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Budget-Friendly Outdoor Activities for Summertime

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<p>Summer is almost here and if you're like most people you're ready for warm weather, beach trips, vacations and spending some time in the sun. If you're like even more people you're worried about sticking to your budget this summer.</p>::Pexels
Summer is almost here and if you’re like most people you’re ready for warm weather, beach trips, vacations and spending some time in the sun. If you’re like even more people you’re worried about sticking to your budget this summer.

When everyone is out of school and people are taking vacation it is easy to forget that you still have a budget to adhere to. Having a list of go-to budget-friendly outdoor activities for summer can help out a lot if you’re in a pinch for something to do.

Budget-Friendly Outdoor Activities for Summer

Creating a list of budget-friendly activities for the summertime isn’t too difficult. There are a TON of things to do (especially outside). Here are just a few:

Cheap Things to Do This Summer

  • Water Balloon Fight: Holding a water balloon fight can be fun, especially if you have kids and it is fairly inexpensive. You’ll just have to foot the bill for the water and the balloons (which you can find fairly cheap at the Dollar Store).
  • Water Guns: Similarly, water guns can be found at the Dollar Store and it can be great fun. Even if you and your adult friends get together for a water gun fight, it will be an afternoon of great fun!
  • Play With Chalk: No one is too old to play with chalk. Find a spot on the sidewalk or in your driveway and make some art. It is extremely cheap and a great budget0-friendly outdoor activity.
  • Take a Day Trip: If you live in an area where you can make a day trip fairly easily, plan one! Day trips can save a lot of money because you won’t be spending cash on lodging and you can also plan to pack food so you don’t have to pay restaurant prices. If you like being outdoors, this list of destinations has 50 amazing places to travel!
  • Go Fishing: Fishing is a relatively inexpensive outdoor activity if you have fishing rods already. If not, it can be costly the first time but will provide hours and hours of entertainment on the low.
  • Host a Potluck Cookout: If you want to get together with friends why not host a potluck cookout? You can provide the hamburgers and hotdogs and have your friends come prepared with side dishes and drinks.
  • Check Sites Like Groupon: Groupon and Living Social have great local deals throughout the entire year. If you’re looking for something cheap to do, both sites are great places to look.
  • Happy Hour: Feel like having an adult beverage? Make sure to check your favorite bar’s happy hour. Usually around 5:00 they will run specials on different drinks. Additionally, many bars have drinks specials day-to-day so you’ll want to ask your bartender about what’s on special the day you go.

Free Summertime Activities

In addition to cheap things to do over the summer there are also some activities you can do for free. Here are a few I came across:

  • Cheap/Free Movies: My local theater offers free kids movies throughout the summer. Check your local theater to see if they do the same.
  • Look Out For Free Events: Many community centers hold free events when the weather is nice. Look on billboards and other posting centers throughout town.
  • Learn Something New: Check your local community centers for free classes. You may be able to learn a new craft or skill for free.
  • Hit the Library: Another great place to find free classes and events is the library, not to mention all of the free books your heart could desire.
  • Volunteer: If you’re still looking for something free to do this summer, volunteer. There is likely a local shelter or organization in need of your help.

These are just a few budget-friendly outdoor (and indoor) activities that you can try out this summer. If you have one you think should be added to the list, let us know!

Photo: Brinkley Walser Stoner

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Have You Tried Walmart Savings Catcher?

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<p>No matter what you're trying to do, there seems to be an app for everything. Trying to lose weight? There's an app for that. Trying to save money? There's an app for that too. What about apps that make sure you're getting the deal you are promised?</p>::Pexels
No matter what you’re trying to do, there seems to be an app for everything. Trying to lose weight? There’s an app for that. Trying to save money? There’s an app for that too. What about apps that make sure you’re getting the deal you are promised?

We’ve already reviewed Paribus, an app which scans your email inbox for receipts and makes sure you got that company’s guaranteed price. But what about Walmart’s Savings Catcher app? It is supposed to do *basically* the same thing but only with your purchases made in-store at Walmart but how useful is the app itself?

