Entertainment. I think there should be an entire blog devoted to thrifty diversions. Joel and I noticed we were paying a lot of money for entertainment each month. So, we budgeted a specific amount, withdrew it from the bank and started paying cash for "fun things." (Our fun things included wine, eating out, bottles of Diet Coke, coffee and bagel stops and other superfluous items). When the cash is gone, we don't allow ourselves to purchase ANY of the aforementioned items until the next month. I REALLY don't like cutting out fun things, so we've started coming up with some activities that are cheaper, but still entertaining. Here you go...maybe our ideas will help you too.
1) Hors d'oeuvre Night. Every Sunday evening we make yummy finger foods, and treat ourselves to our favorite drinks. It's like a restaurant night in our own home...w/o too many dishes (that's a huge plus for me!)
2) Hike. There are lots of trails around us, so this is FREE and fun.
3) Movie night. We've been watching Harry Potter every Friday night....(it's hard for us to agree on movies, so I don't know what will happen to this night when we are done with the series).
4) Bagel morning. Bagels are amazing in NJ. Every Saturday we grab two from our local bagelry and bring them home. We use our own cream cheese since the kind in the shops are really expensive. This only costs a little over a dollar. It's a fun little tradition.
5) Dog walks. I mostly do this by myself. I find that it's really relaxing and entertaining. My dog always does silly stuff that makes me chuckle. So, if your bored...take your pooch for a walk.
What does your family do for free/thrifty fun?
