Most of us are feeling the strain of a tightening economy.  Gasoline is expensive and some groceries twice the price of last summer are cutting into the bottom line.  But if your income hasn’t changed, is it possible to still keep a balanced budget?  The good new is yes, it is possible.  The bad news is, you will have to make some adjustments.

Now is a good time to pull out your family budget and evaluate just which categories are flexible

If you do not have a budget, keep an exact count of your spending for the next few weeks and determine  in which areas you can cut back.

For us, it is our household, grocery and entertainment budgets.  I am continuing to look for ways to cut back on our household and grocery spending, including making my own breads and pastas which I have not done in several years.  But I’ve found that the entertainment budget offers more than enough flexibility to cover the overage in our fuel budget.

We count entertainment as anything beyond the “normal” flow of activity

Eating out, day trips, even quick stops for a pack of gum go into our entertainment budget.   In the past, I’ve been able to stay on budget by rarely eating out and planning one to two big family activities a week (local carnival, take-out pizza, etc.).  We’ve rarely planned ahead for these types of expenditures simply because we knew we would be within budget.

For the last month, however, we have found it necessary to reduce our entertainment budget by half.  But with a good bit of planning and researching, we’re still having fun!

Here are my tips for entertaining on a reduced budget!

Movie night-  Check out your local library’s movies before you spend $15 at the theater or $5 at the movie store.  Our library has a huge selection of children’s, historical, documentaries and even popular and modern movies.  Make movie night an at home night for free.  (Or skip the movie, throw a blanket on the ground and watch the stars!)

Carnivals & Fairs- When the funnel cakes are calling and the five year-old keeps asking for “just one more ride!,” it is far too easy to drop $50 on what you thought would be a cheap local attraction.  Make a budget and stick to it!  We take cash for the exact amount we are willing to spend and leave our credit cards at home (there are ATMs everywhere!).  Let the kids know ahead of time that they will only be able to ride 2 rides each, or however many fits your budget.  Eat before you go and bring a drink with you.  Bring your lawnchairs or a blanket and take advantage of the free entertainment (the bands or people watching, whichever you prefer.)

Amusement Parks- We are planning a trip to a local amusement park later this summer.  A full price day for two adults and four children would be $178.75.  But by taking advantage of my husband’s hotel points card, he and I can get free tickets reducing the price to $98.85.  I still don’t want to pay that much, so I called the park directly (websites usually don’t show all available discounts).  I found out that with my son’s library card, he and three additional guests can get a 30% discount bringing the price down to $69.19. That is a much better discount than the $3 off a typical soda can offers, and one we can afford.  Be sure to ask for a listing of all available discounts, you may be surprised to find out what you qualify for!  And check your credit card and membership cards to see if you have enough points earned to score free tickets.  Just be sure to plan ahead, often times these tickets must be mailed to you.

Other local events- Check your local papers for free entertainment.  Some of our favorite trips have been to local festivals and concerts.  Our town has free children’s shows every Saturday night and free adult concerts (although perfectly safe for kids) on Sundays.  We bring a snack and a blanket and have a wonderful, often educational and free time!

Feast- Eating a meal I didn’t cook is an immense pleasure to this mom who cooks 3 square meals seven days a week.  But with six and 1/2 family members, eating out is a huge budget breaker.  We love to put the kids to bed after their simple meal and jointly cook a special dinner for two.  The sheer joy of eating shrimp without being interrupted or spilled on is indescribable.  For special family dinners, I make homemade pizzas where everyone can choose his/her own toppings.  For families with older children, letting the kids actually make their own would be a great option.  And on those rare occasions when we splurge for a babysitter, we hit Restaurant.com for deep discounts on local eateries.

Make your own- Picnics and lazy days at the park are the perfect, free summer entertainment.  Make a puppet stage and some puppets and watch their imaginations bloom.  Rediscover fishing, hiking and exploring, together!

We all may need to make adjustments in our spending to keep up with rising prices.  But, hopefully, you can take some of these suggestions and reduce your entertainment spending without reducing your fun!