About Walmart Savings Catcher

Like Paribus, the Walmart Savings Catcher app is trying to help you save more money by making sure you are getting the price-match guarantee that Walmart offers. For the most part, the app is easy to use and a great way to make sure you’re getting the best deals possible without having to bounce from store-to-store shopping specific deals.

Instead you can simply head to Walmart and then scan your receipt with the app afterwards and let it do its magic. Within a couple days you’ll see money credited to your Savings Catcher account.

How Walmart Savings Catcher Works

The Walmart Savings Catcher app is fairly user friendly. Once you download the app from the App Store or Google Play (it is free) you’ll have to set up an account. This only takes a couple minutes. Then you are ready to start racking up your Walmart savings.

After your next trip to Walmart scan the QR code at the bottom of your Walmart receipt with the Walmart Savings Catcher app. (You can scan up to a week after the purchase date.) After your phone has successfully scanned your receipt your work is done. Sit back, relax and let the app do the rest of the work. If you receive Savings Catcher cash you’ll get a notification and it will be added to a gift card that can be used in store or online.

More About The Savings Catcher App

Walmart also has a number of other things listed on its website to keep in mind about the Walmart Savings Catcher app. Here are some of the more frequently asked questions:

  • Is there a minimum purchase required to use Walmart Savings Catcher? No minimum purchase is required.
  • What type of promotions does Savings Catcher include? If the price is listed in the advertisement, the Savings Catcher app will honor any BOGO deals and sales prices in your area.
  • What promos aren’t included? Any promotion that requires you to buy an item to get another free (ex. “buy a bag a tortilla chips to jar of salsa free”). Walmart will not honor purchases that allow for a free gift card either, nor will they honor closeout sales, BOGO sales with no listed price in the ad, percentage off entire sections (ex. 40% off all men’s clothing) or competitor-specific deals.
  • Can you use Savings Catcher online? No. You can only use Savings Catcher for your purchases made in the store.
  • Are items on layaway eligible? No. Layaway items are not eligible for Savings Catcher perks.
  • Can you still use coupons? Yes! Using coupons and your Savings Catcher may save you even more cash because Walmart compares the price before the coupon is applied.

If you have any other questions or are interested in learning more about Walmart Savings Catcher, check out their website or give them a call on their customer service line at 1 (800) 925-6278.

Have you tried the Savings Catcher? How much have you saved? 

Photo: Walmart

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5 Tax Tips for Freelancers

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Any freelancing job comes with the added fun of being your own accountant. Sure, you’re your own boss too, but now you’ve got to handle all the finances yourself. You need to make sure you’re working enough to live, a little extra if you’ve got something to save for, and, crucially, that you are doing your taxes right.

It’s already a hassle doing your own taxes every year, so to shake up the routine for the sake of taxing a freelance job can feel like a headache. If you’re having trouble, take a look at these tips to help make your taxes easier.

Don’t mix personal and business

You might have decided that, since you are the sole trader of your business, and the bank therefore doesn’t require it, you’ll not bother with a business bank account. That’s fine; however, not recommended. Keep your personal finances separated from your business for a lot of reasons.

For one thing, it will stop you just from spending business money on a new pair of shoes you just had to have, or personal money set for the utilities on an unexpected business bill. A little bit here and there can lead to more. Keeping the two separate will keep you from confusing the two, when looking at your account, which tend to present everything as one big pot.

By keeping business and personal accounts separate, you will see clearly how much money is tied up in business, how much to budget for costs, and you won’t have to decide which expenses are business related down the line.

Keep all your documents digital

There are a lot of logical reasons to keep your documents digitally stored. There is the obvious, that it lowers physical clutter, keeps things accessible, provides a backup, etc., but it also makes everything a lot easier to find. If life had a search tab, we’d never have to have a hide-a-key.

When it comes to taxes, you need to keep a hold of all your documents for at least five years after the 31 January tax deadline. That’s a lot of documents to go hunting through for something that happened five years ago.

