Are you looking for ways to increase your monthly savings or maybe you just want to have a relaxing weekend? Try doing a “no spend weekend” or week, whichever works better for you and your family. I believe the weekend, only being two days, is a small commitment that is manageable.

Set a time frame that works for you.

The basics of a no spend weekend is exactly what is sounds like. You eliminate spending for a weekend on all outings and extra spending. Of course, you may have to purchase gas, medications or needed grocery items, but we are focusing on the extra spending.

This means no dining out, going to movies, shopping, buying drinks, etc… Now don’t let this get you down.  There are many fun activities that you and your family can do during the weekend that requires no money spending!

Before you begin a no-spend weekend, I encourage you to sit down with your family and come up with a plan and ideas you would like to do. Meal planning and checking your pantry for all items you will need is helpful in preparing for a no-spend weekend.

If you have never had a no-spend weekend, I encourage you to try it.

Sit down with your family and create a plan for your weekend with fun activities that you may have never tried before. As a bonus, with the money you would have spent you can now put towards paying debt or a monthly savings!

Here are some ideas that you and your family can do on your no-spend weekend.

1.) Hike

Try and find a new trail or somewhere you have never been.  You can even make a day out of it and bring packed lunches and snacks!

2.) Watch a movie

Go through your movie collection and re-watch one of your favorite movies. You can even search on Netflix or Amazon Prime Video for a free new movie.

3.) Make a new recipe

Look through your pantry and fridge for the items you have on hand and search Pinterest for some fun, new recipes.

4.) Go to the library

Go and search for a book that you have been wanting to read or find something that sparks your interest. Most libraries will also have kids time such as storytelling and crafts. As a bonus, you can even rent movies from the library to take home.

5.) Have a pot luck

Have your friends and family over for a pot luck. Ask each person to bring a dish of their choosing. Having a no-spend weekend doesn’t mean that you must be cooped up in your house.

6.) Camp outside

If the weather is permitting, pitch a tent in your backyard and camp outside!

7.) Play games

Try pulling out some board games that you may have not played in a while.  If board games are not your thing, then play video games.

8.) Volunteer

Use your time to volunteer for a cause that means something to you. Serve food a soup kitchen or play with animals at your local animal shelter.

9.) Visit a park

If your children get restless being at home, then try going to a nearby park. My children would play for hours at a park and never be bored!

10.) De-clutter

Use this time to go through your home and ditch items that are no longer being used.  You can even sell items and make extra cash.

Enjoy this time together. Try to relax and enjoy the simple things.

I would love to hear your ideas for no-spend activities!

With Valentine’s day right around the corner, I know many of you will be trying to come up with some ways to show your partner you care.  Valentine’s day can be one of those holidays where costs can add up quickly.  Dinner, movie, gifts and more can easily add up to over $100!

I wanted to create a list of Valentine’s Day date ideas that are fun, romantic and budget friendly!

1. Romantic indoor picnic

Think of a romantic outdoor picnic and simply recreate the scene anywhere in your home.  Bring out the blankets, candles, pillows and picnic basket.  You can even get extra creative, hang some string lights and make your own “fort” in front of your fireplace!

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2. Drive in movie theater

Drive in movie theaters are not commonly thought of for a movie date, but why not?  I love the idea of being in the car, bringing your own snacks (or grab some at concessions) and cuddling with some blankets while watching one of the newest flicks.  Our local drive-in theaters generally cost about $7-$10 per person.  Many theaters even have areas if you wish to camp outside instead of being in your car.  Great way to think out of the bubble!

3. Breakfast in bed

Don’t have time to do a romantic date later in the evening?  This is a creative way to spend time with your partner and not have to spend much.  I love to make themed pancakes for special holidays so heart shaped pancakes are absolutely on my list for Valentine’s day! Check out the post below for some great food inspiration.

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4. Ice skating

How fun would this be during the winter time?  I feel like winter is made for ice skating and bundling up. Depending on where you live, you may have an outdoor ice skating area. If not, check to see if your area has an indoor ice skating.

