The long Memorial Day weekend is almost here, but have no fear, there’s still time to save a bundle on all of the exciting events and sales that will be happening. For many, Memorial Day kicks off summer and is celebrated with tasty barbeques and a weekend of shopping. Of course, if your budget isn’t exactly ready to tackle another holiday, there’s still a few ways you can make the most out of your Memorial Day. With plenty of free or frugal ways to celebrate, your family won’t just have a good time on this special holiday, but they’ll also get a great start to the summer holidays! So, if you’re still trying to figure out your Memorial Day plans, you may want to have a look at these ten frugal suggestions!
1. Host a Potluck
There’s no doubt about it, people love to get together on Memorial Day! The more the merrier, right? Well, maybe not when you’re on a budget and you need to supply everyone with something tasty to eat. There is an alternative though! Instead of buying an abundance of treats for everyone at the party you may want to host a potluck. This will allow people to bring their favorite dishes to the celebration which helps take the burden off of your expenditures. You may even want to consider adding a list of items you think might be nice to have on your invitations. When people RSVP they can tell you what they’re going to bring so you can prevent too many people from bringing multiples. With many new and exciting dishes being brought to the home, you can save the money to buy beverages, special treats or entertainment for everyone! Of course, you can always keep entertainment costs down by streaming music, offering sports activities or other games that won’t cost you a penny, such as card games for the adults!
2. Go Camping
A lot of people use the Memorial Day weekend to take a much needed vacation. Although this is a great time to enjoy a mini getaway, it can also mean spending extra money on vacation plans that might not suit your budget. Rather than booking flights and hotels, you may want to consider a frugal camping getaway. To start off your mini adventure, look around your area for a free or low cost camp site. You may actually be surprised as to how many there are! Then gather up your supplies! If you don’t already have a tent then try to borrow one from a friend or family member. You may also be able to rent one for a low price at the camp site too. However, you may want to call ahead of time to make sure this is a possibility. After you settle your tent issue, pack up pillows and blankets, if you don’t already have sleeping bags. Then, try to pick out foods that aren’t perishable or that can survive in a cooler. Usually sandwiches are a safe option and paired with chips, vegetables or fruits, your family should eat well for very cheap. You could also pack up your fishing supplies and eat whatever you catch!
3. Go To A Public Event
Memorial Day is a great time to take part in your community. With a little research, you should find there’s many free things to do over the long weekend. For instance, a lot of museums will offer free admission and tours in order to share the stories of those who have served their country. If free isn’t an option, then see if there’s any discounts you may qualify for. If you’re a military family then make sure to let this be known as you should be privy to great discounts over the weekend. Most communities will also host a special ceremony to honor those who have served in the past, present or future. Of course, choosing to attend one of these events will help celebrate those in your community, especially. There also may be a free parade which is perfect for young and old. Last but not least, you may be able to find information on a firework display depending on the rules of your community and your climate!
4. Shop Around
Memorial Day sales can be all too tempting, especially when you’re on a tight budget. If you do choose to get some shopping in during this period, you should always look around for the items you want. Typically, stores will send out sales papers for the big event the week prior, so you should be able to check out pricing from a variety of locations before you actually make it to the store. You may also want to check online to make sure you can’t find it there for much cheaper. Generally, with a little bit of research you should be able to find the best deal possible which will increase your savings. Not to mention, while you’re doing research outside of the store, you’ll be less tempted to spend money on items you’re not actually shopping for. Finally, before you go shopping you may want to pull out cash first. This will prevent you from overspending on your credit card and will help you keep track of how much you can spend, in regards to your budget!
5. Avoid the Roads
If there’s one thing you don’t want to do on Memorial Day weekend, it’s get on the roads! For most, this 3 day weekend means enjoying a nice getaway somewhere! Thus, there’s a pretty good chance you’re going to end up in bumper to bumper traffic, which isn’t a good use of your time or your money. With temperatures peaking during the long weekend, it isn’t exactly ideal on your gas tank to spend hours in traffic with the air conditioning blaring. Not to mention, gasoline prices usually take a bit of a hike during the summer months, which isn’t great for the wallet either. So, it may be best just to enjoy something fun in your neck of the woods. After all, Memorial Day weekend is one of the top weekends for car accidents, so you may be doing yourself a bigger favor than you realize.
