Have you heard these?

The economy is so bad…
____________________________________

My ATM gave me an IOU.
A picture is only worth 200 words.
Bill Gates had to switch to dial up.
I saw four CEOs playing miniature golf.
The highest paying job in town is jury duty.
I saw a man in Costco buying one roll of toilet paper.
It’s so bad, I ordered a burger at McDonalds and the kid behind the counter asked,
“Can you afford fries with that?”

Difficult economic times may provide inspiration for comedy, but they can be very challenging to live through. Some good news is that they can also be an opportunity for us to replace expensive celebrations and traditions with ones that are more creative, meaningful, and even fun. We’d like to share a few of our favorite alternatives.

IN LIEU OF…

Going to or renting a movie

Watch old family movies~ How long has it been since you’ve viewed yours?
Watch your family’s & friends’ favorite online videos from YouTube, Tangle, etc.
Enjoy a video visit with far-away family members or friends using Skype or iChat.

Going out to eat

Have a potluck or progressive dinner with neighbors, family members, or friends.
Spend a day cooking a few favorite dishes with a friend and freeze the foods you cook.
Have a cooking lesson with your children, letting them help make dinner. 
Check out these sites for tips and recipes for cooking with kids:     
http://www.childrensrecipes.com/
http://funcookingwithkids.com/   
If you’re too busy to cook, bring home a carry-out main course and make the meal special by incorporating an activity such as story-telling or Chat Pack questions.

Buying a gift

Create a photo album with your favorite photos of your family member(s) or friend.
Mat or frame a child’s drawing or painting or use copies one of their illustrations to make postcards, stationery, bookmarks, etc.
Give a gift of service~ Help someone with a project.
Cook a special meal for the person.
Give a gift certificate good for an outing to a free place such as the beach, outdoor concert, or festival.
If you have a membership to a museum, zoo, or arboretum, bring the honoree as your guest.
Help your children create a book by writing and illustrating a story, poem, or ABC book.

Going out for family entertainment

One of our family’s favorite traditions is Game Night. It’s fun to include extended family and friends. Some good games for groups: Pictionary, Scattergories, Balderdash, CatchPhrase, and Taboo.
In good weather, play outdoor games such as croquet, badminton, horseshoes, bocce ball, or bean bag toss. In the evening, roast hot dogs or marshmallows for S’mores.
Have an iSpy hunt at a forest preserve, in your neighborhood, or in a museum. (Prepare a list of things for the family members to look for ahead of time or use general just for fun lists like things that start with the letter J, that are blue, that are funny, that are round, etc.)
In lieu of expensive entertaining, have a fun informal party. See https://celebrationsandtraditions.com/activities-resources/parties/ for some great ideas.

Expensive dates

Cook a special dinner and don’t forget to set the atmosphere with music, candles, etc.
Check your newspaper and the Internet for free local art exhibits, concerts, or other events.
Take advantage of good weather before winter arrives and enjoy outdoor activities. Go for walks in different places~ woods, along a waterfront, an architecturally interesting neighborhood, a bike path, downtown shopping area, college campus, or the nearest state park.

Your time, skills, and fellowship are precious. Pray that God will give you creative ideas on how you can use them to enrich the lives of your family and friends in ways that no amount of money can do. We know that many of you have your own great ideas and hope that you will share them~ You can do that on our blog page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Celebrations-Traditions

Ten Free (Or Nearly Free) Activities for Kids
http://www.aarp.org/money/budgeting-saving/info-05-2013/cheap-fun-for-the-kids.html

Cheap or Free Things to Do with Children
http://budgeting.about.com/od/family_budgeting/a/Free-Or-Cheap-Summer-Activities-For-Kids.htm

101 Things for Teens to do in the Summer
(Most of these ideas are cheap or free and would be fun for anyone.)
http://parentingteens.about.com/od/teenculture/a/funteenstodo.htm