20 Family Activities That Are Under $20

Every summer it feels like our only family activity options involve spending $50 or more, so I am always trying to find fun things for the family to do without blowing up the budget. Here are 20 things that a family of four can do for under $20.  This list has a few specifics to Sonoma County, but I'm sure you can find similar activities in your area as well.

1. Go Down To The River (Cost: Gas$) - There are several Russian River beaches that are free.  Pack a lunch and some water related activities to have an afternoon of family fun.  My favorite free beach is in Monte Rio. If you have $13 to spend, you can rent a canoe for an hour. 
2. Head To The Beach (Cost: Gas$ + Parking$) - What better way to spend a day with the family than the beach trip.  It is also a great way to beat the heat if you live in Sonoma or Marin counties.
3. Swimming (Cost: under $20) - Swim sessions are expensive, but the whole family can go to the pool once this summer for less than $20. Check out your local pool rec times and prices and go have a blast.  You can get really thrifty if you know someone with a pool; now your outing just became free.
4. Golden Gate Park (Cost: Gas$+Toll$) - Go into the city and spend a day at Golden Gate Park.  There are many things to do there and you can find free parking.  Bring a few bicycles and ride around, or ride the free shuttle on weekends. You will need to pay for gas and The GG Bridge toll as well as any attractions you want to enjoy.
5. Farmer's Market (Cost: $0-$20) - Your local Farmer's market is a great outing.  You can often get Kettle corn for little money, then check out the booths and local entertainment.
6. Family Bike Ride and Picnic (Free) - Get out and ride to your local park to have a picnic with the family.  You can get family time and exercise all in one.
7. Apple Picking (Cost: under $20) - Go with the family to pick some apples from a local farm.  Prices are around $2 per pound, so you can get enough apples for the next couple weeks for under $20)
8. Visit the Library (Cost: Free) - Get yourself a library card and check out a few books for the kids to read.  Most Libraries have reading programs that allow the kids to earn points and prizes.  If all else fails, you can even rent a movie from the Library and try the next activity.
9. Movie Night In (Cost: $0-$1.29) - Don't go out to the movies, have movie night in.  Pop some popcorn and head down to Redbox to get yourself a movie.  It's not as great as being outdoors, but sometimes you just need a night in.
10. Movie Night Out (Cost: $14) - 3rd Street Cinemas in Santa Rosa shows movies for $3.50.  If you want the theater experience and don't mind watching a movie that has been out for a while, pack up the family for a movie experience that costs less than $20.
11. Movies In The Park (Cost: Free) - If you can't get enough movies, look for a local movie in the park. Your next family movie night is just a Google search away.
12. Free Concert (Cost: Free) - There are a lot of places to go for free concerts.  Take the family and experience some live music.  Click Here for a list of Sonoma County outdoor concerts.  There you will find free and paid concerts to choose from.
13. Howarth Park (Cost: $0-$20) - This park has various activities to choose from for little or no money.  You can ride a train, or even take a pony ride.  If you bring your bikes, you can ride around the lake for free as well.
14. Get Dessert Downtown (Cost: under $20) - Take some time to window shop downtown and get dessert with the family.  Downtown Petaluma has several places to stop for a dessert, with Powell's being the ultimate candy experience.
15. Backyard Camping (Cost: under $20) - Set-up your very own campground in the back yard.  Get out the tent and sleeping bags, get hot dogs and smore's for the BBQ and spend the night under the stars.
16. Random Acts of Kindness (Cost: under $20) - Show a random act of kindness as a family.  It could be anything from helping a friend move to going (as a family) to the grocery store to put together a $20 food box, then giving it to a homeless person.  Get creative and have fun while teaching your child(ren) about generosity.
17. The County Fair (Cost: around $20) - This will be difficult to bring in under $20, but it is possible.  The Sonoma County Fair has pre-sale discount tickets of $8 per adult and children 12 and under are free on Fridays.  That doesn't give you a lot to spend while you are there, but there are various shows and exhibits that you can see for free. Update: Donate blood at Blood Centers of The Pacific (Santa Rosa Facility) and receive a free entry to the The 2014 Fair.  Offer ends 8/8/14.
18. Shop The Dollar Store (Cost under $20) - Go to the dollar store as a family and pick out games you can play together.  They sometimes have puzzles and other activities, or you can make up your own games.  $20 goes a long way.  It's also a great place to get treats for some of the other activities on this list.
19. Chuck E Cheese's (Smaller Kids) (Cost: $5-$20) - If you have little ones, there are few things that they enjoy more than Chuck E Cheese's.  You can get a few tokens and let them loose.  Hints: They will charge $0.33 for each token, but the machines will take quarters, so ask for quarters or bring your own.  You can also buy the little toys at the end of your time there at an exchange rate of 100 tickets per $1.
20. Check Your Community Calendar (Cost: $0-$20) - If you still need things to do, events are listed on your local community calendar.  Who knows, you might find something new to do that won't cost you a penny.  Check out the Sonoma County Event Calendar.