This is important for purchases and expenses. Expenses are one of the few ways you can reduce your taxable income, and there are a lot of expenses that you can gain in a year. But getting your expenses wrong could be a tax liability. The taxman is going to need proof of all of these expenses in order to write them off, and they will be a lot easier to find and present to the taxman if they’re not in a huddled pile in a drawer in your office.

Another tip is to file them in chronological order and label them with a date so that you can easily pull them. There are lots of accounting software out there to help you with this. When it comes to creating a digital copy, you can invest in a scanner to make things clearer.

Stick to a routine

One of the main perks of freelancing is the flexible working schedule, which can be tempting to sway from anyway, so it’s important that you find some semblance of a schedule. But when it comes to accounting, it’s vital. The flexible work routine doesn’t really hand itself to accounting as you will need to be prompt with everything you are doing.

It’s recommended that you get a little done every day, rather than a lot done in a week. Set aside at least 30 minutes every day to file your documents as you need to to keep everything in order. Keep it to raising invoices, adding expenses, and reviewing reports on your dashboard and you’re done until January. It’s a case where a little tedium now will save you a lot of stress down the line.

Keep track of all sources of income

If you are freelancing, it’s likely you will have various sources of income, various clients hiring you for your work, various rates of work done for various people. Keeping track of all this is a lot easier with the new addition of online banking, and it’s important that you use it in your bookkeeping. There is accounting software that can help you here. You can link your bank feeds to the accounting software so that the software can do all the heavy lifting of tracking your accounts. Plus, your cloud-stored files will be available to the software for you to pull out as you need it.

Get professional help when you need it

Unfortunately, some of us simply don’t have the mind for numbers, never mind accounting. It’s a tedious process, with consequences if we get it wrong – and there is a lot of room for error.

If you find yourself struggling, there is nothing wrong with consulting a professional. You can hand over all your accounts and documents to a freelancer accountant to deal with and trust that they have your taxes handled. With the finances looked after, you can keep focused on growing your business. Growing your business will mean more income, and more income will mean more work for the accountant to get done.

Of course, all this will be moot if the freelance job you’re looking for is in accounting. Then you’ve just got a side task to get done.

How to Pay Off Debt AND Build Credit: How I Raised My Credit Score 100 Points in One Month

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<p>Just over one month ago I looked at my Credit Karma account and realized my credit score had slowly been slipping for months. I was stuck in a tough spot. I’d deferred student loan payments and allowed things to go to collections while I was trying to rebuild and become stable again. My credit score was sitting at a 460 and I was absolutely terrified. I knew that I’d have a lot of work to do to get it back up to the high 600s it was just two years ago. But with student loan debt and other small debts continuing to rack up (,000 plus interest) I thought I had to choose: either pay down debts or build your credit. However, I found a way to do both.</p>::Pexels
Just over one month ago I looked at my Credit Karma account and realized my credit score had slowly been slipping for months. I was stuck in a tough spot. I’d deferred student loan payments and allowed things to go to collections while I was trying to rebuild and become stable again.

My credit score was sitting at a 460 and I was absolutely terrified. I knew that I’d have a lot of work to do to get it back up to the high 600s it was just two years ago. But with student loan debt and other small debts continuing to rack up ($35,000 plus interest) I thought I had to choose: either pay down debts or build your credit. However, I found a way to do both.

Paying Off Debt While Building Credit

Now, when I say I had to choose you may be confused. Yes, paying debts does help your credit but not all debt payment will reflect positively on your credit report. For example, I paid off an item in collections. Because it was already in collections, it hit my report and won’t be fully gone until after seven years has passed.

There are debts that you obtain and pay that can help you build credit though. So if you’re looking to pay off debt and build credit, keep the following in mind:

What Debt Should You Target?

Prioritizing which debts will be paid off first is important. For instance, if you have something that is preventing you from furthering yourself on your credit report you’ll want to pay that item first. The item I paid in collections was preventing me from renting an apartment so I had to pay that to get a place to stay.

