Planning a family evening at home may cost a little or cost a lot depending on what your family fun involves. Explore your options as you work through decisions about the frequency of your evenings at home, your family's proposed activities, the associated costs and the ways to make this happen within your budget.
Set the Budget Requirement
Plan your family evening either weekly or monthly, depending on your goals. Designate the dollar amount you feel you need for an adequately-funded
evening. Consider what fun activities would keep your clan happy. Now you should have a relatively good idea how much money you need for your family-evening-at-home budget item. Finally, find your money source. Hint: You either increase your income or decrease an existing expense.
Increase Your Income to Balance the Budget
If you don't have an existing budget item that can be slashed from your budget, find way to earn more money. Let's say you decided on $25 per week for a family evening at home every week. Arrange for appropriate budget adjustments so you can afford your $25 weekly evening together. Working a little overtime or one of the spouses taking a part time job will usually fund this family night.
Spend Less to Balance the Budget
Not willing to get that second job? You can still budget your family evening at home by finding something in your existing budget that you can eliminate. It may be spending less on home decor, groceries, clothing or maybe you can nix your existing date night with your spouse. It doesn't really matter what you cut from your existing budget. Just cut something you can live without in favor of your new goal -- a family evening at home.
Image via Wikipedia 1958--When family nights were the norm.No Budget Required
The possibilities for entertaining yourselves at home never cease. But if your budget has no breathing space at all, choose entertainment options with no budget required. Consider board games, TV, movies you check out from the public library or simply exercising together. Jog down to the park and play a round of tennis or basketball. Swim in the community or home swimming pool. Come home for homemade cookies and ice cream. Arm wrestle on the floor. Read a book aloud. Video games coupled with a special meal you family loves suit some families. Maybe your clan loves spaghetti or pizza or steak. Make this your traditional supper on family night or you can plan four favorite dinners in rotation each month.
References
•SolveYourProblem.com: Help Me To Create a Budget, Save Money
•Families In Zion: Movies That Teach
•CNN: Ten Creative Ways to Earn Extra Money
