Saturday, September 8, 2012

Frugal Fun Night?


As classes have started and I’m back to teaching personal finance, I have a challenge for all the students taking this class and using “Personal Finance; Building Your Future” by Walker & Walker. I want to know who can come up with the best frugal fun night. Add your suggestions and ideas by adding it as a comment to this blog. Keep it clean (PG rating), include an estimated cost and how this Frugal Fun Night reflects your values – the values that you worked on in Chapter 1. Remember, being frugal is not being cheap, but it is the wise spending of money in accordance with your values.

I look forward to reading your responses and getting ideas of how I can spend a Frugal Fun Night!

424 comments:

  1. Game night! Have half a dozen friends learn "Scum," a fun, fast-moving card game. Or break out Bananagrams--you have to buy it, but it's fairly inexpensive and you'll play it a lot!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sounds great! You will have to post the rules of "Scum" so we can all learn how to play.

      Delete
  2. Here's a frugal fun idea for the fall season.
    Pumpkin carving...It's an annual tradition for my friends and I. The average cost of a pumpkin per pound is about $0.40-$0.50. A good sized pumpkin is about 10 pounds, or $5 a pumpkin. It's fun because you can be creative and carve designs into the pumpkin. Dig out all the guts and seeds. After cleaning them, you can roast the seeds and have them for a healthy and tasteful snack. The supplies you'll need for this activity would be a knife and spoon for carving and cleaning the pumpkin, seasoning for the seeds. Most people already have these supplies in their kitchen. This activity is frugal, fun, and a fall must do.

    ReplyDelete
  3. A frugal fun ideal for one night could be inviting a few couple over for a game of Charades. The game of Charades is fairly cheap no more than 10 dollars at the most. You take turns with your partner on acting out a specific word thats on the card until they can guess it right or before the time runs out. The game will bring out your creative skills on explaning a word without using your voice. The game can be used with others not just couples and it can be a way to bring people closer for a night of cheap fun and excitement.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Cedar Rapids Bowling center is currently offering a free game of bowling on select nights. Afterwards all friends could either get together at little ceaser's for $5 dollar pizzas or head to someones house to all chip in for a homecooked meal to end a fun low cost night

    ReplyDelete
  5. We could all meet in my suite(ANDREAS A5) and play a Fifa tournament(Playstation).Each of us brings five dollars and something to eat/drink.The winner of the tournament takes all the money.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Christmas is always a time to spent money,usually money we don't have. A couple of years ago I came up with the idea of giving my wife and kids a bag with 20 to thirty tickets inside that had different topics on them. Some tickets would be for small dollar amounts,some would say candy,some would say get a hug,some would say prize bag (this would allow them to reach into another bag for another ticket)we had so much fun and christmas morning lasted more then 15 minutes.The following year the kids asked to do it again

    ReplyDelete
  7. When I was younger our volleyball team would get together and have a bunco tournament. They would set up about 4-6 tables of 4 people at each and play until the game was complete. Bunco is a dice game involving basically all luck and no skill. Players move from table to table attempting to make their way to the top table. It's loud and entertaining. It could be expensive if one person bought all 6 games but if six different people brought their game to the game night it would be very inexpensive!

    ReplyDelete
  8. You ask, how to you have a fun night, without spending lots of money. One option would be baking chocolate chip cookies from scratch!
    You probably have most of the ingredients in your cupboard already, so the expense should be minimal.
    Mix together the following 3 ingredients:
    1 cup softened margarine/butter
    3/4 cup brown sugar
    3/4 cup white sugar
    Now add the next 5 ingredients and mix well
    2 Eggs
    1 tsp Vanilla
    1 tsp Baking Soda
    a dash of Salt
    2 and 1/4 cups Flour
    Stir in 2 cups of Chocolate Chips
    Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Then enjoy!
    If you really want to make the evening last, you can plate the cookies, cover them and deliver them to your neighbors. Not only do you have a great snack, you can also enjoy quality time with your neighbors!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Movie night!! For the past 2 years all my buddies from high school used to meet up at the theater downtown and watch a movie all together, the ticket is only 8 bucks during the weekdays and 10 on the weekends. Its always fun to watch a movie with the family.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. When my friends and I are absolutely broke and it is the end of the week, we have extremely cheap but fun movie nights. We go to the closest RedBox and choose a couple of movies to rent, costing no more than $2 or $3. Then we run to the Dollar General and buy 'theater' snacks for $1 each (same candy and snacks run from $3 to about $8 each at the theater). We have a designated house and enjoy our movies with the comforts of home and the taste of 'theater' goodies.

