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Instead of purchasing ornaments and decorations for your tree and home, why not make some?  You can use the old salt dough, cut it with holiday themed cookie cutters, and let it air dry.  Decorate these, paint them, add some sizzle and hang them up or give them to friends and family to hang on their trees/in their homes!

Another idea from a reader is to use acorns and paint Santa faces on them for Christmas, or witches faces for Halloween (with the tops as hats!)

Being creative for every holiday, with your gifts, ornaments and decoration is not only a fantastic way to save money, it is also great family fun!

A great way to have fun and teach your children the value of helping others is to volunteer. Find a program that helps others and join in the helping along with your family. Some great programs include Habitat for Humanity, neighborhood cleaning programs, manning a soup kitchen, Animal Shelters, etc…

If you are in the Houma, Louisiana area, we recommend contacting Cajun Catopia to volunteer in one of their programs. www.cajuncatopia.org or email: admin@cajuncatopia.com

Ah, crayons. You can buy these for very little especially in these back to school sales. But what can you do that is different?

Try some crayon etchings. Scribble a black crayon all over a sheet of paper then scrape the wax off to create scary pictures! This is great for spooky times such as Halloween.

Have the kids cover the paper in a bunch of different colors. Take this multi-colored rainbow and then cover this all with black crayon. Do the same as above and scratch out some pictures. This will have a rainbow effect you have to see to appreciate!

For coloring and arts and crafts ideas check here.

For great thrifty and totally FREE family fun, don’t forget that most towns have a public park or playground for your kids to have some great outdoor fun in. Around here we have the Airbase which is a hilly area that is great for picnicking and running around. If your as lucky as we are, you’ll find plenty of trees to climb!

How often we forget the wonders of nature. Take the family out one winter evening (summer works too, just don’t forget the bug repellent). Show your family the basic constellations and enjoy a view of the wide open night sky. You don’t need a telescope to do this or any other expensive equipment.

For added fun, check out the dates of the yearly meteor showers and see who can spot the most!

If you don’t know the constellations and want to learn more basic astronomy, check here: Find the Constellations.

In our area of Louisiana, most holidays are celebrated by lighting bonfires. These bonfires can get pretty elaborate and a multitude of families usually work together to build one. You don’t have to go with a full blown bonfire, of course, and can make do with a campfire. Invite family, neighbors, friends, strangers, and get out the marshmallows. Sing songs, tell stories, it’s a great way to have fun and socialize.

Click here to read about our beautiful Christmas Eve Bonfire History, that has become famous and brings visitors from all over the world! =)

Take the family on an old fashioned camping trip. Once you get the initial investment of a tent and some sleeping bags out of the way, camping is a good, cheap, and fun activity to share. Our family loves camping out. The main things to remember is to build a nice campfire (sing some campfire songs or tell some old-fashioned ghost stories), bring easy to cook food (hot dog buns and hot dogs), and check the weather reports.

Also, remember to have a good first aid kit with you. When you’re picking up your tent remember to let it dry out before putting it away to prevent mildew.

For the best family camping 101 guide you will ever find, click HERE!

I am a computer person. I grew up playing games. Anyone who plays games knows buying a new game costs anywhere from $29.95 (for cheap ones) on up. A great way to save money is to shop for games more than two years old. If you prefer shopping online, here’s a great site for finding games both old and new www.gamestop.com.

Go to gaming stores and search their bargain bins. You can find great games for under ten dollars. Another great place to look for games is to check out a lending service.

We mostly use that one for our son, because he loves the fact that he can get a new game to play every week.

Remember playing those games of Monopoly, Clue, or Chutes and Ladders growing up?  Think about it.   We vividly remember playing these games because they were and still ARE tons of fun.  If you don’t already, institute a family game night every week.  Our family game night is every Tuesday and believe me, the kids will NOT let you forget.

For other great game ideas try here!

Don’t forget to look for garage sales in your neighborhood.  If they’re anything like the ones in our neighborhoods they’ll be on Fridays and Saturdays.  You can find out about these by looking for signs around town or even checking the classified section of your local papers.  You can find some great deals there and don’t be afraid to haggle if you think something may be overpriced.  You’ll be surprised at some of the bargains you can pick up!

I love to read.  I find the costs of books outrageous.  What really gets to me is some people forget that nearly free (uhm, some libraries charge a small free) place to get books:  the good old public library!  You can’t do better than free.  Just remember to return them and you’ll find your library not only has a good selection of books, but some also have great multimedia sections.

Check them out!