Frugal Food and Fun

Mastering fun and food for a family on a budget can be a little tricky, but it is possible.  Lately, my husband and I have been trying to find ways to save money, but still eat well and have lots of fun with our son and dog.  So, we've been clipping coupons, thinking up new fun free games, and packing our lunches.  There are many wonderful and inexpensive ways to show your child(ren) how to have a great time and still stay within your budget.  Today, for example, we went over to my sister and brother-in-law's house so that my son could have a play date with my niece and nephew.  We had a wonderful brunch of an egg casserole, biscuits, and bacon.  We brought the bacon and milk and they provided the egg casserole which had peppers and onions mixed throughout, and biscuits.  It was delicious and on a budget.  I brought a snack for my son of organic graham crackers that were on sale at Target, and the kids had a blast!  My niece, nephew and son got to play together and my son was able to play with some "new" toys.  It was a win win situation.  

My sister and I also rotate toys with the kids.  Her son is 1 year older than mine and her daughter is 5 months younger than my son.  So when her son is finished with his toys, my son gets them handed down, and then once my son is done with them, we send them back to her house for when her daughter is older enough to play with them.  Another win win situation!  We are also very fortunate to get most of our childrens clothing and toys from family members.  The amount of clothing, shoes and toys that we get on a monthly basis is incredible.  We haven't had to buy much of anything since they have been born!  We are extremely fortunate to have such an amazing family as well as many little cousins who are willing to part with their clothes and favorite toys.

Some great activities that we've come across to do on a budget is going to the park, feeding the ducks at the pond,  and going to the library to pick out their favorite book or video.  Since my son is so young, we're also able to play catch, ride around in his play car and go for walks and he's pretty content.  We play peekaboo, chase the dog (which our dog isn't too fond of), and "cars" (for any parent of a little boy, you know exactly what I'm talking about).  My sister made my nephew flash cards with a container to put them in once he's said the word.  He LOVES playing this game.  It's something as simple as printing off free flashcards online, cutting them into squares and laminating them.  My sister took an old plastic container of dog bones, washed it out and cut a hole in the lid for my nephew to put the cards through.  You can use any container you'd like.  The large animal cracker plastic bear containers work well too!

Be ambitious and think of creative new ideas for games for your children.  They don't always need the super expensive talking games that you see advertised on TV.  A simple flash card game, or even a home made puzzle would do.  If they're old enough, they can even help you make it.  What are some games that you've created with your children?  What are some things that you've learned to do on a budget when it comes to having fun and eating well?  I look forward to hearing all of your ideas.