Next, you’ll want to target the debts that will report to your credit score. These are items that have not been sent to collections and are still open. If you make timely payments with at least the minimum each month it will positively affect your credit score.

Other Ways to Build Your Credit Score

If you don’t have any debt and still need a way to build your credit score, don’t worry. There are many ways for you to start building credit. Here are a few ways I’ve implemented since starting to work on my credit score:

  • Get a secured credit card: Secured credit cards are a great way for people for no credit or bad credit to build themselves up again. Most cards have a security deposit (usually between $50 and $200).
  • Take out a small loan: If you’re not interested in having a credit card you may consider taking out a small loan. Whether you need the loan for a home purchase or simply want to use it to consolidate debt, repaying the loan can greatly affect your credit.
  • Rent-to-own: Many rent-to-own places can help you build you credit as well and you’ll have something to show for it once you’ve paid it off. Just be sure to read the fine print and try to pay your items off before the interest kicks in.
  • Pay your bills on time: Paying your bills on time is a huge factor on your credit report. Consistently late payments can hurt your score by as much as 100 points (or more if you’re habitual).
  • Check your score often: If you see something that doesn’t look quite right on your credit score, fix it. You’ll want to be sure that no one is using your identity or that you aren’t being wrongfully charged.

I have and will be implementing each of these over the coming months. By paying down some debt and opening some lines of credit I’ve already been able to increase my credit score by 100 points in a month. Whether you are trying to pay off debt or build credit you need to pay attention to your credit score. Letting it go unnoticed will simply create more work for you in the long run. If you have additional ideas on how to pay off debt while building credit, share them with us! 

Photo: Bank Foreclosures Sale

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Our Third Wedding Anniversary: Reflections

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March 18, 2019 was the day my husband and I got married. As you know, it has been a wild ride. We got married and, two days later, moved to Atlanta (a place we’d only visited once). We were adventurers. Both of us would jump at the opportunity to experience something new. Three years later, everything and nothing has changed.

We still jump at the opportunity to experience new things, but we do some research and make sure it is in the budget. There is also nothing in the world that would make us want to live in a big city again. Love to everyone in Atlanta, but we didn’t have a good time there. Maybe it was bad timing (COVID-19 and all), but our experience there turned us off of living in the city altogether.

Our relationship over the last year has only gotten stronger. At this time last year, I was pregnant and we were eagerly waiting to find out the gender. Neither of us were surprised with the ultrasound tech told us we were expecting a baby girl.

I got to see my husband, who was already my best friend, become a dad. It looks good on him! He also kickstarted a new career where I know he will do amazing things. We nourished each other’s hobbies and helped each other grow. “And like the Grinch” my heart has grown at least three sizes this year to shower our little family in love each day.

anniversary reflections

Financially, we are so much better off than we were three years ago and even more so than when we first moved in together six years ago. During our relationship, we have been homeless living in a motel, a great apartment we loved, a run-down temporary house, crowded in a 450 sq. ft. condo with bed bugs, and now in our little three-bedroom rental. We’ve been through it all.

The biggest thing we both need to get adjusted to is being able to live rather than just survive. There have been a lot of really intense situations we’ve dealt with over the last few years. Motel living, bed bugs at Christmas, moving back to North Carolina to discover I was pregnant one month later. Right now, I’d love for us to be able to sit back and really enjoy this moment in our lives instead of constantly wondering how we will pay for rent or what if XYZ happens? I want to live rather than just survive.

All in all, we have had a great anniversary. We got a few kid-free hours, ate great food, visited the bookstore, and got to do a puzzle. Of course, we got plenty of time with our little one too. Cheers to three years and a lifetime ahead of us. I can’t wait to see where it takes us.

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10 Low-Cost Warm Weather Desserts

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<p>Summertime is almost here which means many of us will be turning to some of our favorite warm weather desserts. Treating yourself doesn't have to come at a high cost though. There are plenty of low-cost desserts out there. Whether you're thinking of entertaining or simply making yourself a sweet treat, these desserts are all great for the summertime and don't break the bank.</p>::Pexels
Summertime is almost here which means many of us will be turning to some of our favorite warm weather desserts. Treating yourself doesn’t have to come at a high cost though. There are plenty of low-cost desserts out there. Whether you’re thinking of entertaining or simply making yourself a sweet treat, these desserts are all great for the summertime and don’t break the bank.

