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"Free entertainment for frugal families"

  • Starbuck
    Posted: Aug 29, 2009 08:43 AM
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    Starbuck
    Fort Lee, NJ
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    Someone recently asked a question about low or no cost entertainment ideas that can help connect you to others. I’d like to learn suggestions for free or nearly free entertainment for families on a tight budget. Our family plays board games and cards and we go to area parks, but would like to try some different free activities out of the house. My daughter is 13 and my nephew is 8.

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  • #1
    Fisher-man
    Posted: Sep 01, 2009 09:26 AM
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    Fisher-man
    Manchester, VT
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    Fishing is my choice for inexpensive outdoor entertainment the whole family can enjoy. My wife, sons and grandchildren often join me to fly fish for trout in the beautiful streams of Vermont, and fish for bass in our crystal clear lakes. The cost is minimal. A license is only $20 for the year. License fees are really cheap or free for kids. Sometimes your catch pays for dinner. I’ve met fishing buddies and other fishing families through local bait shops and activities listed on takemefishing.org. This summer my wife and I drove up to Canada with two other couples for a week of salmon fishing. We rented a cabin together, so the price was reasonable. We fished every morning and afternoon and played cards most every night. We've already planned our trip for next year.

  • #2
    NonnaB
    Posted: Sep 06, 2009 04:21 PM
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    NonnaB
    Staten Island, NY
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    New York City offers lots of cool free things to do. But my favorite is a free "cruise" on the Staten Island Ferry. Yes, it's absolutely free! My granddaughter Emily and I take the 30 minute trip from Staten Island to see amazing views of the Statue of Liberty, lower Manhattan and New Jersey. We've never had to wait more than 30 minutes for a ferry. Air conditioning and heating make for a comfortable ride inside, but go out on the deck for the best views and a cool summer breeze. There is an inexpensive snack bar, but the "cruise" is really economical if you pack a lunch. We call it our special Hudson River Picnic. We've made it a breakfast cruise when dawn is breaking and a dinner cruise in the early evening when the lights of the statue and Manhattan are breathtaking. She has a whole album of pictures from our trips - memories she will always have of our special times together.

  • #3
    GuitarMan
    Posted: Sep 08, 2009 09:16 AM
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    GuitarMan
    Los Angeles, CA
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    My grandfather and I made kites out of newspapers and balsa wood with tails made from torn cloth strips. Now my son Brandon will give up TV and video games to spend time with me building and flying homemade kites. But times have changed - we make kites, some pretty elaborate, from patterns on the internet, which Brandon is excited to find for us. We have discovered free instructions on the web. 2 great sites are howtomakeandflykites.com and my-best-kite.com. We build the kites together and he decorates them so his kites stand out from the rest. We fly them on the beach without interference from trees or wires. I’m proud I could introduce him to an activity that is powered only by his imagination and his ability to run fast enough to get his kite into the air. The engineering aspects of the hobby and the value of his seeing a project through from start to completion are other plusses. But the real joy is seeing him go wild when the kite he made himself is flying high in the sky. Maybe someday Brandon will show his son or grandson how to make kites and tell them about how we had this much fun without spending a penny… will there still be pennies then?

  • #4
    Macgregor
    Posted: Sep 09, 2009 08:43 AM
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    Macgregor
    Wyckoff, NJ
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    Find out if your cable system offers a rewards card. In my town if you sign up for cable, phone and internet through the same service you get a card that gets you free passes to see new movies at certain theaters every Tuesday. The card also gets you discounts at all other showings. This has been a great way for my wife and me to see movies free – saving us nearly $20 a pop.

  • #5
    Joy Griffin
    Posted: Feb 05, 2010 01:21 PM
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    Joy Griffin
    Naperville, IL
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    during the summer, i look for outdoor music festivals. i also take the kids to the zoo and museums on free days. volunteer work can be a lot of free fun, too!

  • #6
    GrandmaSue
    Posted: Jul 08, 2013 12:45 AM
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    GrandmaSue
    Mansfield, OH
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    Public Library is a great place for some fun. They have special events, clubs, activities, crafts classes, public events plus everything else in entertainment that you can take home if you have a library card. Its a place for all ages from toddlers to us in the golden group.

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