Halloween is right around the corner and soon, you'll need a way to keep the kids entertained. While the little ones are content trick-or-treating, and you may feel safe allowing older teens to attend Halloween parties, what about preteens? Is there a way for families with preteens to enjoy Halloween at home? Sure there is! In fact, Halloween is a wonderful evening for a family night.

First of all, Halloween at home is the perfect time to introduce your children to some of the scary movies you loved as a kid. Of course, you'll want to keep the rating appropriate for their age. You could show them such classics as Hocus Pocus or go even more classic with movies such as The Wolf Man or Frankenstein. Regardless of what you show, a movie marathon is a great option for Halloween night.

Another great way to spend the evening is making classic Halloween treats. Some great ideas include caramel apples, cut-out sugar cookies, festive cupcakes, or even a snack mix. There are a number of great places to get Halloween recipes. Of course, if you want free recipes, the internet is a perfect place to start.

Last, but not least, get your children involved in a good cause. There are a number of different ways to help charities on Halloween. A fun idea for the whole family though is to setup a haunted house and charge admission. The money raised with the haunted house can then be donated to your favorite charity. It could be a local pet shelter, food drive, or any other charity your family believes in. This is also an activity that could take up several family nights. The earlier in October you open your haunted house, the more money you'll earn for your charity.

Halloween doesn't have to be boring for preteens. The days of a big candy loot may be over, and they may still be too young to hit teen Halloween parties, but there are a number of fun ways to enjoy the holiday at home.

Halloween is right around the corner and it's time to start thinking about costumes. Let's face it. Halloween costumes aren't the best investment when funds are low. After all, most costumes only get worn once and then stay in the closet for a few years before being donated. Don't get me wrong, donations are always a wonderful thing. But, the focus of this week's blog is to discuss ways for you and your family to save money on Halloween costumes while also spending time together.

Homemade costumes are a wonderful way to save money and spend time together. Not only can you come up with amazing costume ideas, but you can also think of ways to reuse old costumes. First, sit down with your family and ask each person what they want to be for Halloween. Once everyone has an idea of what they want to be, you can start gathering supplies to make the costumes together.

Many Halloween costumes and accessories can be reused to make new costumes. For example, capes from vampire costumes can be used for superhero, witch, or even medieval costumes. You can also take just about any costume and add a bit of fake blood and makeup to create a new character, such as a dead cheerleader. Also don't forget all the items laying around your house that can be used in Halloween costumes. Sheets always work well for ghost and toga costumes, but they can also be wrapped to create part of a belly dancing costume. You can also spray paint silk roses for the perfect accessory to a dead bride costume. All it takes is a bit of creativity.

One last tip is to remember that Halloween makeup can be made from common household ingredients. For example, fake blood can be made using corn syrup and food coloring. Not only is homemade Halloween makeup less expensive, but you also don't have to worry about the makeup being harmful if accidentally swallowed by little ones.

Fall is a perfect time for kids to be active outdoors. Even though the temperature has started to drop, there still can be plenty of warm days. Windy weather that can accompany fall is a natural invitation to fly kites. Rather than buying kites for the kids, make it more fun and build and fly kites together. Kids love both crafts and kite flying. So this should be a double winner with most.

This project and activity can be done with parents, grandparents, teachers, babysitters, and more. Any adult who works with children may find this beneficial to them. Kite building guides and instructions can easily be found by doing a simple internet search. Supplies to build and fly kites can easily be found at most large craft and hobby stores. There's another fun activity kids love: shopping for project supplies. Let the kids pick out their plans and supplies (within your pre-set budget, of course).

Once the guides have been found and the supplies purchased, adults can help the children build the kites. The backyard or neighborhood park may be the best place for building, as there will be plenty of room. This especially is true the more people there are participating in the activity. Adults may decide to simply instruct and let the kids do the rest or to join in on the construction of the kite. When the kites are finished, they may need to dry, depending on materials. If so, kite building and kite flying might be separated into two different days. Just be sure the children know ahead of time to avoid surprising them with that news when they least want to hear it. If no drying or other waiting is necessary, go ahead and fly your kites!

When kite flying time has arrived, be sure the children have on comfortable footwear suitable for running. This fun outdoor activity involves plenty of that and a grassy open area is best for flying kites. This leaves plenty of comfortable running space and also helps prevent kites from getting snagged on things like tree branches. Safety first, of course!