      Delete
  10. We like to go on bike rides around town. Its great for exercise and you don't spend any money on gas. We usually stop somewhere and get a drink or a snack and hang out for awhile. A quick stop by any red box along the way and we finish the night off watching our movie. Only $5 or $6 for the whole night.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The best night we ever had involved dancing, a picture of beer and a long walk after the bar closed. I'm sure their are cheaper ways to have a frugal date night. However, we spent twenty bucks and received a memory that will last forever.

      Delete
  11. As Fall approaches and temperatures start to drop I find fire to be a frugal staple. I get firewood free from a friend in addition to picking up the sticks in the yard and paper products from the recycle bin as well. For those who do not have access to wood and enjoy a campfire, I would suggest having a truckload delivered for roughly $75.00, more than enough to last a year. Buying firewood at stores in four dollar bundles gets expensive and eliminates the frugal feature. Either way spending a night by the fire is relaxing, roasting hotdogs and marshmellows for under ten bucks. We enjoy each others company and there are numerous yard games such as a bean bag toss or horseshoes, either way a nice break from technology.

    ReplyDelete
  12. A great frugal fun activity that's awesome all year around for my friends, family and I is tie-dying. We combine our money to purchase the dye and rubberbands (originally we all went in on a kit; so it came with the bottles and gloves) and most the time we raid our closets for any shirts we love that ended up with a stain or something. If we don't have any clothes already that we want to dye we buy the biggest pack of white t-shirts. Tie-dying can be so much fun; everyone's able to be creative and learn new tricks and patterns. When it's beautiful outside we go to a park; it's much less messy! Also, after the first time, it's usually only about $5-10 if you get 4+ people.

    Original kit: $30
    Refils on dye: $3
    Pack of T-shirts: $7-9
    Awesome Frugal Fun: PRICELESS!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. A great frugal fun night for my sisters and our friends is JUGS night.(Just Us Girls) We have have ours on Thursay night and based around the tv show Greys Anatomy. So all the girls come over we bring games, a dish, the lastest gossip and maybe some wine. Then at eight we all watch Greys. So not into Greys?, get your friends together to watch any show, have a meal and some fun!

    ReplyDelete
  14. My family of four will eat a nice steak diner at home, which I cook(costing $7 for everything), then rent a rebox movie costing $1.50 then pop popcorn that I buy by the pound at our loccal health food store costing $1.25 a pound. A nice night for my family is nearly $10 thanks is a great couponing and price matching mommy.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Picnic in the park. The around here are beautiful. Whatever you were going to eat, take it to the park. If you google parks near you there are different options. Capture the flag is a no cost game. Invite lots of friends.

    My favoite low budget date was a dinner at the park, which included romantic music and lighting. Friends set up and served and then left so we could have a few minutes together.

    Good times....

    ReplyDelete
  16. Where I live there is a mountain that you can climb that has a park where you can have a picnic, play volleyball, throw a football, fly a kite. I know some people even do the geo chacheing (sp). It can even be fun just to go and read or relax.

    Not too far away from the mountain are bridges that a lot of people ride bikes on or just go for a walk.

    All of this is free! Except for gas of course. Even if you didn't have a volleyball or football these things are very inexpensive at the store. You can often find them at the dollar store.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love Pinnacle Mountain and the bridge. Before I moved to Conway I would take my dog and go to either one about three times a week. I lived off Rodney Parham and they were both so close. It's good, relaxing fun and very affordable.

      Delete
  17. My family likes to have Euchre night where everyone throws in $2 to play and then we have a big tournament. This is fun because it brings everyone together to socialize and people usually bring food so that's a plus as well! If your family isn't big enough you can invite neighbors or friends! The money can then be given to the winner or a charity of choice. An if not everyone is a Euchre player dominoes is s good substitute. The only cost you have is food and $2 to play!

    ReplyDelete
  18. My family likes to have Euchre night where everyone throws in $2 to play and then we have one big tournament. Many people bring food so that's a plus and the winner can keep the money or it can go to a charity of choice. If there are not enough family members, neighbors and friends can be asked as well! The only cost for a night like this is food and $2 to play! If not everyone knows how to play Euchre they can start up a game of dominoes!