6. Volunteer
There’s nothing more rewarding then volunteering on such a holiday as Memorial Day. If you still haven’t sketched out your plans then you might want to consider this option as it won’t cost you a penny and it’ll bring a smile to a good number of faces. One of the best places to volunteer is the VA hospital. These hospitals are specifically created for veterans, many of which don’t get a lot of visitors. Try calling up the hospital to ask if they could use any help on Memorial Day, as many are understaffed due to holiday leave. If they can’t find work for you then they may be able to give you a list of people who would love a visitor. This will allow you to spend the day with someone who has served, which could lead to a greater appreciation of the holiday. If you don’t live near a VA hospital then try to stop by and visit a veteran you know. You may also try to visit a nursing home to raise spirits over the weekend. Of course, if you still can’t find someone to help then there’s many other ways to volunteer such as soup kitchens, picking up garbage, planting trees or working for habitat for humanity!
7. Take a Swim
Memorial Day weather is usually already feeling the summer heat, so help cool your family down and keep them entertained by taking them swimming. If at all possible, try to choose a free location to enjoy the water. Natural areas like beaches, rivers, creeks and lakes are usually a free option, but make sure to look around to make sure there are no fees. To help reduce the burden of the trip you may want to consider walking to your local watering hole or taking your bicycles. This will help cut down on any parking costs and will save you on fuel! If you don’t have a natural source of water for swimming then ask around and see if you can visit family or friends for a dip in their pool. You may also want to try a low cost community pool! You might even save money by purchasing a season pass which will help your family keep cool all summer. If you’re lucky you might even get it on sale for Memorial Day!
8. Go Outside
There’s no reason to forget about the great outdoors on Memorial Day. There’s lots to see and do before the summer weather goes from a bit on the warm side to inside of an oven hot. You might want to consider taking the family out to fly a kite while the spring breeze is still available. Other items might include a bike ride or hike! Even a scavenger hunt will make the kids happy as you help them get some exercise! Picnics are another great way to switch things up a bit while allowing the family to bond. Of course, if you don’t want to do anything out of the box, or if you have very young children then you can always spend some time at the local park. You may even want to call up family or friends for a game of football, soccer or volleyball! The options are totally endless when it comes to frugal outside play!
9. Movie Marathon
For anyone looking for a great way to kick back and relax, a patriotic movie marathon may be the option for you. Try searching through your movie collection to find a few movies that will leave you feeling even more incredible about the holiday weekend. If you’re a bit shy in the patriotic movie front then there’s guaranteed to be a selection on your streaming video service. You may even be able to find some for free on some services, but make sure they’re legal before you partake. Of course, many of the basic cable and extended cable services will be playing an assortment of patriotic movies to choose from. So, you may want to look around and set up your DVR to suit your needs. However, you may want to plan your marathon based on age, as many films aren’t suitable for children.
10. Patriotic Crafts
If you have children in the home or you’re just looking for a fun way to decorate over the summer, then you may want to try out some patriotic crafts. You can easily print out patriotic color sheets for the kids to get things started. Of course, there’s lot of other ways to have fun, such as having the kids make their own flag using paper and popsicle sticks or creating Uncle Sam hats made from paper. You may even want to go a bit further with your crafts by painting flag inspired designs on décor items you already own. You can even check out the thrift store to see if there’s anything you can add a red, white and blue touch too. There’s lots of ideas online for these crafts so don’t be afraid to go big if you have many of the supplies already! You’ll be glad to show off your décor as the holiday weekend moves on and you’ll be all set for the 4th of July, just weeks away!
Memorial Day is a great time to honor the brave men and women who have served. Of course, for many it is also a much needed break from their daily work and chores. No matter how you choose to celebrate the holiday, these ten tips should help you keep it on budget, without forcing you and your family to be bored during the 3 day holiday!