Sources:
http://www.kitebuilder.com
http://www.blueskylark.org/zoo/class.html

Fall has finally arrived along with all the wonderful things that go with the season. It's the perfect time to spend time with your family baking pies, sitting around the bonfire, watching football, or even going apple picking. Not only is apple picking a great way to save money and get exercise, it's also a wonderful way to spend the evening with your family.

There are literally thousands of apple orchards located across the United States. Not only are apple orchards simply gorgeous, but you can save money by picking the apples yourself. Best of all, orchards also have fruit stands where you can try new varieties of apples before you go apple picking. They also have cakes, pies, turnovers, and other delicious treats made from the apples picked fresh from the orchard.

Let's not forget all the exercise your family will get as they make their way through the orchard. Orchards usually span many acres, especially if the orchard has several varieties of apples to choose from. Not to mention that carrying your apple loot back to the car can also burn quite a few calories.

What do you do with all those great apples after you get them home? While you could just eat them, why not continue your family night by making some delicious treats with the apples? You could bake pies, make apple bread, dip the apples in caramel, etc. There are thousands of delicious apple recipes available online. You could even make pie filling and can it for later use. The sky's the limit when it comes to freshly picked apples.

Family night doesn't have to cost a fortune. Sometimes all it takes is taking a tradition from long ago and introducing it to your children. Chances are you probably already buy apples for your children so why not take them to the orchard to pick their own? Not only will you save money, but you're helping the environment by purchasing local produce rather than fruit that was shipped from across the country.

Every day, more and more families lose part of their household income. This means that some of the things families have taken for granted over the years are suddenly out of the question. Take football tickets for instance. When a household income is suddenly cut, it can be impossible for a family to afford season tickets. Thankfully, there are many inexpensive ways for your family to enjoy football night without spending a fortune.

First of all, if your family simply enjoys football, why not go watch local high school football games? Not only are these games more affordable, but it's fun to support a local team. Plus, many high schools charge less than $10 per ticket. High school students can even get in at a discounted price. Not to mention that the snacks are more affordable.

When times are tough, don't forget that some of the best games can be watched through satellite and are included in the price you're already paying. For special games, you may have to pay to see them on pay-per-view, but if the game is really important, everyone can pool their money together to pay for it.

If times are really tough, you can also listen to games on the radio or sometimes watch them online. If you're looking for a game that isn't local, satellite radio is a good option. You can even find online radio broadcasts by visiting the team's website.

As you can see, there are a number of different ways for your family to enjoy their favorite football games for less money. Best of all, you can prepare snacks at home for a fraction of the cost that the stadiums charge. Let's take a look at what I mean.

Stadium Snacks for a Family of Four"
Hot Dogs $24
Drinks $12
Popcorn $10
Total: $46

Snacks at Home"
Hot Dogs $10
Drinks $2
Popcorn $4
Total: $16

That's a huge savings. Not to mention, that you'll never miss a play heading to the snack bar.

Football season has finally arrived and what football fan doesn't love to tailgate? Unfortunately, going to the big game may not be affordable in today's economy. That doesn't mean you and your family have to give up tailgating. In fact, you can actually tailgate from the comfort of your own backyard. Not only is the parking great, but you'll have the best seats in the house when the big game starts.

First things first: setup your backyard up to reflect the love of your favorite team. Decorate the deck with the team's colors, have a radio set up to play the team's song until the game starts, and just make it look like you're actually at a tailgate party. You could even bring your truck around to the backyard for the drinks and appetizers.

The next thing is to get creative with the food. There are a number of different ways to celebrate the love of your favorite team in the food you prepare. For example, if you love the Tennessee Vols, prepare a dish that Tennessee is known for. Another tip is to create drinks that feature the team's colors. For example, you could blend orange sherbet and milk to create the first layer of a Tennessee Vols milkshake and then create the other layer by blending vanilla ice cream and milk.

Last, but not least, enjoy the game in the backyard. Either listen to the game on a radio or purchase a portable TV to watch the game. Of course, if it gets a bit nippy outside, you can always enjoy the game inside as well. That's one of the biggest advantages to tailgating at home.