    ReplyDelete
  19. I think it would be nice to get several families together in your neighborhood and have a cookout and bonfire or maybe a hayride. Each family would provide enough food for their family including hot dogs, buns,drinks, chips, marshmallows and have a night out around the fire on a spring or fall night. It would be good family time and fellowship with friends but not costly

    ReplyDelete
  20. I love going out in the snow! Of course it has to be winter, but when was the last time you got a bunch of friends together and had a good old fashioned snowball fight? Forts and all! After the fight, you can all go make hot chocolate at one person's house and talk about how much fun you had while you warm up.

    ReplyDelete
  21. My idea of a Frugal Fun Night would include my friends and I getting together around a campfire roasting hot dogs and marshmallows. Have each person sign up to bring one thing so it would only cost about $5-$10 per person. I love outdoors and spending time with friends. There's just something about sitting around a fire and under the stars that is so peaceful. It would give everyone a chance to relax.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I think the nights my friends and spend together are usually frugal fun nights. Usually we get together for a long night of street soccer on a public tennis court. We usually car pool to save on gas and go green! We all bring out soccer balls and just have a good night. virtually no money spent except for gas money. Other times we have simply all gotten together at a friends house. We each bring snacks and drinks and play video games, watch movies, and play card games. The only money usually spent here is on the snacks and we do some very small time gambling just to make it a little more interesting. probably about 10 dollars each spent on the night or depending on whether you win the gambling you might add some quarters to your pocket.

    ReplyDelete
  23. For my Frugal Fun Night I would plan on having a bonfire hangout with some close friends at my house, which would be perfect for this fall season that is approaching. I was thinking that for the night we could spend time grilling food, playing outdoor games, roasting marshmallows, and just simply enjoying each other's company. For this event I would ask everyone to bring their own snack to share and then their own drinks. Additionally, I would ask for $5-8 to go get the grilling food for the party event. Through this Frugal Fun Night my value of friendship and simply pouring into people's lives would be reflected. I believe that in order to have strong friendships we must be constantly nurturing them through spending time together and pouring advice and thoughts into each other's lives.

    ReplyDelete
  24. My idea of a frugal fun night will be playing a game of spade with three other friends. Laughing and just having fun while eating snacks. A deck of cards is no more than $5.00.

    ReplyDelete
  25. For a Frugal Fun Night I would want to have an outdoor movie night. With the Fall weather approaching, this would be a great time to have the outdoor movie! The only materials needed would be a movie projector and something to project the movie on. Movie projector prices vary, but one can be purchased for around $100. But, with a large group of people at the movie night, someone is likely to already have one! Everyone could vote on what movie to watch, and bring blankets to sit on and snacks to eat. This would be a fun event for me because I believe you don't have to necessarily spend a lot of money to have a fun night!

    ReplyDelete
  26. I think a Frugal, Fun Night would be hiking around 5 or 6 with some friends and staying on top of the mountain until the stars come out. We could bring dinner and matches in our backpack (granted there is not a burn ban) and eat, relax and hang out until we're ready to go home. In some situations you can camp overnight for free.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tiffany Poole
      Scavenger Hunt Ideas: Having to find envelopes with questions around the park to receive your surprise, Or around the house. Considering it’s currently my husband and I we are more on the lines of date night activities. The two of us being full-time college students and both working full-time, date night happens on Saturday’s. I remember this time we went to our local city park to have date night. My husband handed me an envelope, saying let the scavenger hunt begin. In the envelop there was a question I had to answer to get a ticket to my surprise. The question was related to our relationship. After, receiving my ticket, my husband would give me my surprise. My surprise ranged from a slow dance in the park, to a foot rub I could get anytime. After, doing the scavenger hunt at the park, my last surprise was waiting at the house. Dinner for two, made by my husband! Most of the materials you use for this date you have at your home. If not, envelopes $5 a box, pack of pater to make the ticket’s 50cent, Dinner with the food from your weekly or monthly grocery shopping, and love priceless!

      Delete
    2. Great idea! This is very creative!

