We love fun times with the kids, and these creative ways to save money on entertainment are how we make that happen. Some of these ideas may not work for every family, but they are all great ways we have personally made it possible to have tons of fun as a family while staying in a very limited budget.
11 Creative Ways To Save Money On Entertainment
1. Work part time at the movie theater. Did you know that many movie theater chains offer a decent discount to employees on their ticket purchase? Even working one evening a month can result in you receiving a significant discount on new release movie tickets. Plus you get paid for your time, which turns around and pays for the tickets. For 4-5 hours a month, you could get practically free movie passes for your family.
2. Send out emails to ask for savings. Whether you are looking at movie tickets, local skate park passes or amusement park passes you can always ask for savings discounts. Email and find out about things like student, military and senior discounts. You can also email brands you love to ask for coupons to get free candy, soft drinks, games and movie rentals. Groupon is a GREAT way to to find awesome deals in your area! Before we head to Zap Zone or the movies, I check Groupon to see what deals they are running. Also sign up for the company’s newsletter. I have received tons of email offers with free time at the local Bounce House and coupons to use!
3. Invest in an Amazon Fire Stick. You know we all love the Amazon Fire and how easy it is to stream from almost anything. This eliminates the need to pay so much for movie tickets, movie rentals and of course cable or satellite. This in itself is a huge monthly savings for that little daily entertainment we get from watching TV. Read more tips on ways to save on cable: Cut The Cable: How To Get Free Cable- Watch Movies Online For Free
4. Enter tons of giveaways. This is one of the best ways to save on entertainment. If you aren’t paying out of your budget, but using things like gift cards you have won in giveaways it is a huge savings. It takes time, but even entering 1 giveaway a day on reputable blogs can give you a few great prizes this year. You can check our blog to see if we have any current giveaways going on this month!
5. Go back in time. Entertain yourself the way your grandparents did. Read books. Go for walks. Tell stories. Play games. Sew clothing or blankets. Create wooden projects. Entertain yourself with all of the things around you that you play, learn or create.
6. Let the kids put on a production for you. If your kids are still young enough to enjoy a bit of dress up, they might just create their own little play or puppet show for you. While this might not be a Broadway play, the fun they will have is worth every moment patiently waiting for their “curtain” to rise on the stage. Have the kids make their own DIY Playhouse or Muppet Stage.
7. Entertainment Book – You can purchase an entertainment book for around $25. An entertainment book offers 100’s of coupons for savings in your local area. You will find savings on everything from ice cream, hotels, movies, amusement parks, eating out and much more. These savings add up very quickly!
–In the summertime, you can find over 50 free and frugal things to do with the kids!
8. Create movies together as a family. Have you considered doing something like making your own stop-motion video? This is a great way to save on entertainment while giving your kids a new skill. Toys are often the focus, specifically things like Lego’s & K’Nex. However, there are tons of ways you can create a movie together for entertainment without spending a dime out of pocket. You can also create your own staycation as a family with these tips: 8 Fabulous Ways To Save on Your Staycation
— Depending on your location, you may be able to find FREE or $5 Discount movies. Here in the Mid-Michigan area, you can check out all of the free/cheap discounts for movies here.
9. Look for Discounts and Discount Days– You can find discounts for almost any activity. You can check online for coupon codes and some activities offer you a discount if you pay online instead of in-person. Your local Costco, Chamber of Commerce and fast food restaurants normally have coupons for local entertainment. Museums, public swimming pools and amusement parks often have discount days. You can check their online calendar or call the facility and ask if they offer discount days. You might be surprised at how many discount days are available over the summer.
— And if you’re in the Mid-Michigan area, check out over 150 things you can do for FREE in the #lovelansing area! If you’re in the Grand Rapids area, you can check out 15 FREE things to do. For my Petoskey readers, find over 26 free things to do here!
10. Happy Hour – Bowling alleys, movies and public swimming pools often have times during the day when they offer a discount. Movie theaters often have matinée times. You can sometimes save up to 50% off the regular price by being flexible with the time of day you do an activity. During the summer time, kids can bowl for FREE, and Adult rates are also available dirt cheap!
11. Get a Season Pass – Buying a season pass can cost a lot up front but it can also provide you with year-long savings. If there a certain amusement park or zoo your family likes to visit, look into the pricing of a season pass. More times than not you can end up with significant savings by purchasing a season pass.
Plus always check out Deal Chicken, Half Off Depot, Groupon and Living Social! for great deals in your city!
These ways to save on entertainment are easy and manageable for any family. Many times, entertainment is as simple as reading a book together or going for a walk. Focus on the moment and less on how much it is costing. That is where real memories are made.
And for cheap travel, plan a trip to the Chicago area, you can find over 50 things to do for free while hanging out in the windy city!
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