Have A Frugal Fourth

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

02 Jul 2007 10:56 AM

Those of us in America are gearing up to celebrate our Independence Day. What a great holiday it is. Here are some frugal ideas on how to celebrate with a bang.

Find your fireworks

You can find a bevy or free fireworks shows the week before, during and after the fourth of July. What a great frugal (free) way to celebrate. Check with your town and surrounding towns. You can also do a web search on your state to find firework shows. Local merchants are also a great source of information about firework shows. They generally know what is going on in their area, and they may have even advertised in a program or put up a flyer.

Last Saturday, we even came upon a show by accident, as we were traveling home from a day trip in Amish country.

And don't forget to check for town parades, too!

Celebrate the reason

Another frugal idea focuses on getting back into the meaning of the day. Why not watch a patriotic movie or show about the birth of out country. The Patriot is a good one, or for kids, try the PBS show Liberty Kids. Liberty Kids started out as a Philadelphia show, but it is now available elsewhere. Check with your library for free rentals.

Make it yourself

There is no need to buy flags, steamers, leis or decorations to celebrate the day. Get creative and make your own. Construction paper, craft foam and fake flowers can all be used to create some nice things to help you celebrate. And making the crafts is a fun activity in itself.

And since the fourth is often traditionally associated with ice cream, why not make our own? It is a lot less expensive and much tastier than store bought. The Food Blog has a great recipe for homemade ice cream that doesn't even require an ice cream maker.

Mary Ann Romans also writes for the Computing Blog here at Families.com where she shares everything from the latest news on technology to cool downloads and fun websites.

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Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

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