay Attention to the Things Your Kids Bring Home From School
Kids bring home a lot of junk from school. Most of it is overpriced fundraisers but sometimes, you hit the money-saving jackpot!
Our fire department sends home Fire Safety magazines every year. Not only are there puzzles and escape plans but there are great coupons!
During spring break, my friend and I grabbed our firefighter booklets and took 5 kids on an almost free day. We rode drift cars (normally $40 per kid), got Jamba Juice ($5 per kid), ate Pizza Hut breadsticks ($6 per kid), and finished off Taco Bell cinnamon twists ($1 per kid). Thanks to those coupons, we both spent only $25 for a grand total of $50 for a wonderful day out.
So keep an eye out in your kid’s home folder, sometimes there’s actually important stuff. 😉
Does an Annual Pass Make Sense?
If you’ve got a favorite place to visit, see if it makes sense to purchase an annual pass. Annual passes might seem like a huge cost upfront, but for many families, if you visit just a few times a year, an annual pass can save you a ton of money!
Museums
Our kids used to love visiting the local children’s museum when they were smaller, but at $10 per person, we could only visit a few times a year. Far less than they wanted to. A family pass was $225. It seemed like a huge chunk of money for a newly single-income family but when I did the math and broke it down, it made way more sense!
We could go every week, bringing our total visit cost from $30 to under $5. Plus we got special perks like free parking and event invites. And boy did we take advantage of that pass, sometimes going more than once a week!
Association on Science and Technology Centers
There is even a great worldwide membership to ASTC (Association of Science and Technology Centers). If you and your family love visiting hands-on museums it can be a great opportunity. By simply getting a membership at any participating center, you can often get free admission to other participating centers outside of a 60-mile radius. It’s great for traveling!
Theme Parks
If you live near a theme park, it might make more sense to get an annual pass than pay every visit. Even for our vacation, we found out it made a lot more sense to purchase annual passes during a Black Friday sale than to pay for three-day passes. For less than the cost of two-day passes, we were able to get annual passes. They not only get us in the park but also offer free parking and discounts on food and merchandise.
Do the math and see if an annual pass makes sense for you.
Always Check Groupon
Groupon, and similar sites, are a great way to save money on fun. Any time we want to try someplace new, I check Groupon.
During our last mainland trip, 4 out of the 5 activities my kids wanted to do were half-off on Groupon. We got half-off trampoline parks, a drive-thru safari, restaurants, and even Great Wolf Lodge.
Whether at home or on vacation, I always check Groupon.
Does Your City Offer Entertainment Books?
The older brother of Groupon is The Entertainment Book. This coupon book that many families might remember from years ago is now an app! Entertainment contains a ton of coupons for entertainment venues and restaurants. Some coupons are even for free products.
If you’re looking for a fun way to find new places in a town, sign up for Entertainment.
Take Advantage of Free Trials
My son loves his jiu-jitsu and gymnastics classes at home. Sometimes, when we go on vacation, he really misses the opportunity to “choke kids out” or “flip on a trampoline.” With a simple phone call, I am often able to get my kiddos into free trials at the local gyms, or a discounted week’s pass.
My kids get to “get their choke on” and learn from a new instructor while showing off some moves at the local gym. I get to save some money and give a big shout-out to awesome gyms on review sites. Win-win!
Join a Co-op or Meet-Up Group
Whatever you like to do, most likely, there are other people in your town who like to do it too.
Join a group, or create your own, and do your thing together!
Different members can take turns organizing events, sharing materials, or just providing comradery.
Go hiking, drink wine and paint a Bob Ross video, or find someone with a big property and throw axes together. Whatever! Do it together, save money, and have fun!
Stay Home and Make Your Own Fun
Anytime I ask Mr. Bean what he wants to do, the answer is “stay home.” In reality, as much fun as the kids and I may have out of the house, we have just as much fun staying home.
Want a movie night? Make some popcorn, get the good candy, grab the cozy blankets, and cuddle up.
Craving ice cream? Get your favorite flavor, chop up some bananas or grab the cones, and get ALL the toppings. Invite some friends over and turn it into an ice cream party.
Have a game night. Build an obstacle course in the backyard. Have a dessert potluck. There are so many fun things you can do at home without spending money. Just add some special touches and a typical day at home can become amazing.
Save Money and Have Fun Wrap-Up
Having fun is what makes life worth living. Whether you’re a pair of DINKS (Dual Income, No Kids), a family of 7, or somewhere in-between, it’s always fun to save money while doing things you enjoy.
By simply being observant, keeping an eye out for deals, and thinking creatively, you can save money AND have fun!
What do you think? What are some of your favorite ways to have fun? How do you fit your favorite ways to have fun into your budget?
Leave a comment below.
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