Your family can have fun without spending a ton of money.  If you do everything on this list, you will be pushing $400 for the entire summer, but if you do one a week, you will have plenty to and still have money for groceries at the end of the month.  If you need help finding the money to do family activities, check out my Budgeting Basics blog post and start getting the most out of your money.

5 Essentials For Debt-Free Vacation Planning

My family and I just returned from a Disneyland vacation that could have easily turned into a vacation we'd continue to pay for long after our return.  We work so hard all year, the last thing we want is to still be paying off our last vacation when it's time for the next one.  Here are the five essentials to having a fun, debt free vacation.

1. Save for It - Saving up for your vacation will not only keep you from going into debt, but  having worked hard to make it happen will actually allow you to enjoy it more.  In addition, you will not feel any guilt over racking up more debt.
2. Choose Wisely - Carefully determine how much you can or want to spend on your vacation and choose a vacation that is appropriate to that amount.  $500 may get you a vacation camping in a state park for 5 days, but a trip to Disneyland will run you $1,500 or more.  Want to go to Europe?  That will be thousands.  To help determine the appropriate vacation, use the next step.
3. Budget Everything - I know that it seems like drudgery to create a budget, and besides it's a vacation!  If you don't want your vacation to turn into a money fight for its entirety, not to mention the months that follow it, you had better make a budget.  Don't forget the little details like gas or tips, it's these things that add up quick.  Once you have a budget, you can determine if that particular vacation is right for you.
4. Leave Room for the Unexpected - Something will come up that you had not planned for. It could be something like a flat tire or an unexpected stop to see the largest ball of twine.  Things will come up and it's a bummer to say no to every unexpected thing, so leave some room in the budget for them.
5. Track All Spending - You have to do this in order to keep within your budget. The simplest way to track expenses is to track only that day.  Know exactly how much you need for the day and track that so you don't go over. The easiest way to track your spending is with cash, but many of us are worried about carrying a lot of cash around with us.  You have two options, you can just hit the ATM and get the cash you need for the day, or you can carefully track each purchase to ensure you are not going over.

These five things are essential for anyone that doesn't want bills to follow them home.  Though the planning feels a lot like work, you will have a lot more relaxing vacation and feel great about it when you return home.

The Giving Paradox: 5 Reasons Why Giving Benefits You

We have all heard that it is better to give than receive, but why is that?  Is there some magical reason that giving might allow us to receive more blessing?  How is it "What goes around, comes around"?

The reality is that systematic giving, such as tithing, can actually be a blessing to you.  Though we don't give in order to receive, giving is truly an investment, not only in this life but the next.  In Matthew 6:21, Jesus says, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  Perhaps there is something that happens in our hearts when we give that sets us up to perceive and receive God's blessing.