This year, instead of paying a fortune for seats that aren't so great, gather your family around to watch the big game at home. Not only is this a more affordable option, but you'll never miss a great play thanks to the power of replay.

Who doesn't love fresh baked goods in the fall? Plus, many people have fond memories of baking cookies with their parents when they were growing up. Wouldn't you like to create those memories with your kids? Then why not spend a family night baking some of your family's favorite goodies? This week, let's look at a few tips for baking with the family.

Keep it simple. This should be a fun family night activity. For that reason, it's best to stick with simple recipes. That way, you have a better chance of the recipe turning out right and everyone feeling successful. If you choose to have a baking night every week, you could gradually add harder recipes as the family feels more and more comfortable with basic baking techniques.

Give everyone a job. Instead of one person doing all the work, split up the jobs and let everyone help out. One person could measure the ingredients. Another person could stir the ingredients together. Someone could roll out cookie dough and someone could get the baking sheets ready. If you're working with small children, just make sure that adults are in charge of any dangerous steps, such as working with the oven.

Choose a theme. If you have several kids each one could pick a recipe that revolves around a certain theme. For example, all the recipes could be apple recipes. Another way to implement themes for smaller families is to create cookies that are all decorated with a certain theme. The theme could be a certain football team, holiday, or even fall in general.

Share the wealth. After all the baked goods are finished, why not go around the neighborhood and share? You could also give some of the baked goods to friends and family. This way, your family gets to enjoy baking without overindulging in sweets.

Family night doesn't have to be the same thing every night. As you can see, there are so many different ways to enjoy a night at home without spending a fortune. Best of all, nights like these give you something to work on and later enjoy.

There comes a time when all kids want a redo in their rooms. As many shows have proven, this can be done for free or at least on a small budget. Best of all, a small room can usually be redone in one night. If you have more than one child, the family can band together for the entire weekend to redo everyone's room. Even the master bedroom could get a makeover.

Sometimes all a room needs is a new layout. In these cases, you don't have to spend a dime. All you need to do is sit down, draw out the room, and try different configurations. Taking time to plan the room before you start moving furniture will ensure you don't have to move the furniture numerous times.

If the room needs more than just rearranging, the first step is to decide how big your budget is and what needs to be done. With a budget in mind, you can better determine how much money can be spent on each item. For example, you may want to spend $100 on the room. This means that you could put aside $25 for paint, $30 for a new comforter set, etc.

Before you go shopping though, take time to measure the room for new pieces and to determine how much paint you need. For example, let's say a child has reached the point where they need a desk. Instead of rushing out and buying a desk, decide where you want to place the desk and then measure the area. This ensures that the furniture actually works in the space.

Last, but not least, don't forget how much money you can save by reworking items. For example, dressers can be painted to match a new color scheme. Drawer pulls can also be changed to fit a new style. Believe it or not, little tips like this will save a lot of money.

Don't put off those much needed room remodels. With just a little bit of money, or no money at all, children's rooms can be made new again. Best of all, this makes a great gift for birthdays and holidays.

The kids have gone back to school and the parents finally have a bit of time for themselves. Unfortunately, the economy has made it hard to go out for an expensive night on the town. That's not a problem though. This weekend, send the kids to grandma's house and enjoy a romantic dinner at home while saving money in the kitchen.

Why spend close to $100 at an expensive restaurant when you could create a romantic dinner at home? The truth is that not only will you save money, but you can also create a romantic atmosphere at home. In fact, a dinner at home allows for much more romance than any restaurant ever could.

First of all, decorate the dining space for the special occasion. If you don't have a fancy tablecloth, use a white sheet tied at the corners with ribbon. Place candles on the table and break out the good china. You could also add fresh flowers.

Now that the mood of the room is set, it's time to think about the menu. You can't go wrong with steak, but another romantic option is Cornish game hens. They are perfect served with wild rice and roasted asparagus. Of course, what would dinner be without a romantic dessert?

Cheesecake Hearts
1 frozen plain cheesecake, thawed
6 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon shortening
Whipped cream
Strawberries

1. Use a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut the cheesecake into hearts.
2. Freeze the cheesecake.
3. Mix the chocolate chips and shortening together and melt in a double boiler.
4. Dip the frozen hearts into the melted chocolate.
5. Place the hearts in the refrigerator until firm or ready to serve.
6. When ready to serve, top with whipped cream and fresh strawberries.

