Saving Money on Entertainment

One of things we are doing to help our budget is finding ways to save money in every category. Sometimes it is hard to make changes to one aspect of your budget that will lead to significant savings. However, by making smaller to changes to several budget items could add up quickly.

The last things we allocate money for on each budget is entertainment. It is nice to use a little money for this, because we like to take our kids places, and sometimes, if we have the time and money, my wife and I like to go out and unwind after a long week of work. Here are some things we do to save money on entertainment:

Family Movie night at home - We started watching a movie as a family on Friday nights. My daughter is just turning three, so we watch little kid movies (Disney, Dora, etc...). The movie doesn't cost anything - my daughter has gotten plenty of kiddie DVD's as gifts, or we borrow one from family (who live nearby). My daughter loves popcorn, so we make some. Total cost is about a dollar.

Have "Date Night" during the day. - A lot of other married people we know plan a night each week or every couple of weeks for "date night." We used to do this too, but with two little kids, sometimes we are too tired at night. We have started going out during the day, and it turned out to be a great idea. Instead of going to dinner then a movie, we go to lunch then a movie. Lunch costs about half as much as dinner, and the movies cost much less during the day, half as much at some theaters.

Get a DVR. - I know this sounds backwards - saving money by paying for an additional monthly service. For about $5 a month, we can record anything we want, and then keep it for as long as we want, and watch it whenever we want. Whenever we see a movie we want to see on TV, we DVR it, or a TV show we like, we DVR it... We have a pretty good library of movies and shows. No need to rent anything. Money well spent.

Theme Parks - We live in Central Florida, the theme park capital of the world. While this is not cheap, some parks have special offers for Florida residents. Some people may get discounts through their employers. One of the greatest things we have discovered since moving here is that Sea World gives all teachers a free annual pass. This is great because my wife and I are both teachers. All you need is your certificate, most recent pay stub, and photo ID. Kids under three are free too, so right now, my whole family goes for free!! Soon, once my oldest daughter turns three, she will need to pay, but even then, it is less than $100 for an annual pass. She loves Sea World, which is a great place for young kids.

A couple of times a year, Universal Studios also gives free passes for teachers. Even if you don't have a discount through your employer, both Sea World and Universal have great deals on annual passes. I haven't mentioned Disney, because their passes are expensive. We love Disney, but that is something we save up for.

Plan around your meals. - Sometimes the most expensive part of going out with your family is meals. We try to plan around our meals - eating breakfast at home, and making sure we are back at lunch time. Sometime we will bring snacks with us.

Look for free events. - There are so many things to do with young kids that don't cost a dime: going to the park, story time at the library or bookstore, going to the beach, watching a parade, etc... If you live near a college or university, check their website for free concerts or performances. With so much to do for free, why spend money when you don't have to?

If you have any money-saving tips, please share by leaving a comment!