Low-Cost Desserts for the Summer

When you think summer you don’t think about heavy pastries and hot dessert. Most people think of ice cream, popsicles and pie. Oftentimes purchasing these items already-made in the store can be costly but making them from scratch can save you a bit of dough. Here are a few summertime favorites that won’t break the bank:

Homemade Ice Cream

Everyone loves to eat ice cream in the summer. The best part about making ice cream at home is that you only need three ingredients to make a simple vanilla ice cream (cream, vanilla and condensed milk). Once you’ve completed the steps outlined here you can add in flavors and toppings (like mint and chocolate chips).

S’mores

S’mores are one of the most fun and most low-cost desserts out there. You get to gather around a campfire with friends and family while making gooey, gooey s’mores. Like ice cream, you also only need three ingredients for s’mores (graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate). If you’ve never made s’mores and want to see how it’s done, check out this how-to.

Ice Cream Cake

Ice cream cake is another must-have during the summer and it’s not too expensive to make at home. Check out this homemade ice cream cake recipe. You could make an ice cream cake for a birthday party, cookout or just for fun.

Trifle Dishes

Another great low-cost dessert can be found in a trifle dish. Many trifle desserts contain whipped cream, fruits and other cool ingredients that are great during the summer. This recipe uses very few ingredients and is fairly easy to make.

No-Bake Cheesecakes

Once again, who wants to make their home even hotter this summer by turning on the oven? Instead try a no bake dessert. Many no-bake cheesecakes are inexpensive and hassle free (you don’t even need to preheat your oven). Check out Martha Stewart’s No-Bake Cheesecake Recipe.

Ice Cream Sandwiches

One of my favorite low-cost desserts to make and serve over the summer are homemade ice cream sandwiches. Usually I bake chocolate chip cookies and make homemade vanilla ice cream a day ahead of time. By the time I’m ready to make the ice cream sandwiches the next day, everything is ready. It is both an easy and cost-efficient summer treat.

Homemade Popsicles

If you’re making homemade ice cream you can make homemade popsicles too. In fact, homemade popsicles are a bit easier to make. There are tons of popsicle recipes online, including a few “adult” popsicle recipes too.

Cheesecake-Stuffed Strawberries

Strawberries and cool cheesecake both sound great on a summer day. Why not put them together? Cheesecake-stuffed strawberries are a great no-bake dessert for the summer. They also make a great plate to bring to a potluck because they are so visually appealing (check them out here).

No-Bake Cookies

Obviously no-bake desserts are preferred for many people in the summer because their homes are already warmer than usual. There are plenty of no-bake cookie recipes to try this summer if you’re looking for a last-minute low-cost dessert idea.

Pies

Lastly, everyone loves pie and the summertime is one of the most popular times to be eating it. Around Fourth of July you’ll begin to see apple pies, blueberry and cherry pies all over the place (same goes for the holidays). Some pies can get costly but if you choose the recipe right you’ll be able to make a pie and stick to your budget without any problem.

Do you have any other great low-cost summertime desserts to share? Let us know!

Photo: Pillsbury

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How to Save Money During the Moving Process

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If you and your family are preparing for a move, saving money on that move should be a priority. Moving is expensive but there are ways you can reign in the costs. Following these simple steps will help you cut back on moving costs for you and your family.

The More Planning Time the Better

The longer in advance you can plan the move for you and your family, the more savings you are likely to find. Planning way ahead will help you to compare costs and give you time to do the research. Moving is a lot like traveling in that if you must make last-minute decisions you are going to probably pay more for the service.

