Being a single parent means you may have double the responsibility for meeting your children's varied needs. This may be true if the other parent is deceased or not actively or regularly involved in the kids' lives.
One aspect of family life you don't want to neglect is entertainment. Everyone needs to have fun, especially in potentially stressful situations where money and time are tight. If your entertainment dollars are few, here are some options that you may want to consider:
1. Go skating. Many roller or ice skating rinks are inexpensively priced. The cost is even lower if you can purchased used or discount skates. Take the family for an afternoon of skating indoors, or perhaps rent or buy cheap skates and go roller blading in the park. Everyone will have a great time and get a good dose of exercise for a low price.
2. Take in a matinee. If you've seen all the latest video store releases and gone through the library's repertoire of free rentals, you may be looking for more recent films to see. But with the prohibitive cost of movie theaters, this may seem more like a dream than reality. Another option is to catch a matinee at a lower-priced neighborhood theater. While not all the major films are shown there, some of the popular recent releases are, so take the kids for a dollar or two each and have a good time.
3. Have a bowl. Er, ball that is. Check out the family specials at your local bowling alley. Some offer great weekend rates for families or kids. If you can pick up some used or inexpensive bowling shoes, the cost goes even lower, making this an affordable fun way to spend family time together.
4. Read at the bookstore. That's right, bookstore, not library. Visit one of the brand name bookstore chains that have a coffee bar. For the price of a cup of tea, hot chocolate, or coffee, you can sit at the cafe tables and browse at no cost all the books and magazines you care to read. Just be careful not to spill anything on the pages or damage the works in any way. Most bookstores welcome this kind of patronage and even keep a bin in the cafe for returning materials that have been read so staff can restock them.
5. Join the nat. Many communities offer natatorium or YMCA memberships that, if affordable, provide year-round family programs for health and entertainment. Even if you can't afford an entire year-long membership, you can purchase individual program memberships for swimming or exercise classes, running or basketball privileges, etc. Find out which services are available, along with their cost, and sign up early, as classes fill fast.
6. Start a video exchange club. At your children's school or in your neighborhood, see if several families want to sign up for an exchange program of video and music exchanges. This is a great way to share resources and save money, as long as everyone respects the shared property and returns it in good condition. You may want to approach others for membership that you trust with the same values as you hold to avoid having things lost, forgotten, or damaged.
7. Take in a garage sale. Set a date on a nice seasonal day to take the kids to a few local sales. Give them a couple dollars apiece to buy whatever they want. They'll enjoy their newfound prosperity and customer status while not doing any great damage to the family budget.
With a little ingenuity, the family budget can be stretched to provide creative fun for all. Just take a few minutes to sit down and plan, getting input from the kids, and you'll soon be off on an exciting expedition!
