Sunday Snapshot -- Frugal Entertainment

Mark and Emily were outside raking leaves, while I was inside taking care of some laundry. A few minutes after they left to start raking, I heard Clara struggling with something...

... it was like a grunting sort of noise. Was she trying to lift something heavy? I went to investigate...

...and I found this! She had dragged her princess chair to the front door to watch the "show".

I could have sworn I heard her say, "Hey, you missed a spot!"

More frugal crafty goodness, and a special blogiversary celebration is coming up this week! We are very excited!!

Slacker Saturday -- Know Your Library

Today's Slacker Saturday activity is simple -- visit your local library! For families on a budget, getting to know your local public library can be a tremendous resource. Make it a habit to visit your library on a regular basis, and pick up a calendar of events. Resources your library may offer include: free cultural passes for local museums, free DVDs, free audio CDs, free VHS tapes, free magazines, and most importantly lots of free books! You may also find story time, crafts, or even puppet shows for kids. Many local libraries offer Summer reading programs, so it is worth your time to find out exactly what your library has to offer.

Here are some of our family's favorite library tips:

1. A Card of Their Own -- If the kids are old enough, encourage them to get their own library cards. This is a great way to teach kids about responsibility and the value of books. Plus, you can borrow books that interest you without having to check out kid books that cut into your borrowing limit. 
2. Avoid Fines -- Be sure to keep all library materials in a central location within your home. Also, keep track of due dates to avoid paying any overdue fines. Google Calendar works well for this, and you can set it up to send email reminders.  
   
3. Power of Example  -- If you want your kids to grow up to be avid readers, make sure they see you reading. 

I would love to hear about your favorite aspects of your local public library! Is it the convenience of renewing materials online? The selection of movies? The story time for the kiddos? Leave a comment and share your stories with us!

New Series -- $5 Friday!

I am very excited about a new series I am starting on Frugal Family Fun Blog called $5 Friday! The idea is simple -- each Friday I will be posting about frugal family activities that can be done for $5 or less for a family of four. That's right, entertainment for the family for just five bucks! You won't want to miss it, so if you have not already subscribed to the feed, now may be a good time to do that. It is free to subscribe, so click here to get started.

Here is how we spent our $5 today....

We made homemade bubble solution! I picked up a bottle of Dawn dishwashing liquid on sale for 99 cents, and I had a coupon for 25 cents  (which was doubled), so this cost just 49 cents! Mix 1/2 cup of dishwashing soap with 2 cups of water, and a few tablespoons of light corn syrup, and you have a fabulous bubble solution!

Clara got to run her fingers through the grass and explore the outdoors for a bit...

I bent a wire hanger to make a large bubble blower. We found some wire hangers in the closet after we moved, so this was free.

It made really large bubbles!

After being outside for a bit, we made a batch of chocolate chip cookies. I am not much of a baker, but the pre-made mixes make this a lot easier.

I found this one at Big Lots for just $1. The box says it makes 16 cookies, and for once I found that to be accurate.

Mmmm... cookies and milk!

Now we are off to play outside for a bit more with our sidewalk chalk (mentioned in this post), I paid just 39 cents for the box!

Here's the recap of how we spent our entertainment money:

Dawn dishwashing soap -- $0.49

Cookie Mix -- $1.00
Chalk -- $0.39

Light Corn Syrup -- $2.39

Total Spent = $4.27

Save Money on Electronics

One of the questions I am asked quite frequently is "How do you get the best deals on electronics?" Here are some of my favorite tips to save big bucks on that new digital camera, laptop, or other electronic purchase:

1. Network: Let everyone know that you are in the market to buy a (insert electronic name here). Often a friend of a friend may have exactly what you are looking for, or know of a place that is having good deals, so it never hurts to get the word out.
2. Buy Used: Place an ad on Craigslist. It is free, and you may be able to snag a good deal. Also, browse eBay for listings on used items.
3. Try Refurbished: Check out Amazon Warehouse for great deals on refurbished electronics. Our digital camera came from here (Nikon D40), and we have been so happy about this purchase.
4. Open Box Models: I went to a large electronics store to buy a sub-woofer for Mark. I asked about the Open Box model and got a substantial discount. It even came with the same warranty, just no box -- they wrapped it in bubble wrap.
5. Other Deals: If you have not checked out Woot, you should. Woot features one item a day (usually deeply discounted) and they sell it until it is sold out before offering another item the next day. No matter what you buy, the shipping is always just $5!!

