In this day and age, when many adults canbarely affordto take care of themselves, providing a comfortable life for children can seem overwhelming. And most parents don’t want to simply provide for their little ones; they want to ensure they have countless, precious memories from childhood that they can look back on for the rest of their lives.So if you’re a parent who wants to bring your kiddos magical experiences without breaking the bank, we’ve got the perfect list for you. Frugal moms and dads on Reddit have recently beensharingtheir favorite budget-friendly ways to treat their kids, so we’ve gathered their best tips below. Keep reading to find a conversation with Melissa Vera ofAdventures of Frugal Mom, and be sure to upvote the ideas that your little ones would love!This post may includeaffiliate links.
In this day and age, when many adults canbarely affordto take care of themselves, providing a comfortable life for children can seem overwhelming. And most parents don’t want to simply provide for their little ones; they want to ensure they have countless, precious memories from childhood that they can look back on for the rest of their lives.
So if you’re a parent who wants to bring your kiddos magical experiences without breaking the bank, we’ve got the perfect list for you. Frugal moms and dads on Reddit have recently beensharingtheir favorite budget-friendly ways to treat their kids, so we’ve gathered their best tips below. Keep reading to find a conversation with Melissa Vera ofAdventures of Frugal Mom, and be sure to upvote the ideas that your little ones would love!
This post may includeaffiliate links.
When mine were little, I kept a selection of park toys, kites, sandbox toy, bucket of hot wheels, etc) in the back of the van and we’d go to all the different public parks in driving distance. They’d grab up the kids there and invent epic games. I remember this parachute toy, They’d throw it up in the air and freeze tag as many kids as possible until “the ref"declared the round over when the parachute hit the ground. Sort of a human jacks game. They thought it was a big deal. We did this until the youngest was a teen.One of my kids is now a games designer for a large video game company.Encourage play!
Weekly library + snuggle and read together on the couch while sipping a homemade smoothie or hot chocolate! :)
If you like pups, shelters often need people to read to the adoptable dogs. Usually age 5 and up!
To gain more insight on this topic from a parent who knows how to budget well, we reached out to Melissa Vera, creator ofAdventures of Frugal Mom. Melissa was kind enough to have a chat withBored Pandaand share her tips on treating kids without breaking the bank.“Look for reciprocal agreements with museums and zoos. Most of them have free admission if you buy a family membership to one,” she explained. “When my girls were younger, we bought a membership to the NC Zoo, which paid for itself the first time we went.““With that, we got unlimited entry into the zoo, discounts at shops, and free admission to the other museums and aquariums that they had a reciprocal agreement with,” Melissa continued. “It helped to bridge the gap and allowed us to do a lot of fun things. Local museums and parks are great to explore. Most of the historical sites have free admission as well. Bring a picnic and take advantage of being outside.”
To gain more insight on this topic from a parent who knows how to budget well, we reached out to Melissa Vera, creator ofAdventures of Frugal Mom. Melissa was kind enough to have a chat withBored Pandaand share her tips on treating kids without breaking the bank.
“Look for reciprocal agreements with museums and zoos. Most of them have free admission if you buy a family membership to one,” she explained. “When my girls were younger, we bought a membership to the NC Zoo, which paid for itself the first time we went.”
“With that, we got unlimited entry into the zoo, discounts at shops, and free admission to the other museums and aquariums that they had a reciprocal agreement with,” Melissa continued. “It helped to bridge the gap and allowed us to do a lot of fun things. Local museums and parks are great to explore. Most of the historical sites have free admission as well. Bring a picnic and take advantage of being outside.”
My dad would give us $5 and set us loose in the dollar store; it was wonderful! The last Christmas before he passed, he gave both my sister and me an envelope with a $5 bill in it so each of us could go on a shopping spree on him.
Have her pick out a recipe online, get groceries for it together, and make it together! Kids need lots of breaks so this could be a whole weekend worth of an activity.
