Celebrating the Fourth of July can be both fun and frugal. Forgo the expensive shows and events and focus on those activities that could be had cheaply.
Take Advantage of Freebies
Many local and chain businesses are giving away free items to celebrate our Independence Day. You can take advantage of this to score some great freebies, from sanwiches, to cake to ice cream. Keep our eyes and ears open for these opportunities. Here is one to get you started. On July 4, 2012, Starbucks is giving away coffee.
Make a New Tradition
You can choose to save money by creating your own free family tradition, such as joining a parade, having a picnic in the park or visiting a free public beach. Have the kids craft noisemakers or decorate shirts in a patriotic theme.
You don’t have to throw an expensive barbecue party with all of the fixings. Grill up some pizza or hot dogs as an inexpensive alternative.
Search Online
Put the following terms in your Internet search engine: “free fourth of july” and add in the name of your local area. So for example, “free fourth of july philadelphia” in a search engine returns several results that list free fireworks shows, parades, concerts and other celebrations that are all for free. You can include the search term “kids” or “family” to narrow the activities down even more.
Use Frozen Berries in Your Deserts
Many fancy Fourth of July deserts call for using strawberries and blueberries for decorations. This might be fine if they are in season and on sale in your area. If not, you can use frozen berries in their place, or get creative with decorating in other ways.
Save Your Energy
Try to keep the celebrations limited to the outdoors. If you have family members and guests coming in and out of the house frequently, you will spend more money on your home cooling costs.
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