      Delete
  27. My frugal fun night would definitely be B.Y.O.M and bon fire night! Bring your own movie night is one of the most fun things I have done. All my friends would get together and bring our favorite movies to watch. We would always pick a theme like action, comedy, or romance night. This saves us money by not having to rent or buy movies for the night. The bon fire would be easy to make for anyone who had an open field or a fire pit in their yard. We could all roast hot dogs and marshmallows and make s’mores! And everyone could chip in to bring each item needed for food. Since Fall is now upon us, this would be great to sit around the fire and later curl up and watch a good movie.
    Costs (these are rough estimates):
    Hot dogs- $0.88
    Hot dog buns- $1.18
    Marshmallows- $3.00
    Chocolate bars- $1.00
    Graham crackers- $3.99
    Total: $10.05
    Divided by Four (me and my friends): roughly $2.50!

    ReplyDelete
  28. My frugal fun night would be hanging out with friends and family. Where I live there is this bridge that people can walk across or ride your bikes across it that leads to a walking trail and a spot with different picnic tables. You and your family and friends could play football, frisbee, or even take your dogs on a walk here. This would all be FREE and inexpensive! The only thing that you would have to pay for would be the gas to get there and back. I love being outdoors and I think it would be a great event to be laid back with the people you love and care about.

    ReplyDelete
  29. A fun frugal night that I often have with my family is playing bocce ball! My dad recently purchased a new set that lit up, so we could play in the dark in the front yard on cool summer evenings. We also took it to Florida for our family vacation and played almost every night we were there. The set itself isn't cheap, probably around $40-$50 dollars, but it is a game we play all the time so its worth the money. Usually Mom will make dinner then once it gets dark we go out in the front yard to play. Usually our neighbors come over to play too. It's fun to play or even sit and watch and visit with everyone. It's definitely one of my favorite past times with my family, and we don't even have to leave the house for it!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Hey! I think a fun relatively cheap idea is a night walk/hike with a group. with halloween coming up, you might start off with a scary movie to watch ($1.00 redbox or one you already own), then have everyone bring a flashlight ($1.00 at dollar general if you don't own one plus $2.00 for batteries if needed) and just explore a walking trail together (may require gas money if not close to your home).
    Something fun to add would be the Certs mints ($0.50 at a gas station). they spark in your mouth when its dark outside and looks really neat!

    ReplyDelete
  31. Hi!
    So I have been on a bicycle kick recently. And I've researched and found that there is a place called River Trail Bicycle Rentals, and it costs about $16 dollars per person to ride for 4 hours. The trail includes scenic views, popular landmarks, and attractions. I think it would be not only Fun but good for your health. And afterwards you could picnic, by bringing homemade sandwiches and drinks. That altogether is about $15 tops. This reflects my values because I intend to live a long successful life, and in order to achieve this being physically active is essential.

    ReplyDelete
  32. I think hosting a movie night with family or friends, but with a theme. Have everyone bring movies, rented from the library or private collection, or borrowed. Have everyone bring snacks, or prepare a meal, that connects to the theme.If you prepare a meal, have everyone pitches in to help with the price. Before you start the movie, decide on next week/month's theme. This should cost very little, maybe $5 per family/couple. This reflects my personal values, because family & friends are important to me.

    ReplyDelete
  33. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  34. My idea of a financial frugal night involves a packed lunch and venture to one of the many national parks. If you're 21, pack whatever booze you have and some snacks. If you're not 21, just pack something tasty. Invite more people and have every one bring something of their own. This turns it into a potluck of sorts and gives even picky people choices. Then round up some firewood (and the approval of a park ranger) and start a bonfire.
    This gives the same feeling as going out to a big party and having a big time with none of the big cost. Not to mention, its always a fun adventure.
    The estimated cost is that of gas. Considering I'm only 4.5 miles away from one of these parks gas is around $5 and snacks should be from home, but if you need to purchase anything it should be easy to cover all your needs for $10.
    Total cost: $5- $15

    ReplyDelete
  35. A Frugal Fun Night idea for me would be to have a cookie recipe exchange with my friends and family. Have a get together at home and require everyone to bring their favorite cookie recipe on an index card but make sure they bring enough copies for everyone to get one. Then simply exchange the recipes. I love having new recipes and seeing what other people consider their favorites. At the get together I would also suggest playing spoons, my family's most favorite/competitive card game and making cinnamon Christmas ornaments(maybe a little closer to December). Making these ornaments has been a tradition that my family has carried on for years. They are so fun and fill your house with a wonderful holiday scent. All the recipe calls for is cinnamon, apple sauce and Elmer's glue. This would total up to be around 8 to 10 dollars. And as long as you have a deck of cards and spoons at home your set to play the game. You might also encourage everyone to bring a cookie cutter with their recipe so there will be lots of fun shapes to use to cut out ornaments.