As an Auntie I always pack a BIG bag of snacks - hranola bars can go back into the cupboard if not eaten and carrot sticks can be cooked. I’ve occasionally thrown out some battered jam sandwiches but will shoulder that cost. And I throw cartons of juice and bottles of water into the car.This means if we’re having fun we don’t have to stop. It also knocks a big part of the cost of a day out off. Buying lunch can be really expensive but this means we can go out more and then maybe buy ice creams or souvenirs instead. And they always all get hungry separately.I also learnt to have a couple of towels and car blankets. Then I will happily let them do anything even if its messy and/or wet. ‘Go ahead. If your clothes get nasty you’ll be stripping off at the car and going home in a blanket toga, if you’re OK with that I’m OK with you going swimming in your pants, making a mud slide, climbing the wet trees covered in lichen or having a leaf fight’.Being told yes has always been a big treat.
The frugal mom also says libraries are a great place to take your children. “Check out local libraries for story time. I am a huge believer in encouraging your child to read,” Melissa told Bored Panda.“You can grab a book that was made into a movie and read it with your kids. Then once you have finished, have your kids get involved with planning a themed movie night where they can do a craft, have a themed dinner which they help to cook, and watch the movie,” she recommended. “Local libraries are a great way to get them to read, but you can also borrow movies from them as well as look for activities.”
The frugal mom also says libraries are a great place to take your children. “Check out local libraries for story time. I am a huge believer in encouraging your child to read,” Melissa told Bored Panda.
“You can grab a book that was made into a movie and read it with your kids. Then once you have finished, have your kids get involved with planning a themed movie night where they can do a craft, have a themed dinner which they help to cook, and watch the movie,” she recommended. “Local libraries are a great way to get them to read, but you can also borrow movies from them as well as look for activities.”
This is kind of specific, but whenever my mom knows that my nieces and nephew will be at a nighttime event when there will be vendors selling glowsticks and light up toys (examples: fourth of July fireworks, nighttime parades), she spends a few dollars buying glowsticks at the Dollar Tree. That way the kids still get to wear a glowing necklace, but the cost is a fraction of what it would otherwise be.
When I was a kid, I LOVED feeding ducks, turtles, and fish at local ponds/lakes.We used to do random BINGO at malls, parks, etc. homemade cards of “person in red shirt” “white flower” “lemonade stand” stuff like that. Small prize for whoever won like a dollar bill or ice cream at McDonald’s.$5 at a Dollar or thrift store to be spent however they want. Us kids had an ongoing competition of who could get the most for their money or find the weirdest item.We would dress up in the wackiest outfits we could make up (mismatched shoes, multiple layers, exaggerated makeup, etc), gave ourselves code names, and just play tag or go fishing or whatever.Go to the woods and build a fort with only rope, a tarp, and whatever we could find.$2 afternoon matinees on a weekday at the local theater.There were 6 of us kids and we weren’t exactly swimming in money so a lot of our excursions involved hefty imagination. Best memories I have are doing things like that.
Museum day. Most museums will have a free day once a month for locals.
“When eating out, look for places that are family-friendly or ones that don’t frown on sharing. Then, you can order a whole bunch of apps,” Melissa shared. “I am also a firm believer that adventure doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. A day spent at the beach or at the park with a little planning about snacks and lunch is great fun.”
When my kids were little (and we were very poor) we went to trips to the pet store to look at the animals. It was like a mini trip to the zoo. We would always buy a treat for the dog while we were there. An hour of entertainment for a few bucks.
I still remember walking up early on Saturday my dad would pack us up sandwiches and we’d go to the nice neighborhood for garage sales and they’d have the best books and toys afterwards we’d go to the park to play and eat our sandwiches. Special times
Shopping second-hand can also be a great treat for kiddos. “I won’t say I don’t buy my kids things, but I would and did, when my girls were little, thrift a lot of things for them,” Melissa noted, adding that it’s wise to make little ones work for things as well “because then they know the value of a dollar.“If you’d like to gain more tips for living a frugal life, be sure to visit Melissa’s siteAdventures of Frugal Mom!