Most ice skating prices average around $10 for both admission and skate rental.  For under $20  you could have a night or day full of fun.

5. Painting classes

You may have seen these advertised as “Wine and Design” classes for women, many of these places offer date nights.  Especially around Valentine’s Day, you will be able to find a lot of partner classes with discounts.  One of the local classes in my area is offering buy one get one for their designated “date night” the Friday before Valentine’s Day. Hint. Hint.

6. Indoor S’mores

Who says s’mores is a only summer time treat?  S’mores is one of my favorite desserts year-round and they are so easy to make. If you have a fireplace, then set up camp and enjoy. If not, check out this awesome idea on how to make s’mores with no fireplace.

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7. Outdoor Hike/Walk

This is a great way to spend one on one time with your partner while enjoying the outdoors (and burning some calories!). If hiking and going for walks is an activity you already do together, then try a different park or venture out into a new hiking trail! I’m not sure if it’s just me, but something about walking outdoors really pushes out great conversations.

8. Comedy Club

Love to laugh? Imagine spending your evening next to your partner sharing laughter. One things for sure, it’ll be a fun night! Get ready to share smiles. Many comedy clubs in my area cost $10 or less for tickets.  Of course, if it is a more well-known comedian you may pay a little more.

9. Homemade pizza family night

Planning on spending Valenines Day with the kids?  This is an excellent idea to include everyone…and to be honest who doesn’t love pizza?  Check out this awesome idea for a family pizza bar designed for valentine’s day.

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10. Family gift exchange

A family gift exchange is another great option if you plan to spend the holiday with your family.  This is a great way to incorporate everyone in the family in the spirit of the holiday.  You can have each family member create a homemade card and exchange it using the same style as secret Santa.

Do you have your own budget friendly date idea?  Share with me in the comments!  I would love to hear each of your creative date ideas!

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It is the beginning of a new year, which means most people are going to be ready to shed a few extra holiday pounds (or 10…but whose counting). If you are like me, having a gym membership is really not worth it with a demanding work schedule and two little ones at home. Or maybe you do not have it in your budget to spend on a monthly gym membership. My husband and I recently decided to cancel our gym membership and to try and focus on different activities that we could do within the home or outside to stay active without spending money.

1.) Exercise outside.

This one may seem like a no-brainier, but if you are like me and live where it gets pretty chilly in the Winter then this one may be a little difficult to achieve. Some of you may be luckily enough to live in Florida or California climates and if so then get outside and enjoy!  If you have children, take them on a long walk or jog in the stroller. We have a double stroller so its pretty much the equivalent of adding 100 additional pounds to your walk(insert muscle emoji here).

When Spring and Summer rolls around my family pretty much stays outside whether we are at the local pool,  hiking, biking or even taking the dog walking. I even saw a local stroller work out class that includes your child and stroller at a nearby park.  How neat! Exercise is the time to get creative without going broke!

2.) YouTube videos.

You can go purchase the latest craze workout video such as p90x or Insanity (which may cost you a pretty penny). But, you can also search on YouTube for different work out videos that are suited to your style of exercise. I personally love yoga.  It calms me after a long day, but yoga is also great for strengthening and toning! I found an excellent YouTube channel called Yoga with Adriene that I use a couple times a week.

3.) Purchase home equipment.

If you are thinking about purchasing any home workout equipment, January is the month that you will see most sales for these items. If you are like me and stick to only a few machines when you go to the gym (treadmill & elliptical) then you may want to consider purchasing your own machine instead of paying a gym monthly for the same machine. A few years ago we decided to purchase a treadmill to use at home and searched Craigslist and were able to get a very nice treadmill that normally would have sold for over $500.00 for only $75.00 in excellent condition!

4.) Discounted gym memberships.

If the gym atmosphere is more of your style then find a local gym that is offering sign up discounts.  January is definitely the month to find some pretty steep discounts as many people are looking to join a gym for the new year. Some gyms offer monthly memberships for as little as $10/month. You can also, ask your gym to waive your sign up fee. It doesn’t hurt asking.

5.) Gadgets.