    ReplyDelete
  36. A Frugal Fun Night for me involves a good group of friends, a truck, music, and some back roads. This is especially a great thing to do when fall comes around. There's nothing better than enjoying the outdoors on a cool fall night with some of your best buddies. To me this is a great way to relax and listen music you enjoy. The cost for this night would include gas money split between each individual.

    ReplyDelete
  37. My friend Lisa and I picked Tuesday as our Frugal Night. The Rave Movie Theater always plays movies for $5 on Tuesday so we decided to take advantage of that. I always carry a very large purse so instead of buying popcorn and drinks there, I would stop at the grocery store and buy them from there. You would be surprised how much money you can save! After the movie we like go to The Big Dam Bridge or any park around the area and talk about anything and everything. After if we have time we go to Yogurt Mountain and grab a little bit of yogurt to finish the night off. All together we probably spend around $20 but it is totally worth it. I get to spend quality time with my best friend and we get catch up on things or just get away from our daily routine and not have to pay with an arm and a leg. We sometimes invite other people to come along and they always enjoy it.

    ReplyDelete
  38. My friends and I love the outdoors! Any chance we get, we all get together and take the boat out or take a walk in the woods to find a better location to hang our deer stands. At the end of the night we get the grill going and enjoy some steaks, shrimp or burgers! Usually it's about 4-6 of us and we all split gas and grocery expenses. I never spend more than $10-$15. I love spending time with my favorite people and also saving money while doing it!

    ReplyDelete
  39. My friends and I enjoy going camping. We go down to Hot Springs and love to go fishing and riding in the boat. We grill out food for the night. There is only about 8 of us that go, so we all chip in $15-$20for gas and food. We wish we could go every weekend. It saves us a lot of money.

    ReplyDelete
  40. The way my friends and I have an inexpensive time and have a lot of fun is we have a sports and movie night. The first time doing this is a little pricier, but in the long run, it is very good “bang for your buck.” We play football, which cost $15, Ultimate Frisbee and just throw it around, which cost $11, and also kickball, four-square, dodge ball, and other games with a kickball that cost $5. After the sports we get 3 pizzas from Little Caesar’s for $15, 3 off-brand 2-litters for $3, and rent three Redbox movies for $3. For these sports to be able to be played you need at least 6 people to play, and have a great time. The first time doing this with only 6 people it will cost $9 a person, which might be more than some want to spend, but you can buy the equipment over time to make it less. After the first time there is no need to buy the equipment again and it will only cost around $3 a person for the entire night of fun. You can also adjust this to how many people you have because you might need more or less movies, drinks, or pizza, but this is a good thing that we love and try to do at least 2 times a month.

    ReplyDelete
  41. Here in conway there isnt too much cheap things to do around here but I lived close to Little Rock before i moved here and there is several cheap things you can do especially if you love the outdoors. There are mountains to climb, parks, and lakes and rivers to fish at. Climbing a mountain or playing at a park wouldnt cost you anything to do and would be a great time for everyone involved.

    ReplyDelete
  42. K. Adams
    My fun frugal night will be a netsflicks movie night. The movie rental for a monthly fee is less than $10.00. My husband and I will get a microwave popcor, snuggle each other and enjoy the movie. Save on gas! Gas is too high right now.

    ReplyDelete
  43. My frugal night would be watching netflicks or renting movies not spending any money on gas to go anywhere and only spending maybe 5 to 10 dollars a month, cooking hamburgers and hotdogs watching movies is a great frugal night

    ReplyDelete
  44. My fun frugal night would consist of a night of board game like monopoly. A small get together where everyone brings a food dish. Choose a different dish : salad, pasta, chicken, meatballs, etc. The night would be filled with card games and just talking. Nothing too expensive because everything now a days is expensive. My frugal night would be called "Leggo Frugal"!!!

    ReplyDelete
  45. My fun frugal night would consist of a night of board game like monopoly. A small get together where everyone brings a food dish. Choose a different dish : salad, pasta, chicken, meatballs, etc. The night would be filled with card games and just talking. Nothing too expensive because everything now a days is expensive. My frugal night would be called "Leggo Frugal"!!!

