FREE Extracurricular Activities for your children (or for a nominal fee)!

I want my children to develop a myriad of talents.  However, I do NOT have the resources for them to be in sports, clubs, and many other extracurricular activities.  I have NOT let this financial setback be a stumbling block.  There are many other ways to approach giving your children extracurricular activities without breaking the bank.

My suggestions:

• Check with your local 4-H clubs to see what they offer.  You might be pleasantly surprised what your children can join for little to NO cost to you!!
• Our local 4-H club offers a FREE archery club (providing equipment during practice) and a sewing club for a nominal fee of $25 for 8 weeks.

• Check your local golf clubs.  Many offer classes for kids.  One of our local golf clubs has a financial aid/hardship application.  Two summers ago my children have had one month of golf lessons for free.  (This is something they would never have done on our budget.)
• Check your local archery clubs in town. They may have a FREE shoot for kids.  We have a couple different archery groups in our hometown.  One offers a FREE shoot during the summer for children, ($5 for adults).  During the winter months, they offer a 1-2 times a week shoot for everyone for a nominal fee (Kids $1, Adults $1).  The gear is all provided!
  

• Check with your local swim team.  When I was young, my mother traded her time, (being the club’s treasurer), in exchange for me and my sister’s membership on the private swim team.  I wanted the same swim experience for my children.  I went to our local swim team to ask if I could exchange my time for a discount.  It turns out the team has a “scholarship program” for lower income families.  I filled out the application and volunteer a certain number of hours per child during the year.  Now my 2 children who can swim across the pool get a significant discount.  It has helped out tremendously because if it weren’t for this discount, they would not have the opportunity to swim like they currently do.  (I have also loved that the team has let my children volunteer as well.  They are invested in swimming and find a sense of accomplishment in helping to “pay” for their lessons.)

• Keep your eyes peeled for those flyers!  Whether they come home with your kids from school or at local community centers such as libraries and pools, many times there are “one time FREE events” (or for a nominal fee) to expose kids/families to different kinds of sports or cultural events.  I happen to know of an event this weekend, where I live, that for $2 teens can learn different dances from a traveling group coming through town.  Next month there is another event for kids’ ages12-18 to learn all about aviation for FREE, including the kids participate in a simulated flight where THEY are the pilots!
• Our local library has events all the time that provide learning new skills for children, teens, and adults!  For the younger children, our library has a Lego Club, and a Craft Club….others are for the older teens such as book club, gaming, card games, and computer education.  For adults, there are lectures, computer education/help, and monthly classes—all for FREE!

Being on a strict budget does not need to limit your children’s (or your) opportunities!!  You just need to be a little more aware and diligent in seeking for and taking advantage of the things happening in your community!!

Happy Pinching Pennies!

Summer Community Concerts…and events for FREE

I called to borrow a movie from a friend for a “theater” moment, (watching a NEW movie that we hadn’t seen before).  During our conversation, she brought to my attention a month long event that was happening close by (the BIG town next to ours) and how many FREE events there were.  I had never heard of this "celebrating the arts" event!  I started wondering how many other FREE events have I been missing?

So for the last weekend of this event, we headed up for “Rolling on the River Concert series” and saw a tribute to U2….preformed by Vegas U2. It was fabulous…and now my oldest wants to know how he can obtain their music for his MP3 player!!

I would recommend going by your local visitor center, contacting your local newspaper, or calling your city’s Park & Recreation Department to find out what events your city (or the city next to yours) is putting on.  I was amazed at how many things they offered.  I won’t be missing “Artown” next year….

Happy Stretching Pennies...

FREE University Summer Entertainment for ALL...even if you are not a student!

If you live anywhere near a University, check out what they have to offer during the summer!  (Or if you are traveling near a University make sure to either contact or call them about their summer events!)  Many events are FREE of charge.