Did you know your FitBit and Apple Watch can do more than just count your steps? For Father’s Day, I surprised my husband with a Fitbit Blaze watch. As the fitness fanatic that he is, the gadget became his back up exercise routine. Many watches like the Fitbit Blaze, offer free exercise programs on the  watch itself. So instead of heading to the gym or even going outside for a run, use your watch as a workout program in your own home.

6.) Instagram and Pinterest.

Just in case you didn’t know, Instagram and Pinterest are hands down awesome places to find workout programs and routines. Often you can find personal trainers, fitness professionals, or wellness gurus giving away endless amounts of exercise programs on their pages. Each program provides you with pictures and videos of the exercises in a step-by-step fashion. You can have a personal trainer at the tip of your fingers!

I am a firm believer in not paying full price for children’s clothes.  My children grow out of sizes every other week and if they are not growing out of clothes they are getting food, dirt, glue and any other liquid imaginable on their clothes. Why would I want to pay full price for something that will probably not last a year?!? Here are ways that I personally save money when purchasing clothing items for my children.

Clearance:

Target. I know I say this all the time, but this is literally THE best store for all deals! Sure, you can go into the baby/toddler section in Target and spend $30.00 on one outfit, but if you know how to shop you can spend $4.00 on the same outfit at the right time! Target is known to mark clothes down to 70% and sometimes as low at 90%.

I always make a habit of checking the children/baby clothing clearance section each time I am in Target, which is about 4 times a week…but who is counting? Baby and toddler clothing generally will get marked down on Tuesdays and sometimes will get marked down with seasonal markdowns if the clothing is related to the season. You will not always find clothing marked down this low, but most of the time you can find clothing at least marked to 30%-50% off the original price.

Walmart. I am not a frequent Walmart shopper, but they do have some good mark downs occasionally when it comes to children’s clothing. If you are a frequent Walmart shopper I would suggest at least browsing the children’s clothing section for mark downs. Search for the yellow balloons or signs labeled “clearance”.

Thrift/Consignment stores:

This one is a no brainer, but I know many people are a little weary to go into thrift and consignment stores if they have never been in one.  You can find children’s clothes that cost upwards of $40-$50 brand new for $1-$3 gently used!

Yes, I will agree these stores can be overwhelming when you first walk in, but once you master how each store works you can be in and out in no time. The most common thrift store that most people are familiar with is Goodwill (which is one of my favorites), but most areas have their own local thrift stores as well.

My rule of thumb when shopping at thrift or consignment stores is to only buy brands that you are familiar with and you know will last. I also only buy clothing that are VERY gently worn. I have found so many brand new children’s clothes with the tags still on them at thrift stores.

Many thrift and consignment stores will also have special discounts, clearance and other promotional savings that can help you save even more money. One of the local children’s consignment stores in my area will have a clearance event twice a year where they mark down the previous season clothing to make room for the upcoming season. If you wait until the end of the promotion they will mark the clothes down up to 90%. That is 90% off the already reduced pricing! I have gotten jeans, shirts, and jackets for as low as .25 cents! How awesome is that?!?

Yard Sales:

Yes. Yes. I know. Yard sales are not for you, but I will hands down say that this is where you will find the BEST deals on clothes! Generally most people that are selling items at yard sales are just wanting to get rid of their items and make a little money and realistically what they don’t sale will probably be donated to a thrift store.

I remember driving by a yard sale later in the day and seeing a box outside labeled “free stuff”. This was the same yard sale that I had stopped by earlier in the morning. People selling items often do it to create more space and decrease clutter.

I have found so many high brand clothes for both of my children for around .25 cents- $1.00 per item.

Buying in advance:

Any frugal shopper will tell you that when you find rock bottom prices on items you buy as many as possible until the next sale. The same is to be said for clothing. When I find rock bottom prices on children’s clothing I will buy a few sizes up for each kid so when they grow out of their shoes I simply pull the next size out of storage instead of going to the store to pay full price.

(Side Note: I keep storage bins in my attic for each of my children labeled with sizes that I can go “shopping in” when they need clothes instead of heading to the store).

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