    ReplyDelete
  46. My idea for a fun frugal night would be for a group of family and friends to get together what I call a "potluck" which is where everyone comes together and decides on who brings what food, utensil, drinks, and games. The goal is to have a big professional sport game on TV to meet up for this. The cost per family should not exceed 20$ because you are only having to bring one to two items at the most.

    ReplyDelete
  47. A fun frugal night is to have a couple of friends over and do some fishing in the lake in front of my house. I love the outdoors and spending time with my friends. Since the lake is within walking distance it costs nothing for me to drive there and fishing bait costs between 2 and 3 dollars.

    ReplyDelete
  48. A fun frugal night for me would be for a bunch of my friends to come over to my house and cookout, swim, play games, and watch a football game. The night would include a variety of things to do. It would not cost anything except money for the food. The cost of the food would depend on how many people came over, but would still not be very expensive. It may cost $30 or $40 dollars all together, which is not much once you split it up between everyone.

    ReplyDelete
  49. A frugal night for my family would to invite a lot of friends and their children over and have everyone bring a food item. It could be main dish, snacks, drinks, desserts... Whatever their heart desires. We would hook up the projector and the huge screen that goes along with it outside on our deck and watch movies, play cards, the kids could swim, make smores while the fire would be going and it would cost us around $20.00. With everyone bringing an item and us having everything we need there, that makes this a fun frugal night with friends and family at minimal costs!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  50. I think a fun frugal night would be a great game of marbles (not the kind of marbles you're thinking of) and homemade dessert with coffee. If you have all the ingredients you need, this fun night would be free.

    ReplyDelete
  51. My favorite frugal fun time would be getting a group of your closest friends together and going for an all-day mountain climb. Packing a small picnic of healthy fruits and nuts, sandwiches and reusable water bottles make for a very "cheap" meal while you burn lots of calories and make many memories. The most expensive part of the day would be paying for the gas to get to the hiking location and back home, being that there are no local places to hike in Conway. An all-day hiking trip is a great way to get out of the house on a beautiful day and enjoy the world, get to know your friends better and with everyone carpooling it would save everybody a little money. Oh and don't forget the camera!

    ReplyDelete
  52. Dr. Mary Ann Campbell, CFPFebruary 10, 2013 at 6:40 PM

    Dear UCA Personal and Family Finance Class of Spring 2013, this is where you'll scroll down to the bottom and put your FFN idea in. Be sure and put you name in, so that I can post your points.
    Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  53. My idea of a Frugal Fun Night would be playing board games at my house with my friends and maybe all sharing a box of wine.
    Cost is very limited to $15.00 dollars for the box of wine. Buying new games is not required I have several already at home.

    Brooke Laird.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This reflects my values because I am a very social person and love spending time with my friends!

      Delete
  54. My idea for Frugal Fun Night would be a game night with family and friends. A common tradition with my family is to every once and a while get together with family and friends and play different card and board games. Every person/family is responsible for bringing an appetizer dish in order to create a pot luck of food. Every one brings a game that they already own so their is no need to purchase new ones. We turn on music in the back ground, fill our plates, and gather around the table to play games and hang out. This would cost every person/family $5-10 for their food or drink. This game night reflects my most important value of strong relationships with family and friends and being able to spend time with them as much as possible. Nothing is better than being able to relax with the ones you love, catch up, laugh, and create memories all without having to worry about spending an arm and a leg.

    ReplyDelete
  55. Being a single mom of four teenagers, I have to be creative with making fun things happen for us. One of the things that we love to do as a family is to enjoy movie day on Sundays at the dollar movie. Before 5pm we go and buy snacks from the buck store (movie snacks for a family of five is way to expensive) everyone gets two items and the movie of choice is only $1.00. Spending less than $20 is not bad for a family night of fun. Another thing we do on the weekend is have quesadillas; everyone create one out of what we have at home already. The only thing I buy are the tortilla wraps, sour cream and taco sauce. I spend about $8. We have had interesting wraps, but its fun.

    ReplyDelete
  56. Being a single mom of four teenagers, I have to be creative with making fun things happen for us. One of the things that we love to do as a family is to enjoy movie day on Sundays at the dollar movie. Before 5pm we go and buy snacks from the buck store (movie snacks for a family of five is way to expensive) everyone gets two items and the movie of choice is only $1.00. Spending less than $20 is not bad for a family night of fun. Another thing we do on the weekend is have quesadillas; everyone create one out of what we have at home already. The only thing I buy are the tortilla wraps, sour cream and taco sauce. I spend about $8. We have had interesting wraps, but its fun.

