How To Make Your Summer Memorable On A Budget
As busy working parents you know how difficult it is to plan those big budget vacations that you want your children to experience. Saving for one big vacation a year is a great plan, but that will leave a lot of weekends with a limited amount of money to spend on entertainment.
If you are in this position as a parent there are some great ways that you can make every weekend memorable for your child and still not break your budget. Being creative, taking advantage of different events going on in your community and looking for top ideas that don’t cost a lot is not as difficult as you may think.
When planning fun events for you and your children the internet can be a wonderful tool. Try searching by location, you can choose anything within set number of miles from your home, and then spend some time getting familiar with the various festivals, fairs, exhibits, shows and cultural events in the area.
If you just want to do things on your own here are some low cost options to consider:
- Plan a trip to a park, beach or nature area and bring a picnic lunch. Make it an “unconnected” outing where everyone stays turned off from phones, tablets or electronic devices. The kids can help pick the location, pack the lunch and even choose what to do.
- Visit a local museum, planetarium or cultural center. Typically these venues offer low cost family admission or, depending on the event, it may be free. Community events such as fairs or exhibitions or even family fun days are a great way to get to know your neighbors and have fun.
- Look in your local paper or online for discount coupons to theme parks and events around the city. Often these coupons can add up to significant savings. You can also check to see if you quality for discounts through your employer.
- If you don’t have the budget to go away for a weekend and stay in a hotel consider renting or borrowing camping equipment and taking in one of the many beautiful campgrounds in your area. You don’t have to stay the whole weekend and just a night will give you and your kids something to remember for years to come.
Keep in mind that your children, above all else, love spending time with Mom and Dad. Focus on things you can do as a family and you can’t go wrong.
