Summer is in full swing and the ultimate question to ask ourselves is, what can we do with the family but not break the bank?? Here are the top ten ways to save this summer on Activities and Entertainment:
- Watch free movies at your local theater. Regal Cinemas are offering free movies all summer long, and Cinemark is offering 10 movies for only $5. Call your local theater to see if they are offering any specials. A lot of the smaller downtown historic theaters offer free movies once a week, so don’t forget about those smaller theaters as well!
- Buy a small swimming pool for your backyard. Having a small pool is a great way to cool off and have some fun, but it doesn’t have the expenses that come with owning a larger swimming pool. Check Amazon.com for several great deals on swimming pools.
- Get free admission to select museums if you are a Bank of America customer. Have an account with Bank of America? You can get free admission to select musems! Find out more details here.
- Check for Groupon Daily Deals. Groupon offers a different deal every day that is local to you. Some of the Groupons feature local attractions and activities. Depending on the Groupon deal, you can easily save 75% on an event. Sign up for Groupon email alerts here so you stay up to date on the latest deals.
- Join a free workshop at Lowe’s, Home Depot, Michael’s or the Apple Store. There are new workshops and crafts done every week at these places, so you can do something every week for free this summer!
- Visit your neighborhood pool, or find a local beach. Some cities and/or counties have a beach or a public pool that you can visit. Sometimes they are free to visit, or they can cost a few dollars to get in. Call your local city or county to find out if there is anything in your area.
- Visit a local farm. If you like the idea of visiting a petting zoo, but don’t want to fork out the cash, find out if there is a local farm in your area that accepts visitors. Many times you can visit the farm, visit with the animals and it doesn’t cost you a dime. Be sure to pick up fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs or even milk and meat from your local farmer while you are there! Search LocalHarvest.org for a farm in your area.
- Go bowling for free! Kids can get two free games of bowling every day by registering here. You can also register with AMF here, and get $5 off of your bowling for up to four people.
- Get free admission to national parks. Many national parks are offering free admission on select days this summer. Find out more details here.
- Find a Meetup group in your area that is relevant to your family. If you’re not too excited about Meetup.com, you can plan events with different families from your church. Have a BBQ, day at the pool or something else. If you plan something ever week or every other week, your kids will have a blast spending time with other kids their age. And don’t forget the power of the group! Many times other people in your area will know about freebies, deals and local activities that you don’t know about. The exchange of money saving knowledge you can have with others in your area is invaluable!
And don’t forget to visit TheThriftyMama.com frequently or sign-up for my free email updates, so that you stay up to date on the latest Ways to Save this Summer!
Up next: Ways to Save this Summer Part 2: Food & Eating Out
What are some of the ways that you will be saving on Activities and Entertainment this Summer?
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Great article, sometimes people forget that there are so many fun free activities to take part in. Don’t forget about local museums or small theatres, which often have family nights where tickets are reduced price (or free for kids with paying adult), where families can have fun and learn a bit too!
Great list! Just wanted to share about some free movies in theaters near me.
http://faithfamilyfrugality.blogspot.com/2010/06/rave-and-carmike-summer-movie-schedule.html