Movies on the Cheap

So, in the last few months, Amazon has definitely been on the top of my list. I have bought books to help with work and books to help me learn stuff at home, all for a cheap price. The last book I bought was $12. I also buy mp3's through there because I can get whole albums for an average of $8 or just one song for $1. The last album I bought was on special for $3.99 and it turned out that I love every song. It was definitely worth the $4.

After the first time I bought more than $7.99 in mp3's, I was given a $3 credit towards their on-demand videos. We ended up renting Alice in Wonderland and really enjoyed it. A month later, I got another $5 credit from them for some promotion they were doing, so we got some more movies. One of these movies was Avatar. It was such a great movie, I ended up actually ordering the DVD. Last weekend, hubby ended up staying home from work one night so we ended up renting one for $2.99. The movie was Pan's Labyrinth. It was AWESOME!! Even with the subtitles, my husband and I both enjoyed the movie, and thought it was worth the money. It was scary in parts (see the picture to the left), but the real terror occurred in the real life world of the little girl who was a witness to the atrocities of a revolution.

Once we get our house in, we may look at signing up for Netflix. I like the idea of having unlimited on-demand videos for one low price. We have also used the Redbox rentals, and like them. We have just had problems getting the movie back after one day so it ends up costing us more than $1. Plus you have to go out in the cold, and we all know how much I love going out when I don't have to in the winter!

Renting movies can be expensive, but it is still cheaper than going out to the movies, especially when you have more than one person. Streaming movies has made movie renting not only convenient, but also relatively inexpensive.

Frugal Summer Entertainment

In April, I did a post on entertainment for your family that is either free or cheap, entitled Free and Cheap Entertainment. I have decided to expand on this post to emphasize frugal activities you and your family can do during the summer.

Hiking

Hiking is a great activity that is both frugal and good for your waistline. You can hike at a local park or a state park. Although if you go to a state park, you may have to pay to get in (at New York State parks the fee is $7 per carload), so make a day of it and bring a long a picnic. Many times these parks also have swimming included in the fee, so bring suits and towels also.

Local Parks

If you have young children, you probably frequent your local park quite often. Find some new parks to take your children to, so you and your family don't get bored. Going to a local park also lets you meet other parents, possibly beginning a new friendship, or starting a playgroup.

Camping

My family loves to go camping. Unfortunately, this year we will not have the money to go to the state park we love to go to, Watkins Glen. Although it is relatively cheap to camp (NY State parks are about $15 per night plus $9 registration fee), any extra money going out right now is not good. So, we are going to be camping on our land (we haven't been able to put our house on there so might as well use it for something). You can buy a decent tent for your family for about a hundred dollars and it will bring you years of camping fun.

Riding Bikes

My family has always loved to ride bikes together. Put smaller kids in a trailer and go for a nice ride. Not only is it fun, but it also helps with weight loss. You can even have older kids use a map and plan out the ride.

Library

On rainy days, a visit to the local library is always a good idea. Not only can kids look at and take out books, they can interact with other children. We have a really nice library here that has a puppet stage for the kids to play with and several computers for young children to use. I also like how they have been expanding the number of DVDs they have.

Movie Night

I love the idea of renting a DVD, popping some popcorn and sitting down with the family to watch a movie. But sometimes renting a DVD at your local rental store can be expensive. You can find older DVDs to borrow for free from most local libraries. If you want something newer, check out a Redbox outside a local store. You can rent a DVD for just $1 a night and there are no late fees. You just pay $1 for each night you have it out. You can even get codes for free rentals. Here is a list of Redbox locations. Another lower cost alternative, is using Netflix or Blockbuster Online to rent your movies.

Game Night

Having a weekly game night is a great idea if you have older kids. We will start having game night as soon as the little ones are a little older and can play board games. Bake up some goodies or have salsa and tortilla chips while you are playing. This is a great family activity that helps your family spend quality time together.

Water
What kid doesn't like playing in the water? Get out the hose and fill up a kiddie pool. Or attach a sprinkler (a kid's sprinkler can be bought for less than $20) and let the kids have a blast. Remember those slip n slides from when we were kids. Well, they still make them, and they are even better than they were. What about letting your kids play out in the rain (providing of course that there isn't lightning)? Many times you can find swimming at local pools and lakes for free or a few dollars.

There are so many activities you can do during the summer that are frugal. So, get off your butt, stop watching TV and spend some time with your family.If you would like to add anything to the list, please leave me a comment.

Free and Cheap Entertainment

Are you trying to save money, but still want entertainment? There are many ways to do entertainment on the cheap.

Get Outside

Many things that are done outside can be done cheaply. Go for a bike ride or take the whole family hiking or for a walk. Taking the kids to the park is a great way to kill a few hours without spending any money. Take along a picnic lunch and make it even more special.

The Library

We all know that the library provides books for us to borrow, but they have so much more. Many libraries have computers with Internet service for its members to use. Our public library even has a kids section with computers for them to use. This is great if you have a child who you want to limit their time online. It is also great if your child doesn't get much time online because the family computer is always occupied. Many libraries also have books on CD and DVDs that you can borrow. Although these are not brand new releases, I am sure you can find some DVDs that you haven't watched yet.

Redbox DVD Rentals

Have you ever seen those red boxes outside of grocery stores and drug stores? Next time you see one (and have a few minutes) go take a look at it. Redbox offers DVDs for $1 a night. These are relatively new releases and they have quite a good selection. I would guess that there is usually 50 or so DVD titles to choose from. Besides having the newest movies, they also have newly released kids movies. Each Monday, you can get a code for a free movie that day. You can go here, to find a code to use.

There are so many things you can do that are entertaining AND cheap. Let me know the things that you and your family do for fun that are frugal.