Family Fun on a Budget

I'm super excited because today's post is the first in a series of guest posts written by my friend Joni {Six Cherries on Top} on Family Fun on a Budget! Joni is a stay-at-home-mom to six children so I consider her an expert on this subject!

 Joni of Six Cherries on Top

Let's see what advice Joni has for us this week.

We are a big family, there is no doubt about that.  Some days having six children can be very stressful, very tiring, and very busy.  But, I wouldn't trade it for the world.  I recently quit my job in the Early Childhood Education field to stay home with my children.  A well thought out decision that we felt was best for our family.  Our budget has to be carefully managed in order to afford everything we need.  But we aren't a family that enjoys working just to live day by day.  We are able to have fun during the summer, and throughout the entire year, simply by  planning, and remembering several things...

All your children really want is for you to spend time with them.
Your children will never remember the "stuff" you gave them, but they will remember the times you spent together. Family fun does not have to mean spending a lot of money.

Christy invited me to share with you in a new series, ideas for Family Fun on a Budget. There is so much that you can do throughout the year that won't break your budget, but our favorite time of year is definitely Summertime. If you remember those three things above, having fun as a family will be so rewarding. 

Let me let you in on a little secret though...sometimes what we do is BORING (to me...feed the ducks a-gain, geez!), but if my kids love it and they are smiling, that is all that matters to me. 

Honestly, there is so much you could be doing that I didn't even know where to begin. Just be sure to check out some of the links I have provided to give you an idea of what I am talking about along the way. This week I will share with you how we save money on movies.

These days going to the movie theater can be so expensive.  For us, by the time we pay for everyone to get in, popcorn, candy, and drinks, we have spent what some smaller families could use to take a vacation.  Here are some better ways to enjoy a movie without wiping out your bank account.

Summer Movie Programs - Our local movie theater is offering a Free Summer Movie Series of previously released movies every Tuesday and Wednesday. Be sure to check with your local theater. Although they are previously released (most of them already on DVD), the best part is just being able to enjoy a movie in a theater.  Plus, I am sure that there is at least one movie that you haven't seen on their list.

Photo by koka_sexton

 Drive-In Movie Theaters -  Some drive in movie theaters have cheaper rates but still offer newly released movies.  There is a drive-in theater in my area that shows double features on the weekends during the Summer.  There are even times when they show a triple feature.  We only have to pay one price to get in and we get to enjoy more than one movie.  For us, going to our drive in will only cost $21 to get in.  We even bring our own snacks.  They advise us not to, but sometimes we do (shame, shame), but we usually purchase a pizza from their snack bar.  So for $30 we can see 2 movies, sometimes 3, and eat pizza. We always try to eat dinner before we go to avoid being super hungry and staying away from that snack bar. Just recently we were able to see Toy Story 3 and Twilight: Eclipse, both in the same night.

Dinner and a Movie Theaters - In my area there is also a theater where you can enjoy a meal and a show at the same time.  Although this can get expensive for us because the food is similar to Applebee's prices and all seats are $4.50, during the Summer, they offer $2.50 Family Matinee movies.  When I get there, all I have to purchase is some popcorn and a few drinks and they are good to go.  Inexpensive and fun.  There is even ice cream on the menu that will hurt my thighs more than my wallet.

NetFlix, Redbox, or Hulu -  Another great way to save money is with one of these options. 

Netflix has several different choices for renting movies if your family enjoys a lot of movies.  Tell a friend or family member that you want a Netflix gift for Christmas this year.  For a little over $100 you can enjoy as many movies as you want for an entire year.

However, if your family only watches the occasional movie, Redbox is the way to go.  For $1 you can have your whole family over.  Try inviting some friends and family and tell them you will provide the movie if they bring the snacks. Great family fun for $1. Woo Hoo!

Photo by Sean_Oliver

Before you pick either of those, always check with Hulu for movies and TV shows that you can enjoy at absolutely no cost. We love Family Movie Night at home in the comfort of our pajamas.  We pop popcorn and cuddle up to watch a good movie together. 

To make watching movies more fun, sometimes we create movie themes throughout the year.  This Summer, we have come up with a list of Summer movies that we would like to watch before the Fall.  Check out my Summer Bucket list that includes the list of movies we plan to watch. Be sure to bring some of the movies in the theme you have created to watch in your vehicle as you travel too.

You don't have to fork over a ton of money to see good movie and have fun. Be sure to check your local area to find some of the hidden theaters that offer great deals.