I’ve talked to a number of parents who are not sending their kids to camp this summer because they simply don’t have the money for it. And going away on vacation isn’t possible either. So what’s a parent to do with a bored grade-schooler, especially if both parents have to work?
One solution might be to share sitters with neighbors or friends, especially if the children are around the same age or are already pals. Other parents I know are packing the kids up and sending them to grandma and grandpa. It gives grandparents a chance to be with the children alone and the kids get to be pampered. Bonus: the parents can get some alone time. I’ve also heard about families swapping homes. If you have relatives or friends who live in other cities, this might be a great time to scour around for cheap plane tickets and swap homes for a week (or visit them one week and have them visit you the next). Exploring a new city or town doesn’t have to be expensive if you can be a bit creative.
Do you have any other ideas for saving money this summer?
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Some of my friends actually hold Grandma Camp for their grandchildren during the summer. They keep them for a few days or a week and schedule special activities. My duties as a caregiver for my dad have kept me from trying Grandma Camp, but I plan to do it some day.
Don’t forget that summer always brings a cornucopia of free community events and activities. In our area every weekend has some kind of festival or community event going on, and usually there is children’s entertainment, face painting and demonstrations. We do a lot of quick picnic dinners during the week and spend out evenings after work exploring all the parks and nature walks in our area. And it’s all FREE!!