A romantic dinner doesn't have to cost a fortune. In fact, this menu could be prepared for less than $40. And it truly is a great way to ring in the back to school season.

Who doesn't love barbecue? There's just something wonderful about the smoky flavor of baby back ribs straight from the smoker. It's enough to get families running to their local pig stands for a delicious plate of barbecue. Unfortunately, barbecue restaurants can be quite expensive, especially for families. This week, let's look at how your family can enjoy a delicious plate of barbecue and all the fixings without spending a fortune.

A family of four might spend the following on a night out at a local barbecue joint:

Appetizers $10
Drinks $8
4 plates of baby back ribs and sides $60
Desserts $12
Total: $90

That's quite an expense, especially when times are tough. It doesn't have to be this way though. A family of four can enjoy a huge barbecue feast for almost a third of what a night out would cost.

4 slabs of baby back ribs $20
Deli potato salad $5
Canned baked beans $2
Rolls $3
Bakery dessert $6
Total $36

The truth is you could save even more money. The key is to watch the sales papers. Many grocery stores often have baby back ribs on sale for $2.98 a pound, especially around the summer holidays. If you want to save even more money, you can always make your own side dishes.

Of course, when I want good barbecue, I slow cook a Boston butt. Boston butts are often on sale for $0.98 a pound. I place the roast in the slow cooker and cook for 10 to 12 hours on low. Once the meat is fall apart tender, I pull the meat apart, remove any fat, and toss the meat with my favorite barbecue sauce. It's a dish that everyone seems to love.

Stop spending a fortune on barbecue! Not only can you save money at home, but you'll have leftovers for the next day. And, if you simply love a certain restaurant's barbecue sauce, chances are they'll sell you a jar so you can enjoy the same flavor at home.

Do you have little kids in the house? Little ones are always amazed by plants and how they grow. Why not take advantage of this and save some money in the process? Over the course of a few weeks, start a family garden club. Not only will this give you and your family time to bond, but it can also provide food and beautiful landscaping for your household. This week, gather your family around and get dirty with a garden club.

This activity will actually take more than one week. In fact, it's an ongoing project your family can share together. During the first couple weeks, discuss what types of plants you would like to have. Have everyone in the family write down at least 2 types of produce and two types of landscaping plants.

The next week, sit down and draw the area outside your home and make close ups of certain areas. For example, draw an overhead of your property and then draw a close up of the flower beds in front of your home. This helps the family determine how much space is available and what space could be used for different types of plants. Remember to take into account what type of light each area gets.

On the third week, you can start deciding which plants would look best and what types of produce will grow best in your area. To help make your landscaping decisions easier, print out pictures of the plants you want to use in each area.

It's finally time to start buying the plants and start gardening. Most families will have to work on their property in sections. Not only is it expensive to landscape your entire yard at once, but plants need to be planted soon after they are purchased. Don't take on more than you can handle each week.

This is a great way to spend time together and teach your young children at the same time. Not to mention your family can benefit from the beauty of the plants and the nutrition of the produce. Even if you don't have a large space, your family can still work with indoor plants and a window garden.

Isn't it nice to share things with your family? It's a way to learn about each other. And, what better way to learn about each other than sharing hobbies? This is a time to truly learn about each other while learning something new in the process. This week, let's talk about sharing hobbies on family night.

Each week, one family member could share one of their favorite hobbies. This is a wonderful way to keep kids busy during summer vacation. They can spend time making handouts for other family members and creating presentations. They can present their hobby in any way that they choose. They may choose to show other family members step by step or rent DVDs and borrow books from the library to help explain their hobby.

One important rule to remember is that there must be enough supplies so that everyone can learn the hobby together. For example, if one child is showing how to do beadwork, they would need to have enough beads, needles, and string for everyone to make their own project. Another rule is that all family members must participate, even if it seems a little silly for them to do so. This means that dad must make girly crafts and mom must learn a new sport, if that's what a family member is teaching that week.

What type of hobbies can you show? There are a number of different hobbies families can teach each other.

Sports such as golf, martial arts, etc.
Crafts such as beading, quilting, crocheting, etc.
Cooking Methods such as grilling, bread making, candy making, baking, etc.
Arts such as painting, pottery, etc.
Collecting coins, stamps, etc.