Preparing for Special Guests

Since we have made the decision to eat out less, we have been entertaining at home more often. Yesterday afternoon was spent preparing to get together with friends from college to celebrate Chinese New Year! We planned to get Chinese take out, eat with chopsticks, and spend some time getting caught up with one another. I was going to download some classical Chinese music from iTunes, but decided it might be worth a quick trip to the library to see what they had to offer.  Here is what we came home with:

I found several music CD's, a DVD for Emily and one for the adults, and several children's books! After we had dinner, we each made a mini lantern from empty baby food jars with tea lights placed inside. These can be lit 15 days from now for the Festival of Lanterns to signal the end of Chinese New Year. Our guests took them home as souvenirs.

We used pieces of red and black tissue paper adhered to the glass by brushing on a 50-50 mixture of white glue and water.

Does your family entertain from home more often? I would love to hear about it! Leave a comment and share your stories with us!

This Weekend -- Save Money on Movies

Here are some easy ways to save a few bucks on movies this weekend:

1. Save at AMC Theatres -- Click here for a printable coupon good for free popcorn at AMC with the purchase of any fountain drink.  Offer good until 1/15/09. 
   
2. RedBox -- If you haven't tried RedBox yet, why not give it a shot this weekend? Click here to find a RedBox kiosk near you.  Enter coupon code BREAKROOM for one day's free rental.
3. Visit Your Local Second Run Theatre -- If you don't know where yours is, do a quick google search for "Second Run Theatre" and the name of your town.  Most feature deeply discounted tickets.
4. Free NetFlix Trial -- Click here to start a free trial of NetFlix.  Rent with no late fees.
5. Borrow DVD's from Your Local Library -- Get familiar with your local library. Many allow you to borrow from a collection of DVD's for free.
6. Try Hulu.com -- This is becoming increasingly popular.  Hulu offers a wide selection of television shows and full length feature films to view using your computer.  And it's free!
7. Make Your Own Popcorn -- If you decide to settle in at home for a movie, try making your own air-popped popcorn.  It is so simple to make, will save you money -- since you are not paying for all that packaging on microwave popcorn.

Have a tip to help save money on movies that I forgot to add?  Leave a comment and tell us about it! 

25 Free MP3 Music Downloads + 1 Bonus Audiobook

Looking for some free tunes for your iPod?  Check out emusic.com for a free trial that includes 25 free music downloads and 1 bonus audiobook.  Take 2 weeks to decide if you like emusic and if you don't, cancel and keep the 25 music files as their gift to you for trying!

5 Ways to Save Money on Video Games

Emily (at 11 months) was already enjoying video games with Daddy!

Recently, we had a family video game night, and it was tons of fun.  In our household, we have a weakness for video games, and buying new games can quickly become expensive.  Mark and Emily get lots of mileage out of the ones we have, but we are always looking for ways to get good deals on video games the entire family can enjoy. 

Here are some easy ways to save money on video games:

1. Don't Rush --  The latest titles have the highest prices.  If you can wait just a short while, the price may come down significantly.  This is particularly true for computer games.  An added advantage is that you will have access to more reviews of the game to see if it is really worth the purchase.
2. Borrow From a Friend --  See if your friend won't mind parting with a game for a night or two.  Be sure to return the game in the same condition.
3. Swap --  You may be able to swap games with a friend, or set up a free account at GameSwap.com.  You list your old games, mail them when they are requested, and earn credits for new games.
4. Buy Used --  GameFly.com has used games starting at just $7.99 and includes free shipping until January 5th.  Games come with a new case and new manual. They are also 100% guaranteed.
5. Rent --  If your family likes to try new games, you might want to give renting a shot.  At GameFly, plans start at $15.95 per month, and includes free shipping, access to over 6,000 games, and no late fees or other hidden charges.  You may cancel at any time.  Click here for more information.

Does your family have a favorite video game?  Leave a comment and tell us about it!

Frugal Friday Challenge

Today's Frugal Friday Challenge is to find free or cheap entertainment for the weekend.  You can start by looking in your local newspaper or Craigslist for ideas.  Perhaps try a second run movie theater, go roller skating, or bowling.  You might have a community center that offers free movies or an open gym.  A huge component to living the frugal lifestyle is being aware of your local resources, so do some research!  Then come back and tell us what you did.