my
Independence Day is a wonderful time of year to celebrate with friends and loved ones. The weather is perfect for outdoor activities and barbecuing that makes for an all day event. Money shouldn’t be an excuse not to enjoy the fourth and celebrate our nation’s independence. Here are a few quick tips to enjoy Independence Day without being dependent on someone else for the bill.
The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about the 4th of July are the fireworks. They are easily the most memorable aspect of celebrating our nation’s independence each year. Their hisses and booms can be heard all day while people bask the warm summer weather. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to enjoy them.
More likely than not there will be a free fireworks display somewhere within driving distance. They are great events for families and friends. Plan ahead of time and figure out where you’re going to park. These events always attract large groups of people and vendors trying to gouge prices for parking spots. You will also want to avoid wasting gas sitting in traffic due to everyone trying to leave at once. Plan to leave later or pick a place far enough from the event to avoid the smog bog afterwards. Consider parking a few miles away and make a bike trip during the day to the event location.
If there are no shows nearby consider teaming up with a neighbor to split the costs for a neighborhood fireworks display. You can get decent sized fireworks package for ~$20 or less. If a big fireworks display isn’t a must for you, just stick with sparklers. There are cheap and kids love them. If you are looking at cheap fireworks, stay away from the snakes. I remember getting so excited after picking out one with a big cobra on the package in a fireworks tent, only to be let down by the lackluster pile of ash it metamorphosized into.
You can always avoid the sweat, smoke, and pesky mosquitoes and catch a fireworks show on TV. There is bound to be a huge show on network TV, not to mention it will probably be bigger than anything you can muster together.
Plan an outdoor activity for the day. A bike ride or hike in a nearby park doesn’t cost a dime. It is also a wonderful opportunity to play some outdoor sports. If you are playing an event, think of some activities your guests might enjoy. Potato sack and three legged races, water balloon tosses, and good ‘ole Frisbee all hardly cost anything to put together.
If you are planning a barbecue, check to see if you can save by buying in bulk. Don’t be afraid to ask guests to bring a side dish. I’m sure most of them will offer to when you invite them, so make a list ahead of time to make sure everything is covered. Don’t be afraid to ask people to throw in money if they can spare it. They should have no problem sparing a few bucks to reimburse the hardworking host for the money and time they have spent.
Keisha Sauredo
December 14, 2011 at 2:29 pmWe would like to thank you once again for the wonderful ideas you gave Janet when preparing a post-graduate research as well as, most importantly, regarding providing each of the ideas in a single blog post. Provided we had known of your blog a year ago, i’d have been saved the unnecessary measures we were taking. Thank you very much.
Frida Laidlaw
January 10, 2012 at 3:20 pmThanks for your strategies. One thing really noticed is banks and also financial institutions understand the spending practices of consumers as well as understand that most of the people max out there their own credit cards around the holidays. They smartly take advantage of this specific fact and then start flooding your inbox as well as snail-mail box with hundreds of no interest APR card offers soon after the holiday season closes. Knowing that if you’re like 98% of American public, you’ll hop at the possiblity to consolidate credit debt and move balances towards 0 APR credit cards.BMW review
tutaj
January 21, 2012 at 1:44 pmIts like you read my mind! You seem to know a lot about this, like you wrote the book in it or something. I think that you could do with some pics to drive the message home a bit, but other than that, this is great blog. A great read. I’ll definitely be back.