Here are five reasons why giving blesses us:

1. Giving takes the focus off ourselves - When we are so focused on ourselves that we are unyielding with the resources God entrusted to us, it affects the way we interact with others.  Others will pick up on our inward focus and be less likely to trust us.  This will affect our ability to create the needed connections in the marketplace that will help us succeed.
2. Giving feels good - When we spend money on ourselves, the euphoria does not last long and soon we are left with remorse over wasting money on something that didn't actually make a lasting difference.  If you used that same money on others, you will get the same euphoria, but are not left with remorse because you actually made a lasting contribution.  This affects your own self confidence because you feel good about the choices you are making, which in turn affects how you approach your career and are likely to use that confidence to take bold steps forward in life.
3. Giving draws us close to God - The initial step of deciding to give 10% of our income requires a lot of trust in God.  This step allows us to trust in Him rather than in our money, talents, or abilities.  We all trust people that we have close and intimate relationship with.  You can't have intimacy without trust, and I promise that trusting God will help develop your intimacy with God.
4. Giving creates opportunities - God promises that He will pour out blessing on us when we give and this is usually in the form of opportunities.  It's the sudden promotion, that new client, or the unexpected gift.  Look around you, givers tend to have more opportunities.  At a minimum, it will help you see the blessings in your life because you are not focused on yourself and your negative circumstances.  A few of God's promises regarding giving are found here: Malachi 3:10-11; Luke 6:38; Matthew 7:7-12
5. Giving develops contentment - A giver tends to be comfortable with their current stuff level.  Because you have taken the focus off yourself, you will begin to realize your significance, rely on God, see opportunities clearly, and be less likely to try and seek significance in the accumulation of things.  You'll know that the high of the next purchase cannot compare with that of giving, and you will no longer try to impress your friends and neighbors because it doesn't compare with the intimacy you now have with God. Besides, when you aren't spending everything you make, you are able to invest it and build wealth for the future. 

God has blessed my family in all five ways listed above.  There are many more reasons why giving is a great benefit to yourself and others, but hopefully these five are enough to get you excited about tapping into your generosity potential.  Please remember that the true reason to give is not to bless ourselves, but to bless others.  The giving paradox is that when we give expecting nothing in return, we often receive a great blessing.

If you want to be generous, you will need a plan.  Check out my post about budgeting and debt to really maximize your giving potential!

We Are On The Same Team! - Marriage and the budget

Financial arguments are sited as the number one reason for divorce.  With the help of Dave Ramsey, I want to give you three quick tips to get you and your spouse on the same team and rowing in the same direction when it comes to spending, saving, and debt.

1. You need to see yourselves as one unit - You cannot just ignore the financial issues by setting up separate checking accounts and hope that the problems go away.  If you can see yourselves as one and on the same team, it will help eliminate competition and resentment toward each other in the area of finances.
2. Get on a budget - I know at least one of you in the relationship thinks "budget" is a bad word, but it is the only thing that will reduce the friction and give you peace of mind.  Budgets are just telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went.  It does not mean that you can no longer buy things for yourself, it just means that you planned for it at the beginning of the month.  For more help on getting a budget started, check out my blog post Budget Basics: Taking the pain out of budgeting.
3. Set up a monthly meeting - At the beginning of  the month, sit down and decide on the budget.  One of you will prepare the rough draft.  Let the nerd in the relationship handle this, and if you are reading this blog, it's probably you!  Once the rough budget has been created, you have a meeting (no longer than 17 minutes) with your spouse and ask them to change at least one thing.  Both of you need to have a say in your spending otherwise one of you will feel like you are in prison.  The only stipulation is that the budget has to balance.  If your spouse wants to take $100 from groceries to spend on date night, let them.  If you use my budget basics, you will be on a cash system and can't overspend.

With those simple tools, you will hopefully start moving in the same direction.  Just know that there will still be friction and a lot of adjustments to the budget as you figure this out, but at least you will be working toward your goal of financial health.