The time of year that you are planning the move for you and your family will also affect how much you will pay to hire a moving company. Summertime is the busiest season to move. About 60% of moves in the United States happen between May and August. If you can move a little earlier or a little later, you can see significant savings. Plotting to move your family carefully can be one of the easiest ways to save money on your move.

Take on Part of the Move Yourself

Moving companies typically offer a suite of services. These added-value services come with a steep price tag. For example, most moving companies offer packing and unpacking services which can ring up the cost of your move. Instead of paying for a moving company to do the packing and unpacking, you can delegate duties to your family and get the house packed up without picking up the tab.

Put your family to work and make each family member responsible for packing up their own room. Of course, if your children are very young, you may need to enlist the help of extended family members like grandparents. Doing part of the job yourself will result in significant savings that you can put toward the work that needs to be done in your new home, like landscaping. Saving money on your move and putting it toward landscaping in the new place can result in a 14% return on your investment when you resell your new home down the line.

Save For the Move

Remember that first tip to plan as far ahead as you can? If you start planning months in advance, you can start saving as soon as possible for the move. It will be less of a hit to your budget if you tuck a few hundred dollars to the side each month to cover the costs of the move instead of using credit cards for the move. Saving for the move may not reduce the overall cost of the move but it will lessen the financial hit.

Look for the Best Value in Moving

A DIY move may seem like the best way to save money, but you have to consider whether it is the best value. Consider the cost of renting a moving truck, the time it would take to load all your family’s goods, and then unload the goods at your destination. Time is money. If your family includes younger children, a DIY move can be harrowing. Of course, you also have to consider safety. Can you carry that fridge with a friend down a couple of flights of steps? Will you have the “manpower” to make the move?

Finally, Do This

Many people do not realize that they can negotiate moving costs. If you and your family are moving, treat it like you are buying a new car. You may be surprised to find that you can ask for discounts and get them. Saving on your move is essential because there will be things you will need to have money for when you get to your new place. For example, a new video surveillance system to keep your family safe. About 67% of burglaries can be avoided by adding a surveillance system.

You can curtail the cost of moving your family by just taking a few simple steps and, in some cases, asking for a better deal. Good luck on your move and make savings a priority.

 

When is Debt Consolidation a Realistic Option?

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p>When it comes to paying off debt there are multiple approaches you can take. For some, debt consolidation seems to be the answer but is debt consolidation the best answer?</p>::Pexels

 

When it comes to paying off debt there are multiple approaches you can take. For some, debt consolidation seems to be the answer but is debt consolidation the best answer?

What is Debt Consolidation?

Debt consolidation is essentially taking out one loan to pay off all (or a good chunk) of your debt.  It is generally used for people who have a large amount of consumer, or credit card, debt. This makes it so that you’ll have one easy payment each month going towards your debt-payoff efforts. For some, this has been the answer to their struggle with debt.

The Problem With Debt Consolidation

The biggest issue with debt consolidation isn’t taking out a loan to pay everything off. The issue lies with the individual’s personal finance approach. Normally, people who consolidate their debt have no plan to spend cash and not run their credit cards for everything. This makes it so that some people who have taken the debt consolidation route may wind up back in tremendous debt. There is also a good chance that they don’t have an emergency savings fund either, which means if an emergency arises it will likely go on their credit card.

And, even if you’ve established a solid plan for saving and reforming your spending habits, debt consolidation may wind up costing you more in the long run. For the most part, people choose debt consolidation to make their lives a little easier and, in some cases, decrease their monthly debt payment. However, debt consolidation loans can come with a higher interest rate and will last much longer than most of your current debt repayment plans. This means you could potentially wind up paying more when all is said and done.

Should You Consider Debt Consolidation?

If you’re thinking about debt consolidation, you’re not alone. There are plenty of people who have consolidated and paid off their debt successfully. And, while there are plenty of things to consider before doing so, it is a viable option for some. If you’re considering debt consolidation, remember the bottom line: Will it cost you more to consolidate? If the answer is yes, don’t.

Also, be sure that you have a solid financial plan for once your debt is consolidated so you don’t go back to the same spending habits. Oftentimes “moving” the debt, like you do when you consolidate, makes people forget about the debt they were in, to begin with.

