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5 Free Family Activities

Imagine your old and grey self sitting out on the porch with your children all grown up. You’re sitting there reminiscing the good old days. You recall all the moments, especially the small ones where you made precious memories.

If you wish to make family memories to cherish and hold dear, then spend more time with your children before they grow up. Family time doesn’t have to be expensive cross-Atlantic trips and extravagant activities. You need to have your family in one place doing fun things you all love.

If you are stumped for ideas for family time, then here are 5 of them to make priceless memories and have loads of fun.

1. Camp Indoors!

In the winters when the weather outside is glum and the suns seems to be hiding, outdoor activities like camping don’t sound that great. But why not bring the outdoor fun inside?

Indoor camping is a fun way to spend family time without missing out on the adventure of camping. So gather your family, push the living room furniture back and break out the camping gear. And if you don’t have camping gear, you can always build a fort with blankets and cushions.

Camp the tent in the middle of your living room, pack a picnic basket and eat it near the fire. Sleep in sleeping bags and sit in a circle to tell scary camp stories.

And make sure not to miss out on the best thing about camping… smores! Get marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers; light your fireplace and make some smores.

2. Put on a Show

Does your family have a favorite movie or book? Then why not act it out with your own family twist. Get your family to dress-up and put on a show. Invite other friends and relatives with kids and have them participate to make it even more enjoyable.

To make it more fun, make as elaborate as possible. Make tickets and costumes together. Build a make shift stage and put on your own theatrical production.

Recite poetry, do skits, play instruments and put on a concert or have everyone participate in a talent show. Or you can spend some time together to write an original story and make puppets and put on the funniest puppet show ever.

And remember to break out a phone or camera and record the show to make a home movie to watch and laugh at later.

3. Movie Night

If you don’t have the energy to plan an elaborate activity, then a simple movie night at home can be just as fun. Lay down pillows and blankets in the living room, dim the lights and put on your family’s favorite movie of all time.

Pop some popcorn; get sodas, licorice, raisin candies and other snacks you usually enjoy at the cinema. Get cozy under the blankets, snuggle with your loved ones and enjoy a fun movie.

4. Treasure Hunt

A treasure hunt is a fun way to get the kids active and running around. Make a little treasure box of candy and chocolates your kids love and hide it somewhere inside your house or out in the yard. Make a treasure map or write different clues to help them find it.

You can make it even more fun and make teams to race with each other to see who finds the treasure first. Going with the theme of treasure hunting, dress up and play the game as pirates.

5. Water Balloon Fight

Summer vacations are the best time to plan outdoor activities and get some vitamin D.

Get some cheap balloon from a craft sore and fill them water. Go outside in the yard and have a good old-fashioned water balloon fight.

Invite your friends and relatives who have kids and make a whole day out of it. Everyone can bring a snack and have a fun day in the sun.

Remember that you don’t have to spend copious amounts of money on fancy outings and expensive activities to have fun with your family. With any of these simple activities you can make memories to last a lifetime.

Budgeting Made Easier: 7 Tips to Keep Your Family’s Finances Under Control

It might sound hectic to maintain a budget on a regular basis but it is necessary to keep track of all that money you have.

It isn’t necessary to spend a lot to live a happy life, but you need to make sure that it is spent in the best possible way.

Here are a few tips you can follow to be better at budgeting:

Make a budget

If you area tech savvy mom, use the spreadsheets; if you are a traditional paper pen mom then use that, but make sure to create a budget that best works for you.

List down all your family’s future financial goals, and then make a plan of action accordingly. For instance, aim to save up for your child’s college tuition fees or for a vacation you want to take with your family by the end of this year.

Plan your meals; eat at home more often

Eating out every weekend might sound fascinating but it wouldn’t be if by the end of the month you’re tight on money! Plan your meals a few days before the start of next month and cook meals at home more often than ordering out.

This would help you list down all the groceries you need. Buy everything in bulk at the start of the month to save time and remember to stick with the list to avoid impulse purchases.

Record your sources of income

Figure out how much money is coming in the house every month.  Do not account only for the paychecks of the head of the family, but for everybody who is earning in the family. Also include any investment made that generates timely returns. This would help you understand your current financial standing and devise a more accurate budget.

Record your expenses

Keep track of all the receipts and amount of money flowing out of your hand to help avoid personal bankruptcy. Doing so will help you know that where you are spending less and where you need to control.

Make a habit of recording these expenses on a daily basis because leaving them for the “next day” would only create stress for you.

Search for sales, coupons and discounts

The best way to keep your expenses under budget and save some money is to hunt down for coupons and discounts.

Checkout the circulars and website of the stores you frequently visit for you groceries. These might allow you to save some money from your already allocated amount for that particular expense. To save time, download online apps that alert you of major coupons in grocery stores near your place.

Make a checklist for all bills

Forgot to pay the bills and you are charged to pay an extra amount? The best way to manage this is by preparing a checklist for all the bills, along with their deadlines, that needs to be paid that month.

Save for the rainy day

Budgeting doesn’t mean allocating each penny down to zero. While allocating money under several different heads of expenses allocate a portion for savings. It is essential to save a portion of your income and not spend it on current expenditures.

The future is uncertain. You should always be ready to pay for unexpected events or emergencies. Budgeting requires a lot of self control and dedication. We believe that with these points in mind you are sure to succeed, and if you do then don’t forget to reward yourself!