good, clean, cheap, fun

I love money saving tips. Maybe it's because I am a budget maniac with 10+ Excel spreadsheets and pie charts or maybe it's because I'm still freaked out about buying a house...

...nah! I was like this loong before Tuesday! : )

Ok, here are my favorite forms of inexpensive, fun entertainment:

1.) The Dollar Theater : This is my favorite cheap find! The movie ticket is honestly a dollar. just 100 pennies. The movies at the dollar theater have typically been out of the expensive theaters for a week or so. I go as far as to wait to see movies until they hit the dollar theater. I check the movie listings every Friday (they last all week) and then plan when D and I will go. A trip to this theater is a great, cheap date.

2.) Game Night : Cliche right? Not so much! I love to have friends over for game night. As a young twenty something this is still novel and fun...so take advantage! I enjoy spending quality time with my friends and family, throw in a few snacks, maybe some beer, and it's a party. You could set up a regular game night once a week or every two weeks and rotate different games so it doesn't get old. I love it.

3.) Wine Tasting : We have local wine store that has a wine tasting every Friday night for $5. That price includes 4 4oz wine pours and hearty appetizers. It's a wonderful way to expand your palette (I am now a bonifide red wine drinker) and to start the weekend on the right foot.

4.) Fairs, Festivals, and BINGO? : No kidding. I am addicted to the weekend edition of our newspaper. I am so cheap that I go as far as to check it online instead of spending $.50 on a real live newspaper. I am always pleasantly surprised by the number of activities going on in my community.

Saturday D and I are headed to the county fair. Admission is $7. I checked the paper and found a $2 off coupon. I printed off two and now D and I are going to the fair for as little as $10. yay!

In October D and I will spend a day at an apple orchard/pumpkin patch/corn maze. Again, it's a whole day of activities, we are making traditions, and admission is $4 per person. Good, clean fun.

Last May my friend R and I decided to randomly try out church BINGO. It was so much fun. We just bought the regular BINGO card for $6, a BINGO marker for $1, and fresh popcorn for $1.50. Neither of us were winners, but we were supporting the church, and had a great time.

5.) Picnic in the Park : We are blessed to have numerous well-kept parks within the city limits of our town. When we moved here D and I made it a "competition" to try out each park. Now on nice days or evening, we pack a lunch/dinner and head to the park. Sometimes it's just sandwiches, sometimes it's Wendy's. Whatever the case, eating in the park and taking a quick (or leisurely) walk is a change of pace and seems like a treat....a cheap treat.

Alright you know my tips for cheap entertainment. What are yours?

-h