The Budget Diet

A diet for your wallet...not your waistline!

Category : Cheap Dates

This is a guest post written by Tom Tessin. He runs FindCashBackCards, a cash back credit cards site helping those save with the best reward cards on the market today. Thanks for these summer fun ideas for fun on a budget!

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The summer is generally the best time to get out and about for any type of entertainment. Whether you want to go on vacation, or hang around the neighborhood, if you’re like me, you probably want to save some money on your entertainment expenses and summer fun.

I wanted to list 8 things that I generally do during the summer that cost me next to nothing. The best thing about it is that I have a blast doing it and it’s not going to hurt the pocketbook!

Camping –
You just can’t go wrong with camping. It’s next to nothing to get all of your supplies and no matter where you go, the overnight fees aren’t going to be that much for you to handle. A campground near me only costs around $15 a night and it’s near the water!

Head to the beach –
No matter where you live, there is probably a beach somewhere nearby. Even if it is 2-3 hours a way, you can make a little road trip around it. Grab your towels, sand shovels, and pack a lunch. Enjoy the water and take it easy.

The park –
Every state has a park and if you haven’t been to one lately, research one near you that you can head to. Take a hike, have a picnic, or maybe even visit the museum if they have one on site. It’s not only an educational experience; it’s not going to break the bank.

Visit family and friends –
Everyone has family and friends, right? Set up a date in the future to visit them. It’s a great time to visit, chat, as well as hopefully stay there for free. Don’t overstay your welcome though!

Take a “home” vacation –
What I mean by this is to check out all of the destinations around your home. There have to be things that you overlook since they are nearby. Places like zoos, museums, tourist based things, and more are things to head out to.

Look for events –
Your newspaper, as well as sites such as Craigslist has a great free events section. There may be a fair, an expo or something else that may peak your interest. Keep your eyes peeled to see what’s happening in your town.

The library –
Sure, it sounds boring to some, but you will be surprised at how many things you can do at the library. Be sure to check out their events page to see what’s happening during the month. It’s also a great place to wind down and read or even surf the web.

Scour the web for deals –
There are a lot of deal based sites online such as Travelzoo, as well as others. If you want to spend a certain amount on a weekly, or even a weekend based vacation, see if you can find some deals there.

These are just a few of the fun on a budget ideas that you can use this summer or during any season. Be creative, know how much time you’re going to have on your hands, as well as how much you want to spend. When you have this information, let’s hope you can have some fun on a budget!

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Photo courtesy of Free Web Photos
 

It’s official…summer is halfway over!

Here’s a summer fun checklist to make sure you’re enjoying all the simple pleasures summer has to offer! Even better, most offer fun on a budget!

  1. backyard campout
  2.  

  3. lemonade stand
  4.  

  5. picnic in the park
  6.  

  7. reading a book by the pool
  8.  

  9. homemade ice cream
  10.  

  11. playing in the sprinklers
  12.  

  13. cookout
  14.  

  15. stargazing
  16.  

  17. a lazy summer day
  18.  

  19. a trip to the farmers market
  20.  

  21. berry picking
  22.  

  23. a walk on the beach
  24.  

  25. watching the sunset
  26.  

  27. playing croquet
  28.  

  29. eating watermelon
  30.  

  31. catching fireflies
  32.  

So…how many of summer’s simple pleasures have you taken advantage of? Go out and have some family fun this weekend!

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Looking for fun on a budget?

Groupon.com features awesome deals on fun things to do in your city! You’ll find great restaurants, spas, events, activities, classes, and more all at 50-90% off!

Find Today’s Daily Deal on Your City’s Best Things To Do!

A couple of the recent deals in Houston…

Thanks to Andrew Salmon for these cheap date ideas…keep them in mind for a first date, a fun date or a free date night!

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These days when you open your wallet you might hear it scream in distress. Yes, money is tight and we’re all feeling the pinch. But that doesn’t mean we have to skimp on the fun! There’s a whole world out there that doesn’t cost a fortune to enjoy. Here are seven cheap date ideas, and you won’t look cheap.

1. Bicycling Meant For Two

If you’re someone who normally drives when you need to speak to your next door neighbor, then this affordable date idea is for you. Seeing your town from a bicycle is a wonderful experience and it doesn’t cost a thing! Bicycling with a date is a great way to get to know each other or rekindle past romance. With the endorphins putting you in a good mood and a fresh perspective on your hometown, you’ll have a lot of fun exploring, shopping and soaking up the fresh air. It’s a free date idea!

