by Pam on December 17, 2010
When you want to treat yourself and your family but do not want to spend the money to eat out all the time, a great way to enjoy a meal without spending a lot of money is to make a special restaurant-like meal at home.
One that works great at our home is replicating an all -you -can eat buffet where you get to make your own stir-fry. We use our trusty Toastmaster griddle and I slice up all sorts of veggies such as onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, etc. I then slice beef very thinly and sometimes I also slice up chicken breasts.
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by Pam on December 1, 2010
If you are looking for ideas on how to spend more quality time with your family this holiday season, there is a great article titled “50 Free & Frugal Ideas For Holiday Family Bonding” that I would recommend you read.
The article has an extensive list of ideas of ways to do crafts with your kids and provides links to several websites for further details. There are also links to a variety of websites that can help you get your kids interested in various home improvement projects. Why not be productive while bonding!
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A few weeks ago I had the greatest time with two of my girlfriends. Right after work we went to the cheap theatre and saw a matinee chick flick. Amazingly, the movie only cost us $1.50! It was so cheap because we went on a Tuesday and it was a matinee. Matinees are always cheaper and most movie theatres offer discounts on Tuesdays. In order to avoid the temptation of buying over-priced popcorn at the theatre, I ate a granola bar at work before we left and that kept me satisfied until the movie was over.
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by Pam on August 11, 2009
Dating doesn’t have to be expensive to be fun! When my husband and I
were dating we didn’t have a lot of money to spend – so we didn’t do the traditional dinner and a movie very often. Instead, we got creative, and had fun, meaningful moments doing more simple things:
1. We often went to different city parks and had a barbecue or a picnic. Sometimes we just spent time walking the trails or riding our bikes.
2. We had our own special walking route that we would take frequently, and sometimes after we would walk for a while we would just sit on a bench and stare at the sky. At night we would sit and talk and gaze at the stars.
3. When we did watch movies, we would wait to see them until they came to the cheap theater where the cost of tickets is about a third of the price of the regular movie theaters. Instead of eating out, we would often cook together, making interesting dishes and just enjoy each other’s company.
4. We had a lot of fun taking silly pictures of each other wherever we went. We didn’t have to go anywhere special, but we found that taking pictures is entertaining no matter where you are.
5. Sometimes we would go for a drive outside of the city and go hiking and exploring wherever we ended up. That was always a lot of fun. We still do that once in a while. It’s always nice to get out of the city.
The most interesting and fun part about dating is getting to know one another. Whether or not you spend a lot of money is up to you, but it really isn’t necessary to have a good time and create great memories.
My husband and I love camping during the summer and we’ve even tried our hand at winter camping. I must admit I enjoy camping in the summer a lot more. It’s a lot more comfortable, except for the insects. Camping is fun, but it can also become expensive if you’re not careful. Some simple things we do to save money when we camp include bringing our own food rather than purchasing our food at overpriced campgrounds or eating at campground restaurants.
We camp in a tent rather than staying in a cabin. Our campsite fees are cheap because we don’t require electricity. Some people prefer to camp out “in the sticks” where they don’t have to even pay any campsite fees. We would probably do that too if we were more familiar with the areas we camped in. The downside is there’s no fire pit and no bathrooms!
We never make reservations as it costs more when you do, and so far we’ve only regretted that decision once. There is almost always a space available so making reservations isn’t really necessary unless you plan to camp on a Stat holiday.
For entertainment, we fish for a while and go on some of the hiking trails. We also spend a lot of time just lounging on chairs and eating Spitz. We fish off the shore and my husband is usually successful at catching at least a few fish for our dinner. I am definitely not a skilled fisher, but my husband seems to always do well. You definitely don’t need to own a boat or have your own private dock to catch fish.
To make it special, we often bring our favorite foods to enjoy in the outdoors and we often eat a lot! Hopefully we burn some of the calories on our fishing and hiking adventures!
It’s just nice to get out of the city for a while and except for the cost of gas to get to our destination, there isn’t a lot of expense involved when it comes to camping in a tent. If you and your family need a getaway, camping might be just the thing for you.
You can have a lot of fun without spending a lot of money. Try out some of the suggestions below:
1. Play board games or card games with family and/or friends. You can even entertain yourself by playing solitaire or free online games like spider solitaire, mahjong, etc.
2. On a clear night, go stargazing and watch for falling stars.
3. Visit your local library. Take advantage of the free books, movies, and music. Libraries are a great place to take your kids – instill in them a love for reading and learning.
4. Go on a picnic in your favorite park.
5. Go sledding. This is fun even if you don’t have kids. My husband and I go out once or twice every winter and it makes us feel like we are young again!
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My husband and I don’t eat out a lot because it is expensive, and we can buy a lot of groceries for the cost of one meal at a restaurant. However, eating out is a lot of fun, especially because then we don’t have to cook and clean up. Whenever we eat out we try to order something really unique that we wouldn’t be likely to make at home. We also usually follow these simple suggestions below that help us to save money when we do eat out:
1. Drink water. Beverages are overpriced at restaurants. Instead of spending extra money on beverages, order some nice dishes instead.
2. If it works with your schedule, eat out at lunch instead of supper. At most restaurants, you can often order virtually the same dish at lunch and it will cost a lot less.
3. Skip the appetizers. Unless you are going out with a large group and everyone is splitting the bill, I wouldn’t recommend choosing appetizers. Your dollar will go the furthest if you order the main dishes.
4. Order main dishes that will be filling enough that you won’t have an appetite for dessert. Desserts are usually overpriced and, at least for me, they are often disappointing. Somehow they just don’t taste as good as I would have expected after looking at their pictures on the menu.
5. Use coupons. Restaurants often mail out coupons to their local areas, or you can find coupons in your local community coupon books. Some restaurants also offer promotions and coupons online on their websites.
6. If you are really hungry and want it all – appetizers, main dishes, soup, salads, and dessert – go for a buffet. For a flat fee you can eat as much as you want and it will cost a lot less than if you were to order everything individually. We especially enjoy going out for a seafood buffet - all you can eat crab legs and shrimp is absolutely fantastic!
When you want to treat yourself and your family but do not want to spend the money to eat out all the time, a great way to enjoy a meal without spending a lot of money is to make a special restaurant-like meal at home.
