Beating Broke

Personal Finance from the Broke Perspective

8 Free and Cheap Things to Do with Kids This Summer

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Summertime is here, and if your kids aren’t already out of school, they will be soon.  Summer is the perfect time to make memories with your kids, but if your plans include the local theme park, shopping at the mall, and meals out, plan to spend a lot of money entertaining the kids.  While you can enjoy summer that way, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the summer without spending a lot of money.

Here are some of our family’s favorite low-cost or free summer activities:

Have a Picnic

Pack some sandwiches, chips and some fruit, and take a drive out of town.  Find a nice, rustic place to have a picnic and spend the afternoon.  Kids will appreciate the adventure and change of scenery.

Go to Summer Movies

Several movie theaters, including Harkins and Regal, offer discounted movies for kids during the summer.  For 10 weeks, my kids and I go to Harkins theaters once a week to see a movie.  The best part?  We buy a pass for each of us for $5 apiece.  Yep, if you see all ten movies throughout the summer, you pay just .50 a movie.  The four of us can see a movie for $2 total every week.  Can’t beat that.

Attend Free Concerts

Many cities offer free evening concerts and movie showings.  Just check out the happenings in your town every weekend.  You may be surprised how many free events you can find.

Enjoy Summer Bowling

There is also a summer bowling program, Kids Bowl Free, that you can sign up for.  While the bowling is free, you do have to pay for shoe rental.

Attend Library Programs

Every week, our local library has at least one free program for kids.  This week, my son will be taking a one hour art class.  Next week, my daughters will be taking a free science class where they will be erupting mini-volcanoes.  While you’re there, don’t forget to check out a few books, DVDs, and CDs.

Camp in the Backyard

If your kids want the adventure of camping but you don’t want to pay the camp site fee, why not camp in the backyard?  Kids get the adventure, and if they get scared during the night, the house is only a few steps away.

Go to the Beach

Is there anything better than visiting the beach on a hot summer day?  Bring your sun screen and a lunch and spend the whole day playing in the water, reading a book, and getting a tan.

Have a Movie Marathon

Feeling nostalgic?  Why not watch the Star Wars movies with your kids or the Back to the Future trilogy?  Watch a movie a night until you finish.  Enjoy popcorn and reminiscing about watching these movies in your own childhood.

Summer can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to if you know where to look to find free and cheap activities to keep the kids entertained.

What are your favorite free or cheap activities to do with the kids during the summer?

 

Frugal Sack Lunch Ideas for Kids

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When we send our kids to school, we want them to receive the best education.  Having a healthy lunch to eat is a big part of that. But, if you choose to buy convenience packages of snacks and desserts as well as lunch meat, sack lunches can quickly become an expensive endeavor over the course of a year. Especially if you’ve got a hungry teenager. If you’re looking to curb costs, consider some of these frugal sack lunch ideas.  Mix and match to make tasty, healthy, low cost lunches for your kids all day long.

Protein

  • Hard boiled egg(s)
  • Peanut butter (Use it on celery sticks, as a dip for veggies, or on a sandwich.)
  • Cheese (Make a cheese sandwich, or serve separately.)
  • Hummus (Use as a dip for veggies and crackers.)
  • Yogurt (Try yogurt covered frozen blueberries for a less messy option.)
  • Leftovers (Use leftover meat from dinners to supply protein like chicken, beef, etc.)
Frugal sack lunches
Good food = good students

Fruit

  • Apple slices (Slice your own apples and dip them in a bowl with water and a bit of salt.  They won’t brown and you’ll save a lot of money compared to buying already sliced apples.)
  • Clementines (These can be put in whole or peeled and separated for younger kids.  Their small size makes them a perfect lunch box fit.)
  • Grapes
  • Dehydrated fruit such as berries, cherries, etc.  (A little goes a long way here, so you’ll only need a few.)

