This summer I am trying to be more flexible and spontaneous when it comes to our weekly outings. Mainly because Ben is finally at a good age where the whining is minimal (Praise the Lord!) and this will also be Emma’s last carefree summer because she plans on working next year. So I thought up a fun way to challenge myself to make the most out of our summer and stay frugal at the same time (college is not cheap) I decided to set aside $10 each week to spend on various outings and treats for my kids for the months of June and July. **I originally planned on sticking to free outings only, but my kids love slushies/pizza/etc. too much for that:)
I kickstarted the challenge off a little early this past week to see if it was really feasible to have a lot of fun on a wee bit of money…and surprisingly it was rather easy and painless.
Things we did:
Splash pad
We are blessed to live by two really nice splash pads that are both clean and well maintained. This past week, we met some friends at the Hartselle splash pad and let the kids get some wiggles out while staying nice and cool in the water. **We totally lucked out because it was the one day this week where the daily temperature stayed below 90 degrees
Total spent: $0
Free barbecue sandwiches
One day last week the kids said they were bored so we headed over the thrift store to kill some time. On the way home, the kids declared they were starving, so we headed over to Whitt’s BBQ and redeemed two coupons for free sandwiches. I splurged a bit and spent $2 on a large sweet tea for the kids…so they were happy. **Our local LifeSouth location gives out free Whitt’s sandwiches coupons for every blood donation
Total spent: $2
Sonic slushes
After we played at the park last week, we headed over to Sonic to enjoy some half priced slushes during their happy hour.
Total spent: $3
Summer reading kickoff
This past weekend, our library kicked off their summer reading program with science experiments, crafts, snacks, and featured local historians who shared some spooky local ghost stories/legends. We also received a goody bag with bookmarks, stickers, and coupons for local restaurants just for signing up.
Total spent: $0
Swimming
I am doing my best to keep both of my kids active this summer because the lure of staring at their kindles all day tends to get the best of them in this Alabama heat. Luckily my sister has a pool, so the kids got to swim twice this past week and got lots of exercise as a bonus.
Total spent: $0
So our grand total for a whole week of summer fun was just $5.
Mom trick: Whenever we go to a park or go swimming, I always remember to bring food and drinks with us in a cooler. In addition to saving money, it also is a great way to get the kids back into the car with no fuss after a really fun outing.
The Thrifty Educator 