If you watch any TV you will be led to believe that the only fun children can have involves the newest toy or the biggest theme park. Sure kids love those things, but they will have just as much fun playing with the box that fancy toy came in. I still buy toys for my daughter and pay for her to take gymnastics, but all of her other activities are completely FREE.
Our biggest resource of activities is the library. I seemed to have forgotten about this resource for awhile but familiarize myself with it again after having Emma. If you are on a limited budget the library is a great place to save some money while still having fun.
I used to love walking around the book store going through all the books. I would usually end up spending about $50 at each trip. Then after reading the books they would just sit somewhere taking up space until I gave them away. Now I just check a book out of the library and just return it when I am done. And it doesn’t cost me a thing. Plus it can all be done online now. So if I do not have time to look for a book I can find it online and have them pull and hold it for me. Could not be easier. Not sure of a good book to get, check out http://floridamuse.wordpress.com for some great book reviews.
Another great item to save money on is DVD rentals. They may not have as big of a selection as the movie store but again, it is free. Plus at my library they will show movies on days that kids are out of school. It gives kids something to do on their days off without emptying your wallet.
The library also offers some great classes and activities. I take my daughter to a playgroup and also story time. The playgroup runs throughout the school year and was a great opportunity for my daughter to play with other kids and also for me to meet other moms in the area. Emma also really loves story time. They read books, sing songs, dance and have crafts.
The classes are not just limited to kids. They offer a lot of great classes for all ages. There are different craft classes and gardening classes. There is definitely something for everyone.
So before spending money on activities or classes, head over to your local library and find out what they have going on. Your library card might just save you more money then all those other discount cards combined.
Jennifer Billy