Another fun thing to do while sharing hobbies is to plan a menu around that week's hobby, even if it's not a cooking method. For example, if someone is teaching painting, why not serve Italian food, since some of the greatest artists were Italian? This family night activity really is fun and it's a great way to show kids that you really do care about their interests. Everyone will enjoy sharing what they love with those that they love.

Does your family love a certain TV show and make sure to catch it every week? Then why not watch it together instead of having three or four TVs tuned into the same program? This is a wonderful way to spend family night, not only because it's something everyone enjoys, but it's also extremely affordable. This week, let's bring the family together around the TV.

This may sound a bit boring at first. You may even be asking how watching a TV show together can be a family activity. The key is to make it more than just watching a TV show. You have to make it fun and that's exactly what you're going to learn to do.

Each week, gather the family together about 30 minutes before the show begins and let each family member make predictions about what will happen. It may be a certain singer getting kicked off, a couple failing in love, or even who committed a murder. The person that makes the right prediction can get a prize. It may be an inexpensive item picked up at a local department store, a gift card, or even a coupon to get out of doing weekly chores.

Next, get retro. Remember how people used to gather around TVs when they were first made available to the public? They even ate their meals in front of the TV, not wanting to miss one moment of the new technology. While TV dinners may not be as appetizing as they once were, you can still create that feeling with homemade food. At local department stores, you can find lunchroom trays for around $2 a piece. This makes dinnertime so much fun. Of course, the experience wouldn't be complete without some retro TV trays.

This week, stop tuning into your favorite program by yourself and enjoy it with the entire family. Not only will the show be more enjoyable, but you'll get to spend time with your family. It doesn't get any better than that.

In this day and time, most children have a summer reading list. For many children, this isn't exactly how they wanted to spend their summer vacation. Instead of letting your children turn this into a negative experience, why not make it fun? In fact, why not get the whole family involved? This week, let's discuss having book club meetings on family night.

First of all, you'll need enough copies of the books for the entire family to read. If you purchased all these books at a bookstore, the prices would really add up. Thankfully, there are a number of ways to save money on books. Obviously, the first place to start is your local library. Each week, you could pick up enough copies for your family to read that week's assigned book. If your library doesn't have enough copies, don't worry, there are other ways to save money. Used books stores offer great deals and some even let you trade in old books towards the cost of your purchase. Another great way to save money is through book trading sites like Paperback Swap. Through these sites, you're able to post books you no longer want and get credit for other books.

The next step is to make it fun. There are a number of different ways to do this. You can serve fun snacks, such as cookies, or foods that revolve around the book you're reading that week. Another fun thing to do is watch the movie version after the book has been read and discussed. This provides extra incentive to get your children to read the book.

Last, but not least, make sure to have a thorough discussion of the book. Have your children take notes so that they don't forget what they've learned. By getting involved in your child's education, you not only ensure they get the work done, but you make it more enjoyable for them as well. Best of all, this can even be done while on vacation. Just get an audio book and listen to it during the drive to your destination.

Do you have a competitive family? A family that loves hitting the put-put range, paintball courses, and any other place that offers family competition? Then why not think of ways to have tournaments at home? Not only will it save you money, but your family will also have more fun. This week, let's discuss having a bit of friendly competition on family night.

There are a number of different ways for families to have a tournament night at home. It all depends on what your family loves to do most. Your family may love to cook, play video games, or sports. Here are a few tips for turning a bit of family competition into cheap entertainment.

First of all, make the tournament worth winning. It may be a prize that you purchase, such as a small gift card. Or, the prize could be something you don't have to spend a dime on. For example, the winner of the weekly tournament could get out of chores for the following week. This not only encourages your children to want to play tournaments at home, but saves you a ton of money.

What would a tournament be without great food? When having a family tournament night, make it fun. For example, serve appetizers as a meal. You could also make homemade pizza or any other type of food you would normally enjoy while doing similar activities outside the home.

Last, but not least, keep it interesting. The same tournament every week will eventually get boring. Shake things up by having one family member pick the tournament for that week. The only rules are that it has to be something that can be done at home, doesn't require purchasing expensive equipment, and is something everyone can participate in.

Here are a few ideas for family tournaments:

• Cook Offs
• Video Game Challenges
• Team Sports
• Board Game Challenges