On occasion we will travel the 30-40 minutes to the university near us where they have a weekly event called: "Summer Concerts on the Quad".  It's every Wednesday night--free to the public. We bring a picnic dinner and enjoy the sights, sounds and activities for FREE! They provide the band (that changes every week), FREE watermelon, FREE face painting, FREE popcorn & cookies, and FREE bounce house.  

This idea doesn't have be limited to being in your "local" area...consider contacting the university you will be vacationing near and see what kinds of "events" they have going on for the summer.  This summer we were in Cedar City, Utah (Southern Utah University) where they are famous for their Shakespearean Festival. 

They have one show they preform nightly for FREE.  This year's play was themed around Italy...all while in their traditional Shakespearean garb. 

There were peddlers who were selling tarts and other tidbits.  My children enjoyed the humor, singing and dancing.  (Ok.  My oldest didn't really like the dancing part....just all the other parts.)  It was really nice to be able to expose them to different kinds of cultural art.

Happy Stretching Pennies....

FREE entertainment for the whole family at your local library!

What better way to get your children to WANT to read than *PRIZES*!!!  Yet, the word *prize* can sound financially intimidating.  However, most libraries offer a summer reading program for children--FREE of charge.

With these programs come FREE prizes for your children.  Each library is different—but ours has a 4 & under program, 5-12 program, and teen program.  Since my children are not “teens” yet, I am more familiar with the under 12 programs.  There are intermediate prizes as you work toward the GRAND prize, along with weekly raffle tickets.  At the end of our program, my children earn a FREE book bag and personal pan pizza from Round Table.  The teen program is based more on pages read—but the prizes are NOT trinkets from Oriental Trading Company—but places they want (movie tickets, CDs, DVDs, Restaurants, etc.)

For adults & families: libraries offer a wide variety of*special things* for the summer.  Our library has never decided on any annual event.  I have seen them have magic shows, comedians, concerts and movie showings—complete with snacks all for FREE!

Your library can be a GREAT source for FREE entertainment!

Happy Stretching Pennies!

P.S. Don’t forget to think of your local library as your local “Redbox” for FREE and longer checkout times!

The PERSONAL Benefits of giving blood.... (ie. FREE stuff)

 

I am kind-of a squeamish girl, the idea of needles just makes me go weak in the knees—so this idea is done by my husband.  My husband LOVES to donate blood.  It HIS way of doing community service.   I recommend this idea only to those with tougher skin than mine!!

There are many times you hear over the radio about a blood drive…and the benefits.  The United Blood Services offers several “benefits” to volunteering to share some of your blood with those in need.  (For those of you who don’t know my youngest son needed a blood transfusion 3 ½ years ago.  Coming from a more personal moment in our family, I can’t tell you how much it meant.  I was so grateful that someone had taken the time to donate blood that my son could get the health procedure WHEN he needed it.  So for all those anonymous donors out there from the bottom of my heart—THANK YOU!)  

The personal  benefits to you (besides knowing you helped someone else). 

• They check your cholesterol for you (FREE of charge) and you get the results.
• You get food and juice after you donate….and they WANT you to eat. There has been many times my husband comes home FULL of food.  ie. pizza, fried chicken, ice cream and potato salad and numerous other kinds of food. They have LOTS of snack type things and juice galore to help you recover after your donation.
• You earn points for each time you donate, AND make & keep an appointment.
• The type of blood donation you choose has a different point allowance.

What are things that you can EARN for FREE by donating?

• Movie tickets

• CD's
• DVD's

So this last week, my husband cashed in a fair amount of his "points". My youngest is a BIG fan of “CARS”the movie. We do NOT have a dollar theater anywhere nearby, so going to the movies is a HUGE deal. Our whole family made the trip to the $$$$ theater with nice seats to see CARS 2. What a thrill. They have been talking of doing this for months, as they waited for the movie to make it to the theaters!



Yes.I am bad.We snuck candy in.Even better was using the “theater candy” I bought on clearance from Target this last spring (after Easter) for .09 a box (that means our treats cost us less than 30 cents!)

Happy Pinching Pennies.....AND helping others!