Other Ways to Get Out of Debt Without Debt Consolidation

Debt consolidation is far from the only way to pay off a large amount of debt though. Here are just a few ways to get out of debt without consolidating:

  • Get a Look at Your Finances – Take a minute and really sit down with your finances. Get an idea of what is possible and what is out of reach in terms of paying off your debt and your budget. If you need to, reach out to a financial advisor.
  • Write Down Your Budget – Once you’ve got a sense of what your finances are like, start tracking your spending and create a budget. Make sure you write it down and hold yourself to sticking to it!
  • Get a Second Job – If you’re having trouble paying off your debt, consider getting a second job or side hustle. Bringing in more money will always positively affect your finances.
  • Live on Less Than You Make – This is a budgeting basic but something you need to keep in mind. If you truly want to be debt free you CANNOT spend more than you make.
  • Don’t Take on New Debt – If you’re just getting out of debt or trying to get out of debt, don’t take on any new credit cards or loans. Though credit card offers can be tempting, just say no.

Getting out of debt is no easy feat. While debt consolidation may seem like the answer to your problems, be sure you consider taking some simpler avenues (like living on less than you make and earning more) before taking on a consolidation loan. Remember, it’s not really getting rid of your debt, it is simply moving it!

Have you consolidated or paid off debt successfully? We’d love to hear your story!

Photo: CafeCredit.com

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5 Budget-Friendly Spring Activities for Your Kids

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Spring is finally here, and if you are a parent, then chances are you are looking for ways to keep your kids entertained through the rainy months. It can be easy to want to turn on the TV for the entirety of a rainstorm simply to keep your kids occupied, but there are many better ways to keep your children mentally engaged, even when the weather is so unpredictable. In this blog post, we will talk about some excellent budget-friendly ideas to keep your kids active and creative this spring.

1. Growing Your Own Plants

When it comes to planting a tiny herb garden or a flower bed, spring is the perfect season to start. Schedule a trip to the garden store for your kids to pick out their own flower or vegetable seeds to plant. Be sure to make a point to have them check on their plants every day, watering and caring for them as needed. You can even have them take a photo of their plant every day to make a photo montage when it is fully grown. Growing a personal plant is sure to become a wholesome yearly tradition, and only costs the tiny amount you spent on the seeds.

2. Geocaching

The free “Geocache” app for smartphones is an excellent way to make good use of the sunnier days that spring brings. “Geocaches” are small capsules that people leave in certain hiking spots for people to find and sign, like a game of outdoor hide-and-seek. Though some of these may be higher up and made for adults to find, the app makes it easy to filter and locate all of the geocaches close to you that are geared towards children.

3. Rock Hide-and-Seek

If your kids love geocaching, then they will love rock hide-and-seek. Collect some rocks from a local riverbed or pond, and let your kids paint them however they want. If you want to get extra creative, pick up some glow-in-the-dark paint as well. Once they are dried, you can play rock hide-and-seek inside or outdoors, depending on the weather.

4. Creative Video Games

Video games are becoming a popular pastime for children of all ages. While it can be easy to assume that video games are just like television, several engaging video games focus on building and creativity. Minecraft offers kids an entire world of their own to explore and build, offering endless playability for years to come. Certain “seeds” can help determine the Minecraft world that you generate, but they are mostly random. This game is also a cheaper alternative to other age-particular games that your child may grow out of, and can keep their creativity growing for years to come.

5. Using Your Crafting Leftovers

Once your child’s little chunk of video game time is up, you can keep the building motive going with a crafting closet party. Instead of throwing out all your old art supplies, allow your child to make whatever they want out of them. Sculpture-making is a great boredom-buster for rainy days, especially for kids who are bigs fans of Lego or Minecraft.

Clearly, there are tons of ways to keep your kids mentally active this spring. Whether they prefer creativity of the digital variety, or physically exploring the outside world. The world is theirs for the taking, so get out all your crafting supplies and get started!