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Family & Budget Friendly Ways to Have Fun this Summer!

April 30, 2018 by Rachel 14 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #GiantEagleSlashedPrices #CollectiveBias

It’s no secret that our lives will be turned upside this Summer. Between welcoming baby number 3 in June, and prepping Ari for kindergarten this Fall, I’m trying to keep our lives as sane as possible. Oh, and did I mention that I’ll be taking unpaid leave from my job, too? Yeah, so sanity-, and budget-friendly activities are a must for this family of (almost) five!

Here’s how we plan to stay on budget and STILL make the most of our Summer!

1. Find community sponsored events for kids.

I did a simple google search of events going on in our area this Summer and the results were amazing. Not only does the city of Cuyahoga Falls offer Tot Time in the Park every day of the week (hellooooo, free arts, crafts, and playtime!); but there’s also a free Touch a Truck event in July that my kids will simply EAT UP.

We’ll also be taking full advantage of the Regal Cinemas Dollar Movies all Summer long (more here). Because the best way to try and see if a kid is ready to sit through a movie is to only spend a single dollar on that movie! 😛

2. Research free admission days.

Our local art museum, the Akron Art Museum, does free admission on every single Thursday — which is an awesome way to introduce children to art! There are always some hands-on exhibits, which the kids obviously love; but I’m forever amazed at how much they actually like to walk through the galleries!

Other museums, such as the Cleveland Museum of Art, are always free of admission! How cool is that!? I love knowing that any day of the week I can just load the kids up and head to see world renowned art — at zero cost!

Additionally, the Akron Zoo offers several free admission days throughout the Summer. The first of which is on June 17th! In honor of Father’s Day, all dads and grandpas will receive free admission!

Many of the big-box hardware and craft stores also do free build and crafting events on the weekends, so be sure to check those out (and sign up!), too! We’re already on the schedule for a build workshop and a LEGO workshop in the month of May!

3. Keeping our groceries on-budget with Giant Eagle’s slashed prices.

We have been keeping our family grocery budget in check with the competitive NON-sale, slashed pricing, at Giant Eagle! For us, this means we can still get all of the good stuff — the fruits, the veggies, and the meat — without breaking the bank. Even frozen goods and dairy have seen slashed pricing!

Giant Eagle stores across Akron, Canton, and the Cleveland area have slashed prices on over 5,000 items. Considering how frequently we grocery shop at Giant Eagle (I’m notorious for poorly meal-planning so we shop about 2-3 times a week), I’m happy to know that these items are not on sale and are permanent price reductions.

I’m able to fill up my cart without breaking the bank — and get more of the cereal and snacks my children always beg for! Also, the convenience of having frozen and dairy items along with cuts to produce means that I can spend less time cutting coupons for items and spend even more time with my family this Summer!*

4. Expect the unexpected. 

I had visions of how life would be as a mom. I thought “Oh, for sure if I plan this extravagant party my son will adore me forever.” Friends I’m here to tell you that this is not the case. Often times it seems that the more time and energy that goes into something, the more lackluster the response I will get from my children (insert eyeroll).

So instead of thinking of ‘amazing,’ pinterest-worthy ways I will keep my children occupied this Summer, I’m going the realistic route.

I’m keeping a heaping amount of chalk and bubbles in our shed. That’s right. When in doubt, chalk and bubbles come out. Why are these two simple items both the bane of my existence and the highlight of my childrens lives? One may never know. But I keep them in excess for when I’m mommy’d out. And they don’t even seem to notice that it’s me taking the easy way out because, guess what!?, they are enjoying every second of it.

So do yourself a favor this Summer — keep it simple. Keep the planning simple; Keep the playing simple; and keep your grocery budget simple with slashed prices at Giant Eagle.

 

What’s your favorite budget-friendly activity for Summer??
And how are you taking advantage of price cuts at Giant Eagle?!

*Price cuts available at select locations. Check with your local Giant Eagle for more details!

Filed Under: #MomLife, Akron, busy mom, children, cleveland, cooking, family, food, maternity leave, mommyhood, money, money saving tips, NEO, Ohio, parenthood, review, summer, tips + tricks Tagged With: #MomLife, akron, being a mom, busy mom, children, cleveland, cooking, family, food, maternity leave, mommyhood, money saving tips, motherhood, NEO, ohio, parenthood, review, sponsor, tips + tricks

Previous Post: « Summer Activities to Keep Toddlers + Preschoolers Busy!
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Elizabeth Voyles

    April 30, 2018 at 10:23 am

    Great idea to look for community sponsored events and free admission days in our area. I’ll have to see what’s available near me! And I agree with you about keeping things realistic and not expecting Pinterest-worthy activities. I’m just not that talented, LOL.

    Reply
  2. Paula @ I'm Busy Being Awesome

    April 30, 2018 at 11:38 am

    These are seriously great tips, some times you really don’t have to spend a lot to have a fun day

    Reply
  3. Melissa | Bubby and Bean

    April 30, 2018 at 11:56 am

    I really want to save money this summer as well so this comes at the perfect time! I’m definitely going to be looking for community sponsored events. And expecting the unexpected is always important!

    Reply
  4. Echo

    April 30, 2018 at 12:37 pm

    This is a great post! We are looking for ways to enjoy the summer and also save some money. I love the idea of looking for free/discounted admission prices.

    Reply
  5. Marcie

    April 30, 2018 at 12:56 pm

    OMG that carousel at the Akron Zoo might be the cutest I’ve seen! I’m glad you are checking out the city sponsored events. We have a ton in the Seattle area!

    Reply
  6. Stephanie

    April 30, 2018 at 11:34 pm

    Free tot time in the park! That sounds like a dream! I wish our parks would do that! Good luck this summer mama!

    Reply
  7. Vanessa Price

    May 1, 2018 at 12:36 am

    I always forget about free admission days! Great tips.

    Reply
  8. Amanda

    May 1, 2018 at 7:42 am

    This is a really great list. Although we live in Miami, there are loads of inexpensive things to do with the kids in our immediate vicinity. We always take advantage of reduced admission days at the zoo, and the neighborhood park and beaches fill our summers.

    Reply
  9. Rachel

    May 1, 2018 at 10:52 am

    I am so excited for this summer. We got half priced pool passes on Black Friday, and the village offers free lunch to kids at the park district where the pool is all summer.

    Reply
  10. Kate BK

    May 1, 2018 at 12:09 pm

    I love Giant Eagle & am so glad they’re becoming a little more affordable!

    Reply
  11. jessica

    May 4, 2018 at 8:27 am

    that s’mores display has me drooling!

    Reply
  12. Danielle @ A Sprinkle of Joy

    May 4, 2018 at 2:24 pm

    Such great ideas!!! I love trying to save money for sure!

    Reply
  13. Lindsey

    May 4, 2018 at 3:40 pm

    These are great ideas!! I stalk our grocery for prices like that!

    Reply
  14. jaclyn

    May 4, 2018 at 7:42 pm

    This is good to know about GE…I’ve honestly been shopping more at Aldi but I’ll need to stop back in there! Agree with your sentiments on chalk and bubbles 100%:)

    Reply

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