Walk to the library and check out books, DVDs, etc. Public libraries often have summer activities for families.
Not only do libraries carry DVDs, ours also have “cultural passes” that allow families to visit local museums and gardens that would usually charge admission. OP, ask your local library staff to tell you about all the services and holdings that your local system offers. In some places, it is quite simply amazing.
This is a great time of year to make preserves, which are not only far better than store-bought, but a fraction of the price. If your main concern is saving money, it is worthwhile to learn what the things you buy are costing you. I don’t mean “make a budget”. I mean to keep track of what you spend and where, so you know where your money is going. That will give you a better idea of where you might be able to save. There is not much good in saving dimes in one area while you are hemorrhaging dollars somewhere else.
For lots of ideas of how to save money and do-it-yourself, go on
Amazon.com, read the reviews to find the books you want, then browse your library holdings online, put what you want on hold, and pick them up rather than cruise the holdings yourself. If you’re trying to save money, it helps to save time, too. Keep in mind that your local library system may have reciprocal agreements that let you get library cards for neighboring systems, too. That will greatly expand the holdings that are available to you.
On the book list,
I highly recommend “Making the Most of Your Money Now: The Classic Bestseller Completely Revised for the New Economy” by Jane Bryant Quinn. It is the most straightforward and thorough book on personal finance that you are ever likely to find. (It certainly cured me of every even considering being a landlord.
) Seriously, though, it is a good resource for understanding big expenditures, such as insurance and saving for retirement and your daughter’s education.
