Enjoy a Frugal Fun-filled Fourth of July

Written by admin

Looking for fun ideas to help you celebrate the Fourth of July? You don’t need to spend a fortune on fireworks and expensive decorations. Use your imagination and let these ideas jumpstart your own.

• Take in your city’s fireworks display. Most every city, and even the smallest town, typically offers a fireworks display on the Fourth. Rather than spend money on fireworks for home use, visit a local event and enjoy the show. If you don’t want to fight the crowds or get stuck in traffic when it’s over, park down the street at a church lot or store and watch from there.

• Have a cookout or barbecue. There’s a reason this old standby is still so popular – it’s a lot of fun! Play outdoor games like volleyball, Frisbee or even softball. Cook hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill. Eat watermelon and have a blast! If you don’t have the yard space to host the event, go to a park. They’ll be packed so you’ll want to reserve space early or hope for the best, but it’s a great way to enjoy the day with family and friends.

• Fly your flag high! This is a great time to teach your kids about the American flag – what it means, how it came to be, and the guidelines about flying one (never let it touch the ground, burn it and buy a new one if it becomes tattered, never fly another flag above the US flag, etc.).

• Visit a local homeless shelter and take Fourth of July decorations, food and treats for the residents. You can do the same a nursing home or children’s home if there is one nearby.

• Spend the day on the lake, or if you don’t have water nearby, get out the hose and run through the sprinkler with the kids!

• Make a festive dessert and invite your neighbors over to share. Bake a simple white cake in a 13″ x 9″ pan. Frost with cool whip. Make “stripes” from sliced strawberries and use blueberries for the “stars” to make your own flag.

• Get out the ice cream freezer and make a batch of homemade ice cream. Grab a lawn chair and sit outside in the backyard until you eat every bite!

• Visit a local attraction that you’ve never seen (if it’s open), or drop by to see a friend you haven’t seen in awhile.

• Hold a “Christian in July” party. Have everyone bring a new gift suitable for a child that you can donate to a local program like Toys for Tots’ Christmas program.

• Ask permission from your town council to host a block party. Rope off the street. Invite all the neighbors. Have lots of food and games and get to know your neighbors!

• Host a Fourth of July scrapbooking crop. Invite all your scrapbooking friends over. Get out your photos, tools and embellishments and scrap ’til your hearts are content.

• Go fly a kite… literally! Kite-flying is a dying pastime, but it’s so much fun. You can make your own kite or pick up a kit at the store. Grab the kids and head to the park and enjoy.

• Spend the entire day watch patriotic movies. The Patriot, Independence Day, Pearl Harbor, Yankee Doodle Dandy, 1776, The Stars and Stripes Forever and many others.

Whatever you decide to do on the Fourth, enjoy it! You can spend a lot of money if you choose, but there’s really no need when you can have as much fun – if not more! – without it.

Tags: frugal celebrating, frugal holiday, frugal living