Shopping second-hand can also be a great treat for kiddos. “I won’t say I don’t buy my kids things, but I would and did, when my girls were little, thrift a lot of things for them,” Melissa noted, adding that it’s wise to make little ones work for things as well “because then they know the value of a dollar.”
If you’d like to gain more tips for living a frugal life, be sure to visit Melissa’s siteAdventures of Frugal Mom!
Something funny and cute my daughter did, for her 15th birthday, she wants to try and hit as many places she registered for free birthday giveaways. She has it all mapped out. I think it will be fun.
I take my wife for ice cream once a month. Less than $5 for us both and we walk around the park and talk while we enjoy the ice cream! During the winter we get back in the car though. Then we usually sing along with the radio together and giggle at what awful singers we are 🤣It’s cheap, fun and helps us stay connected.
A few things my daughter and I do that are special:- we buy a card game and then play that for months at coffee shops or parks- we got really into doing tastings. So for a while we’d buy one piece of chocolate from any chocolate store and kept a log on our favorites. Pretty cheap and very fun- similarly we had an m&m tasting and bought all the flavors. Now when we see a new one it’s super special. There are close to 20 flavors these days!
Get your kids involved in creating a game for when you go out. Like who can spot the most out-of-state license plates, or count the motorcycles (which is a helpful skill when they learn to drive).
2 pink drinks is like $10? so instead take her to a book store or art supplies store or something similar (whatever she’s interested in honestly) and let her pick one thing out for around the same price. My dad used to take me thrift shopping every Monday because I loved fashion. I’d only get one or two things each time but it was such a great experience and to this day I’m still so grateful that he saw something I was interested in and invested in it even though he didn’t have a lot of money at all. It feels great to feel treated but also have some sort of value come out of that $10
My mom used to let me play with her old make up. We’d flip through a magazine and find a photo of a celebrity or a model, and we would “recreate” the look. I would put make up on my mom and she’d put a tiny bit on me. We’d also play beauty parlor and she’d come to my “salon” and I would let her in, decide what the price was and then we’d put on lip gloss, lotion on our hands or brush our hair etc and I’d have to add up the cost of services and charge her. Some people might find this silly but I cherish those memories of us hanging out in her room, and it taught me about self care and made me feel so grown up. It was all older make up so it didn’t cost a thing.We also used to make collages, we would cut up the week prior’s newspapers, circulars, junk mail. We’d pick a color or make a theme and all we needed was glue sticks and scissors. She still has one we made on a paper plate of the beach 🥹
if there is an ikea near you it’s always fun to visit and the soft serve is cheap
I took my eclectic teenager thrift shopping on Melrose Ave and Hollywood Boulevard. We didn’t get much, but they loved the shops!
This sounds nutty, depends on the age, but my son and I like to venture to thrift stores. He’s 3.5 and those old run down toys that cost $1 are his favorite. I enjoy watching him walk through aisles trying to find some new things
Don’t count out the simple evening of a walk through your local park and bringing some sandwiches, snacks and a towel or blanket for a small picnic. Can also bring a frisbee or card games etc to play. If you are in a colder climate my parents used to sometimes just have us go to $5 and below and pick out a new board game or something and we would stay home and play the new game and watch a movie etc. Unfortunately as far as things to do like laser tag, go karts etc are pretty pricey now but always keep an eye out for promotions for them because there can be some great deals!
Buy a bag of lollipops and only give them out on special occasions. It’s not what you do, it’s the feeling of being treated to something special
My dad used to surprise me with ice water from a gas station or drive thru when he’d pick me up from daycare. I really thought it was a special treat for a long time.
See Also on Bored Panda
Wendy’s has an end of the year deal where you can buy a pass for $1 that gets you free jr Frostys all year round, no purchase necessary! Look for it next month.
