Search Results for: blog the free entertainment challenge

20 Ways to Get Free Entertainment

Free Entertainment is all around us. We just have to reach out for it. 1. Free movie rentals from Redbox. Search for “Redbox codes” online. You’ll get at least one free movie rental a week when using the Redbox video machines. 2. Free Lego Build Event. Each month Lego stores sponsor free building events for ages 6 through 14. Kids can build a new Lego model each month (this month it is a log cabin) and then take it home. 3. Free video games from the library. Chances are that your library is stocked with video games for current systems. … Continue reading →

The Challenge of Finding Cheap Airfare

As if finding cheap airfare wasn’t hard enough, some carriers are now making the job even more challenging. Online travel aggregate sites, such as Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity are designed to allow travelers to compare airfare prices without having to spend hours visiting dozens of individual airline webpages. The popular online travel agencies provide the convenience of one-stop shopping for customers, but charge the carriers commissions of roughly $10 to $25 a ticket which they say eat into their profit margins. Unfortunately, more and more airlines are looking to get out of the aggregate site line-up. For example, earlier this … Continue reading →

The Free Entertainment Challenge

This summer, we can challenge ourselves to keep the kids (and the whole family actually) entertained with things that don’t cost anything (or at least very little). Here is what we have come up with so far… Because of the holiday, there was a lot to do this weekend. Today, we attended our town’s Fourth of July festivities. First there was the parade. My husband and my oldest son rode their bikes, while the rest of us cheered. The little kids got to catch candy thrown from the parade floats. Afterward, there were games and prizes offered for the kids, … Continue reading →

Eat Out for Free 2

Who doesn’t love getting things for free? Eating out for free is especially nice, since it combines the necessity of eating (everyone has to eat) with the entertainment of getting out and trying something new. And with the price of gas being so high, you may be able to justify a trip out if the meal is free. Previously, in the post Eat Out for Free, I shared some ideas for getting free meals, such as the trail run. You can click here to visit that blog and read more: Eat Out for Free. Now, let me share four more … Continue reading →

Four Ways to Downsize the Gimmies

Don’t let the “Gimmies” take over your home. Use the following advise to downsize the constant requests for stuff from your kids. Limit Media Exposure The number of commercial ads that our kids are exposed to on a daily basis is staggering. All of those ads have just one purpose, to sell us stuff, our kids included. The more ads our children are exposed to, the more things they will believe that they have to have. These ads are very clever at manipulating our children into never being satisfied and always wanting more. Limiting the media exposure our children receive … Continue reading →

Keeping the Grocery Bill Low

How do you keep your grocery bill down to the same amount that it was two years ago despite the fact that food has gone up? It isn’t easy, but I am determined. Since our income hasn’t gone up, neither can our spending. We’ve already cut corners in other areas, such as with entertainment and activities. Now it is time to wrestle that grocery bill back down to the ground. Keeping Track I’m now back to keeping a running total of our grocery expenses week to week. Having this running total gives us a number to challenge. Can we spend … Continue reading →

The Spending Diet Game Plan

Lose the extra weight from your budget by putting your spending habits on a diet. At the end of the month, you’ll have extra money that you can use to pay off some outstanding debt, and your budget will be slim and trim. Keep it up for six months or more, and your budget will be healthier than it has ever been. When you diet to lose weight, you must burn more calories than you take in if you want to be successful. A spending diet is similar, although in this case, you must take in more money than you … Continue reading →

Would Mystery Shopping Work for Your Family?

Through mystery shopping, you and your family can enjoy free restaurants, shopping outings, movies, bowling, and more. Plus, you often get paid for the privilege as well! Here is what you need to know about mystery shopping and how to determine if it is the right fit for your family. 1. Understand mystery shopping Understanding what mystery shopping is all about is important before you embark on this adventure. Basically, you pose as a customer for the company and will need to fill out a report of your experience. The different shops have different requirements. You may be asked to … Continue reading →

Getting a Swing Set or Play System on the Cheap

When we first moved in to our current home, we decided that we really needed a playset complete with swings, slide and climbing apparatus. Of course, it couldn’t be just any play system. After doing a lot of research, my husband declared that only a Rainbow Systems play set would do. It was actually the only one that we had really been exposed to, so we really have nothing else to compare it to. It could be that other systems are better, probably cheaper. We visited the showroom, stood firm against the upgrades and declared the system that we wanted. … Continue reading →

Happy Kids On The Cheap

With all of the expenses of raising a family, parents are often searching for ways to save money wherever they can. One area of the family budget where spending can often be reduced quite a bit is entertainment. Parents often believe that they need to spend more money to keep their children entertained and occupied than they actually do. Children are naturally curious, and often parents are pleasantly surprised by how simple things can capture their imaginations and hold their attention for hours. My favorite example of low or no cost family fun is a trip to the playground. Depending … Continue reading →