FRUGALLY FUN FRIDAY!

YAY! The weekend is here! It has been a very hectic week at work and with the first full week of school coming to a close, I think my family could use some good ol’ fashion fun. This gave me the idea to share a few frugal fun ideas.

Let’s all go to the movies! Let’s all go to the movies!
Movies are always entertaining but even the matinee can cost a small fortune. We’ve found a few alternatives.

Public Library – One of the best kept secrets on the planet. Most public libraries have a great selection of VHS & DVDs that you can check out for several days. You can usually check these out for little to no money. To find a library close to you check out the public library link here.

RedBox - This is the best rental option in the world...at least I think so. You've probably seen them around town. Its a movie vending machine basically. For $ 1 a day you can stop by and check out a movie with no late fees. Simply pay $1 a day for each day you keep it. I think it stops at $25 (max charge) after you've kept it 25 days they stop charging you and you now own a new movie. One of the great things about this program is that you can sign up to receive text message promotional codes and receive a free movie (usually on Mondays) but some holidays they run specials for additional savings. Sign up here to get your SMS text message promo code

You can also create a movie co-op with your friends and family and swap movies to catch all the latest and greatest movies without killing the piggy bank.

There's nothing like having the family around a table with a good old fashion board game. One of my boys favorite moments was this past winter when the electricity went out and we sat in the floor and played Sorry by candle light.

Here's some great games (with links to where to get them):

Another great game that does require some electronic stimulation is Scene it! You play it along with your DVD player and test your knowledge of all those mindless hours of TV or movie watching. There's different versions so there something for everyone. Such as:

Movies, Disney, Seinfeld, Friends, Harry Potter, TV Edition, Nickelodeon, Pirates of the Caribbean, Marvel, Star Trek, Turner Classic Movies, The Simpson's, Music, The 80's, Scene It Jr., and a ton more. Its a lot of fun and lets the kids think they're still "Plugged in"

And my favorite is having a cookie decorating contest with the kids. Bake up a bunch of cookies and gather some decorating things such as frosting, sprinkles, etc. and let the kids decorate up a storm. We've done the best looking, ugliest, funniest, and most unique cookie. The winner, well, the winner gets to eat his cookie!

Whatever you get into the best part of having a frugal Friday night is getting to spend some down time with your family and friends. You really don't have to be that creative. Some of best times involved things like a lamp and a wall to create shadow puppets and even just a box that amazingly teenagers can turn into hours of interesting fun. Just remember not to compare it to the big expensive amusement parks and you'll relax and have fun.