2. Dinner Chez Vous

Eating at home doesn’t sound too exciting but it can be. Instead of taking out a frozen steak, either with your date, or before they arrive, go to town whipping up a hearty dinner to share. Take it out to the patio, the dining room table – heck, eat on the windowsill. You’re guaranteed a meal you’ll remember.

3. Walk And Roll

Going for long walks is a great way to have a date without breaking the bank. Observe the world going by, talk and plan your future or just shoot the breeze. In the end, it will bring you and your date closer together…another free date idea!

4. Let The Games Begin

People used to play board games. They really did. And a lot of the games were fun. They really were. So why not haul out some old favorites and have at it. If you haven’t played them in years, this will be something of a new experience or at least your perspective on the games will have changed. Regardless, they can be a fun way to spend a rainy afternoon, and it’s FREE!

5. Home Theater

This can be a fun competition, and you’ll need to start early. Each of you selects a movie you really want your partner to see. It can be merely a personal favorite of yours or something equally meaningful. The fun here is to try and figure out why your date picked it. Sounds like a fun date idea!

6. Park It Here

A lot of parks sit empty these days. Why not do something about it? Be a kid again! Swing those swings, dig that sand, spin that carousel. You and your date can have a lot of fun remembering the wonderful days of childhood. How about the park for a first date idea?

7. Fleas Please

Who doesn’t love to shop? And shopping loves company. So you and your date should head out to your town’s flea market. Hunt for treasures together or split up for an hour to rustle up that special oddity you can compare when you meet up later. Who knows you might just get lucky and find a real treasure to go with the treasured memories. Flea markets = cheap dates!

This article written by Andrew Salmon from LifeCover.ca – a Canadian life insurance site.

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Did you know that most museums offer FREE museum days?

Check your local museums for their free admission days & keep those dates in mind for FREE FUN for the family or a cheap date!

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Cheap Thrills – Cheap Dates and Family Fun on a Budget!

If you’re looking for something fun to do, check out Groupon.com! Find Today’s Daily Deal on Your City’s Best Things To Do!

Groupon offers a new deal everyday on something fun to do in your city like huge restaurant discounts, spa discounts and entertainment discounts. Think cheap date! Think family fun on a budget! Here’s how it works…

    #1. If you like the deal of the day for your city, click on it.

    #2. If enough people want to buy the deal of the day…your credit card will be charged. If enough people don’t want to buy the deal of the day…you are not charged anything.

    Businesses love it because they get lots of new customers. You’ll love it for the savings!

    If you have Groupon success story that you’d like to share, please reply below. Thanks!

    A couple of the recent deals in Houston were:

    * $25 for 18 holes & cart rental at Houston National Golf Club (savings of $41!)

    * $20 for a class at Painting With A Twist (savings of $15 – $25!)

    Check it out today, and you just might find something fun to do this weekend at a great price!

    Happy Weekend!

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11 Great Cheap Dates at Home

Need some cheap date ideas?

    Wine Tasting Night: Discover your new favorite cheap wine! Buy a few bottles, cover them in brown paper bags, taste & rate!

    Beer Tasting Night: Just like wine tasting, but for the beer lover!

    Cooking Night: Stop watching the food channel & start cooking…together! Next…enjoy your meal by candlelight!

    Couples Massage: Check out an instructional book or video and relax! Make sure to create a spa atmosphere at home by dimming the lights, adding candlelight and soft music or nature sounds.

    Game Night: Pull out a few board games and make silly bets like the loser has to do the dishes all week!

    Puzzle Time: Tackle a puzzle together by the fire & enjoy hot chocolate

    Wii: Challenge your spouse to wii sports like bowling or golf!

    Travel the World from Home: Start dreaming about your next vacation! Pick up a few brochures from your travel agent, surf travel sites or watch the travel channel together. Kick it up a notch by preparing a meal from your dream vacation destination…Key Lime Pie anyone?

    Photo Albums: Look at old photo albums and bring back memories! How about your wedding album?

    Romantic Movie: Rent a romantic movie! My personal favs? Love Actually, Notting Hill, Sleepless in Seattle and Mamma Mia.

    Champagne and Chocolate Covered Strawberries: Just like at a fancy hotel, curl up in bed and enjoy a romantic movie with champagne and chocolate covered strawberries.

    Hopefully these ideas will get you thinking about more romantic at home date nights…enjoy!

    Please share your ideas for cheap dates at home!

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    Photo courtesy of Free Web Photos

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