Veggies

  • Carrot sticks (Don’t buy baby carrots at the store; buy carrots in bulk and peel and cut them yourself.)
  • Celery (Serve plain or with hummus or a nut butter.)
  • Cucumbers

Grains

  • Tortilla chips.  (These are an excellent frugal option, and they can be more filling than regular chips.)
  • Homemade granola bars.  (Make them yourself and fill them will healthful ingredients like nut butters, oats, and dried fruit.)
  • Muffins.  (Muffins can be a sugar trap, so focus on the healthier recipes that are naturally sweetened with fruits.)

Where to Buy Your Ingredients

We’ve found that the best place to buy lunch ingredients is at big warehouse clubs like Sam’s or Costco.  For instance, at Costco, you can buy a 10 lb. bag of organic carrots for $5!  Or, you can buy a big bag of potato chips for less than $4, which is much less than you’d pay at the grocery store.  You just need to take the time to bag these items in individual portion sizes.

Save Time By Preparing Ahead

If you look at the suggestions above and think there’s no way you’d have time to prepare a lunch from scratch every day, especially if you have multiple kids, you’re probably right.  Most of us don’t have that kind of time early in the morning.

Instead, prep all of the lunch ingredients for the week on the weekend.  Have them all packed and ready to go in the pantry and the refrigerator so you or your kids just simply have to grab them and pack them in the early morning rush.  Or, to be safe, prep on the weekend and prepare the lunches every night so you just need to grab them from the refrigerator in the morning.

Feeding your kids a brown bag lunch can be affordable. . .if you choose the right ingredients, and use these frugal sack lunch ideas.

How do you save money on your kids’ sack lunches?

 

Teen Employment: 4 Questions to Ask Before Your Teenager Takes a Part-Time Job

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Working part-time is a rite of passage for many teens.  Teen employment can lead to increased independence—new friends at work, extra spending money, money to save, etc.  However, teens should think carefully before applying for and taking a job.  Ideally, they won’t just by default apply to the local restaurant or fast food restaurant.  Instead, they should choose a job that matches their goals and aspirations, if possible.

Before the job search begins, you and your teen should consider these questions:

Teen Jobs Employment
Orig. img. credit: Innovate Impact Media on <a href="https://flic.kr/p/azRhag">Flickr</a>

What is your teen’s interest?  What is your child interested in and good at?  What kind of job could he do that he would enjoy and that wouldn’t feel like a grind after a few months?  If he loves animals, maybe he could consider working at a pet store or a dog groomers.

What career is your teen considering?  If your child is a junior or senior in high school, she likely has a career choice in mind.  If she’s choosing between several, now is the time to learn more and help her narrow down her choices.

When I was a senior, I worked at a vet clinic.  I had the opportunity to work with the animals and even observe surgeries.  I had been toying with the idea of being a veterinarian, but after a summer at the job, I decided I didn’t want to invest all of the time and money it took to become a vet.  The job just wasn’t one I’d enjoy that much.

Ideally, your child’s job can help them discern if this is the right career path for them.  If it’s not, you and your child have saved thousands on an education they might not have used in the future.

What is your teen’s temperament?  How does your child do under pressure?  Is he introverted or extroverted?  Jobs available to teens can vary widely.  Some jobs will have them interacting with the public regularly while others will not.  Choose the job that best fits his temperament.

However, sometimes a good job that doesn’t perfectly fit your child’s temperament can provide learning opportunities, so also consider that a stretch in comfort level isn’t all bad.

Will this job help your child get into college or get a job in his career field?  Ultimately, a job should not just give your teen some spending money but also help her get into college or into her career field.  The jobs that teens take should be stepping stones into the life that they see for themselves.

Also, don’t be afraid to end the job if it is distracting your child from his ultimate goals.  Too often, teens take what looks to be a good job only to be given more work hours than they can handle, which causes their schoolwork to suffer.  Getting experience in their chosen field IS important and can help them get a better job later in life, but they also must focus on their studies.

Did you have a job as a teen that helped open doors for you or helped you choose your career field, or did you simply work whatever job was available?