Getting a Fuji instax camera and taking a photo every time you make a memory ends up being really cost effective in the end (can be as low as $.50 a shot). The cameras are easy to find used and relatively foolproof to use!
Highly recommend fast food apps the deals they have buy 1 get 1, free fries Friday, etc are real winners.
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My husband takes my son and daughter to those free kid workshops at Lowe’s/ Home Depot.
This isn’t “ out of the house” but we’d go “bowling “ . We’d set up empty yogurt drink containers and anything else that was tallish and light enough to be knocked over with one of their balls. They had a bunch of little rubber/plastic balls and we would use the whole lot so they could take turns bowling at the items until they were alll knocked down . The “pins” would be set up in all kinds of configurations, including on top of the chairs , just being careful of not hitting the tv , for example. Great on a rainy day or in the evening. They loved this. It was a pain gathering the targets and balls but setting them up but they enjoyed it. Also made it harder as they grew up , from the regular position to harder, as I’ve described.
Kid picks the playlist while you do errands.
My kid loves books. Bookstores and libraries are her jam. We use gift cards for the bookstore and libraries every other week as a treat.My kid also loves chocolate. We go to a local dairy that serves soft serve ice cream, a McDonald’s sundae with hot fudge or the local chocolatier. Once in a while we get hot chocolate at Starbucks for $1.45.My kid also thinks that trips to museums are a fantastic treat. She hasn’t realized I’ve never paid admission to a museum because i find so many with free admission. Many museums have free “locals” days or free passes through your local library.We also have season passes to Great America and it pays for itself after going twice in a year.
I once took a road trip to St. Louis. I made a playlist of songs from St. Louis artists. My friends loved it, even tho it was literally just Nelly and chingy lol. She wanted me to make one for every road trip we went on (Wisconsin, Florida). Maybe yall could do something like that.
McDonald’s soft serve cone…costs $1.30 where I live. :)Fruit buns from the local bakery cost roughly the same amount.A detour via the library is always a win.My sister and I also loved going to the second hand (thrift) shops with my Mum when we were kids.:)
I buy ice cream, cones, sprinkles at grocery store and we make ice cream cones my son loves that. We also have baked a cake together. As for places I agree with dollar tree mcdonald’s ice cream is also pretty affordable also 5 and below to pick a toy
Make a scavenger hunt-bucket list-bingo type checklist for 2024:a motorcycle driver do a wheelieHad hot chocolate and watched the grinchTook selfies in front of a lakeThings you might do anyway, but write them down in a spiral notebook or binder, and each time you check one off the list, write out the experience from your POV and have her do the same. I would encourage anybody else that was present to participate. As you both get older you have it to look back on.
Free doughnuts at Krispy Kreme for every “A” on their report cards! 😊
We also did this make your own snack bag. It was probably just my mom being cheap and clearing out old stuff in the pantry. We each got one zip log baggie. Mom got out all the nearly empty bags of chips, pack of broken crackers, nuts, raisins, old chocolate chips, etc. We got creative and made our own “trail mix”. We then went to the park and ate it. Seems simple but making the bags was half the fun. My brother and I had our own “recipes”.
Kite-flying, hiking in the woods; anything involving movement was great to us when we were kids!
Pudding is $0.50, takes 3 minutes to make. Throw in some crushed cookies.
Good memories of my mom picking me up on her day off and cruising through a drive thru. This was in the ancient 1990s when fast food was actually cheap ha ha. A cheeseburger from the Golden arches was a delight on a weekday afternoon.When I worked at the bucks like 15 years ago we had a lot of parents split a Frappuccino between two cups for their kids. Can you get a venti or trenta size and share it? Still a treat but a little less $$. As everyone says the time with parents is the real treat so good on you!
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Denis Krotovas
Justinas Keturka
Rugilė Žemaitytė
Parenting
