Shoe string budgets... What do you do for family fun?

[skbs]

Originally Posted by Aconite

Not to mention that many places offer reciprocity. A Zoo pass might offer free days at the Aquarium, the Science Center, or half off one of the museums.

We belong to the Zoo and the Strong Museum of Play- but at $80 a pop it is a tad pricey. HOWEVER- the nice thing about the Zoo membership is that we can use it when we go on vacations. I have been to Zoos all over the country for free or extreme discount because of it. So the Zoo one might be worth renewing and we get MORE than our money's worth out of it. But you are correct that it is worth a membership price in the long run.

[sskkc]

Some people really go out and often it encourages their neighbors to step it up too.

Okay, this goes off topic, but I had to laugh. We're new to the state & neighborhood. We were putting up our lights at the same time as the folks across the street. It started out very friendly. They came over and even told us that the HOA had a contest every year and that they always won 1st place.

Over the next few days, as we'd be out and they'd be out, they'd pop over and ask us if we were done yet. We'd smile and say no. After about day 3, they went out and bought some more decorations. And day 3. Day 4, my dh got sick. They came over and offered to take the rest of our lights "off our hands". We refused.

They don't even wave anymore . Jokes on them though. We've decided to give them the $$ even if we do win - we don't do this for the contest, we just LOVE Christmas! The first year, I had to MAKE my dh put up a string of lights along the roofline and I plugged in a plastic candle.

Now his chest puffs up when someone asks if we live in "that Griswold house".

[malamute]

We usually take a big family vacation every summer, one year when there wasn't too much money we took a vacation in town. Stay in a hotel with swimming pool and jucuzzi and act like tourists. It's an interesting way to see your same city from another view.

[skbs]

Originally Posted by malamute

We usually take a big family vacation every summer, one year when there wasn't too much money we took a vacation in town. Stay in a hotel with swimming pool and jucuzzi and act like tourists. It's an interesting way to see your same city from another view.

We too take vacations every year with our kids. Hubby and I never get a vacation for ourselves. So, when my parents took the kids away for a long weekend we did our own version of this a STAY-CATION (except we stayed at home). This is a great idea for kids too! You search all of the new and exciting things around town! Great IDEA!