Personal Finance from the Broke Perspective
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Ah, fall. The weather becomes more comfortable, the kids are back in school, and there are plenty of activities to enjoy before the cold weather blows in. Make the most of your family time with some of these fun, frugal family activities.
This seems so simple, but kids love picking their own pumpkin and carving it (with help if they’re young, of course). Sure, there are some pricey pumpkin patches out there that charge an exorbitant fee, but there are also mom and pop pumpkin patches that don’t charge as much. These are the ones you’ll want to choose.
For younger kids, stop by the store and pick up the safe carving knives and consider buying a stencil to make the design element easier. Don’t forget to wash off the seeds and roast them for a yummy treat!
Let the kids try to find their way out. Depending on the complexity of the maze and your kids’ sense of direction, you may be wandering through for a while.
Nothing tastes better than fresh apples that you just picked in the morning. While picking apples from the orchard costs about as much as buying them at the grocery store, you’ll get the experience of picking them as well as a much better taste.
Take your apples home and make some yummy homemade apple pie or apple butter to enjoy later in the year.
Take a drive out to the country, preferably to a hilly or mountainous area, and just soak in Nature’s beauty. There is nothing that beats the beautiful reds, yellows, and golds of the leaves changing color.
Now that the fall temps are here, it’s a perfect time to take a hike with the family. This is a great way to get exercise and take in more of the beautiful fall leaves changing.
The local high school football game only costs a few bucks to attend, and you can cheer on the local high schoolers. Make this more fun for your kids by attending the homecoming football game. The homecoming court will be dressed in their fanciest dresses and suits, adding another element of fun to the night.
Pull out your fall decorations and decorate the house. Or, stop by your local craft store and buy small gourds and other items to make your own wreath for the front door or table arrangement.
Most towns host at least one festival in the fall, if not more, which can offer a fun, frugal way to entertain the family. Travel and Leisure has created a list of the best fall festival in each state. Is there one near you?
Fall is one of the best times of the year to get out and enjoy yourself without spending a lot of money. Enjoy one or more of these low-cost fall activities with your family.
What other frugal, fall activities would you add to this list?
Melissa is a writer and virtual assistant. She earned her Master’s from Southern Illinois University, and her Bachelor’s in English from the University of Michigan. When she’s not working, you can find her homeschooling her kids, reading a good book, or cooking. She resides in New York, where she loves the natural beauty of the area.
How many of you would turn down free money? If someone just walked up to you in the middle of the street and offered you some money? How about if the Publishers Clearinghouse van pulled up in front of your house, and they presented you with a big ol’ check with your name on it for $5000 a week for life!? Would you turn it down and walk away?
Not many would. Heck, I don’t know if anyone would actually say no. I know I probably wouldn’t. And, if I had to guess, I’d say you wouldn’t either. The fact of the matter is that we all like stuff for free. Free money is great (although rare), but we hunt down free products, free trips, and anything else that someone might be giving away for free. Some of us spend entirely too much time hunting down free. But, is free money (or items) really the best money?
What we obtain too cheap, we esteem to lightly; it is dearness only that gives everything it’s value.
-Thomas Paine
Paine was on to something, I think. After all, how many stories have you heard about lottery winners spending all their millions only to end up on the docket at the local bankruptcy court? The truth, should we really think about it, is that we do assess a portion (at least) of a things value based on how much effort it took to get it. For you and I, a nice sandwich at the corner deli might not be something of great value simply because it can be easily attained. An hour or so of work, and a short walk down the road and there you have it. Those starving kids in Ethiopia that our mothers were always telling us about, on the other hand, would likely value that sandwich a little higher. It’s not every day that they have the opportunity to eat bread or meat. They may have to work for days in order to actually afford something like that. If they can find work.
Don’t get so carried away in your search for free money that you forget the true value of the thing. A dollar bill still has the same value no matter the method of getting. Or, maybe spend some time assessing the value that you have for things, and making adjustments. Maybe it’s not the thing you want, so much as the feeling it gives. Freedom doesn’t have a price. Freedom is free, but you have to be unchained from your debts and you desk in order to attain it. It’s the long battle to unchain ourselves that gives freedom it’s value, even if it’s price is free.
Shane Ede is a business teacher and personal finance blogger. He holds dual Bachelors degrees in education and computer sciences, as well as a Masters Degree in educational technology. Shane is passionate about personal finance, literacy and helping others master their money. When he isn’t enjoying live music, Shane likes spending time with family, barbeque and meteorology.