With the height of winter upon us it may seem like a lifetime before you’ll be able to enjoy a nice sunny day outdoors. Unfortunately, the amount of time we spend inside our homes during this season can also lead to a spending spree that isn’t exactly pleasant when it comes to facing in the rest of the year’s budget. There are a few ways that you can actually find some peace in the winter months without losing quite a bit of your savings account. In fact, with these simple tips you may decide that winter is one of your favorite times of the year thanks to all of the family activities and fun that you can have by using a little creativity.
1. Use the Snow
Snow can be one of the most magical weather conditions when it comes to saving money. Kids typically adore snow, which means you can look at several hours outdoors without your children getting bored or wanting to do anything that cost money. You should always try to come up with new ways to have fun in the snow, while keeping the kids active and having fun. One of the most common ways to use snow to your advantage is to stage a snowball fight. This will keep your kids as well as some of your children’s friends happy for quite some time. The running around will also keep them feeling warm and comfortable. If you’re looking for a more artistic way to play in the snow then have kids make a snow man using items you find in the home. You could also easily make a snow angel. A cheap activity for the snow that kids will adore is the mix up different colors of cool aid and let your kids paint their very own snow painting.
2. Improvise
When it comes to playing in the snow just about anything goes. Don’t be afraid to search your home for items that could easily be used as toys for winter play time. One of the more classic items to use is a lid from a storage container. This make the perfect sled as you and your kids power down hills on this useful household item. Another classic item to use is a broken tennis racket. This typically makes a great snow shoe for a kid so you can easily take a hike to check out all of the snowy areas in your neighborhood. If you’re caught in an unexpected snow storm or just have some fresh powder then make sure to look around the house for things you can use to have fun rather than going out and spending a fortune. Of course, you should always let the kids come up with some of their own ideas when it comes to creating toys they use for the snow.
3. Rent Gear
If you’re planning on trying something new out this winter, or you just don’t partake in an event often then you may want to consider renting the gear. Typically it is fairly inexpensive to get gear for certain activities and with a coupon you or certain vacation packages you should be able to save quite a bit. Ice skating is one of the top activities that renting gear is pretty inexpensive. Usually you won’t spend more than $10 on skates and rink time if you go the right rink. Skiing and snowboarding are also pretty high up there on the scale of activities you should rent for because the items are typically very expensive to purchase. Unless you plan on hitting the slopes everyday or you really love the sport, buying the equipment isn’t really something you should consider right away.
4. Kids Sports
One of the biggest reasons we spend more money during the winter is to keep kids occupied. With the outdoors off limits a lot of the time kids tend to get a bi stir crazy as they spend more time indoors. The best way to counteract your child’s cabin fever is to look for a winter sport to help keep the child entertained and busy throughout the year. Sure, sports tend to cost money to get into, but when you calculate the money you’re spending on lessons opposed to the amount of money you’re spending on entertaining them then you’ll see a big difference. Hockey is one of the most common sports during the winter season and can teach kids a wide variety of skills. Of course, if you’re looking for something different then you may want to consider signing your child up for martial arts or a dance course. If you can sign up your child through a youth program you’ll be looking at even more savings.
5. Movie Night
The movies tends to be one of the first places we flock to when the weather is too unbearable to do anything else. If you’re family tends to spend a lot of movie at the theater then you may want to start utilizing a movie night in your own home. This is a great way for the entire family to cuddle up together and enjoy movies that will have everyone pleased. The best thing about watching movies at home is you can watch anything new or old as many time as you want. If you’re looking to freshen up your movie might then you may consider renting a movie from a low budget rental agency or finding one on your streaming network. You should also consider healthy snacks that might have everyone feeling like movie nights are a bit better then actually going to the theater, which will save you hundreds on snacks and entertainment cost alone.
6. Bake Together
Nothing warms the home and the heart quite as much as baking with your family. Although you might not think your kids will enjoy baking you’ll be surprised by how well they take to kneading and punching dough down. Baking actually cost you very little, especially if you’re already stocked up on floor and other ingredients. While you’re baking you can cut down on the heating as the oven will help bring a warmth to the home that will make everyone comfortable. As you continue baking throughout the season you may notice a sudden decrease in your grocery bill because you won’t have to buy bread at all nor will you feel the need to look for sweet treats like cookies and cakes. Kids will love working on projects that are made especially for them. For instance, you can set up mini pizza doughs for a great afternoon lunch, or you could work on cookies with their own decorations.
7. Crafts
Getting a kids mind and imagination working is pretty simple when you present them with fun crafts. There’s so many different crafts that your kids can do inspired by the winter months that you may not have time to get around to all of them before the season is over. If your kids seems to be a bit bored then try to set them in front of the window with some paper and paints. Ask them to paint out how they see the winter landscape. If you want to take it to the next level then you can easily use tinfoil as a way to represent ice on the ground. Kids might also love creating their own snowflakes and hanging them from the ceiling. This is an excellent task for kids of all ages and only requires a little construction paper and some scissors. You could always broaden their horizon by teaching them a new craft like sewing, crocheting or working with wood. You may even have a blast creating projects, like birdhouses, for the upcoming spring months.
8. Use the fireplace
If your home has a fireplace then it might the perfect place to create entertainment without the price tag. The fireplace provides a cheaper and more efficient want to heat the home which will help save some cash, but it will also serve to bring the family together. Sitting around the fireplace will help you create lasting memories with your children that can be passed down from generation to generation. From telling stories about one’s lives to bringing up all of those camp ghost stories, the fireplace is one of the greatest places to listen and share as a family. The fireplace is also an amazing place to help get your kids into reading books. Sitting in front of the fire and sharing a story will make kids want to read more and will encourage healthier and cheaper hobbies. You may even find that you spend more time playing board games as a family than looking at electronic screens.
9. Organize
Although it might not sound like a whole lot of fun, organizing during the winter months can be a busy activity that costs you next to nothing to do. In fact, you may actually find that you get more money out of this activity, thanks to garage sales, than you would any other weekend entertainment idea you could pick this winter. Organizing can be tough because winter seems to be the time when everything begins to look cluttered. As you begin to go through your items you’ll probably find stuff you’ve been looking for for years as well as items you don’t actually need or want anymore. If you’re lucky you might even find a bit of money that was lost in the sofa or misplaced somewhere around the house. With your house getting an organized makeover you’ll be able to spring clean and get rid of junk when the time comes.
10. Keep Warmth in Mind
When it comes to winter activity one important thing is to actually keep your family’s warmth in mind. Being out in the cold can be fun for a little while, but if anyone you’re playing outdoors with begins to get too cold then you may be looking at an expensive doctor’s visit. One way to keep warm is to ensure winter jackets are thick enough for the current temperature. If someone doesn’t have the proper coat then try to make sure they layer up properly rather than going out and buying a whole new jacket. Another way to beat the cold with a jacket that isn’t quite ready for what the outdoors is offering then you can easily stuff newspaper into the jacket, pants legs and boots. This will help lock in heat which will allow everyone to enjoy the outdoors for longer without forcing you to buy anything you don’t need. If you’re also spending longer periods outdoors then you may want to pack up a thermos with coffee, hot cocoa or warm tea. This will allow everyone to have a beverage to heat them up without forcing you to buy anything from a store.
Winter activities can be pretty cheap if you work around the more costly activities. There are plenty of fun things to do while you’re enjoying the winter solstice that will still help you keep a great budget. So pull the kids out from in front of the television set and let everyone go out and enjoy some amazing activities while the snow and cool weather last.