    Karen Ware

    ReplyDelete
  57. I come from a small town in north Mississippi and I grew up on 81 acres. I learned how to have a great time without spending little or no money at all. My values are spending time with my family while saving most of my money. I am by no means a hermit, but my fun does consist of spending the less amount possible. I buy ingredients to make homemade pizzas and i coomk them for me and my friends while watching sports or before going outdoors.
    The cost is $10 for all the ingredients to make dozens of small pizzas. Watching sports of ESPN with my family and/or friends and eating homemade pizzas is my ideal Frugal Fun Night.
    Blake Crose

    ReplyDelete
  58. Most college students are broke and try to do things that don't cost much of nothing. I liked the idea of having a movie night. You can do that with movies that you already owned or getting a redbox movie for the night for like a $1. If you wanted you could buy snacks and drinks. Very inexpensive night and more money in my pocket to buy other things I need or want!

    ReplyDelete
  59. Growing up where I did, trust and loyalty was everything to people. Whenever you are able to find those boys that you know are going to have your back no matter what; you really value their time and friendship. My frugal fun night would consist of my boys and I sitting around playing card games and eating. We would probably just have music blasting and order some pizza and wings and call it a night.
    The cost of this night would probably be between $20-$40. It may seem a lot just to play cards and eat pizza, but we would have to buy enough pizza to feed a of us!
    (I submitted the wrong one on here, what I submitted above is the discussion)

    ReplyDelete
  60. My idea of a frugal fun night is spending time with my family bike riding around the subdivision and visiting with neighbors. Just the cost of the bike. Also another frugal fun night would be a remix movie night. Watching favorite movies from the past with your children. Giving them a blast from the past with back to the future, Adams family, Ghost Busters. Cost would be nothing since you already had the movies in your collection.

    ReplyDelete
  61. My suggestion for a frugal fun night would be to simply invite some friends over to play the card game "Phase 10". This game can be long so by the time it is over I'm sure everyone would be ready to call it a night. The game cost no more than five bucks and refreshments such as a pizza or something else that is easily sharable can be purchased by you and friends if anyone gets hungry.

    ReplyDelete
  62. I always love to go hiking with my friends and our dogs! It is so cost effective and its great exercise for everyone. Living in Arkansas, there are so many free outdoor options available and it is always a fun and relaxing time!

    ReplyDelete
  63. A FFN for me has always been utilizing the GREAT outdoors. Camping, a tent some friends or family and enjoy the outdoors. Just grab the bare necessities from home and have fun. OR buy some board games they dont cost much and you can use them more than once. Netflix is about 9 dollars a month and you get thousands of movies and tv shows. Have a movie net. Whatever you DO make sure your FFN is filled with quality time not tons of money.

    CHARAYA LATHROP

    ReplyDelete
  64. As a senior in college, coming up with inexpensive ideas of how to have fun are a must since money is usually few and far between. Something that my sorority did once was have a Paint Wars night. We all chipped in around $2 to get buckets of paint, and brought our own water guns. We wore white t-shirts and put duck tape on them so that after the paint fight, there was white left from what we put with the duck tape. Basically we spent just a little money and had a paint and water gun fight in a local park. This was something that I got to do with my friends, and we had the opportunity to be silly which is a value of mine. The entire night cost about $5 if we went and got a cheap water gun, and I already had a white t shirt. Best way to spend any night!

    ReplyDelete
  65. Getting a group of friends together and having a mini pie eating contest sounds like a fun and frugal night. all you would need is a couple cans of cheap whip cream ($2 per can) and take a packet of graham crackers to make pie crust. use foil to hold the crust in place. there could prizes for whoever wins the contest. homemade prizes of course.

    ReplyDelete
  66. Jameeka McCray...Getting a group of friends together and having a mini pie eating contest sounds like a fun and frugal night. all you would need is a couple cans of cheap whip cream ($2 per can) and take a packet of graham crackers to make pie crust. use foil to hold the crust in place. there could prizes for whoever wins the contest. homemade prizes of course.

    ReplyDelete
  67. My idea of a Frugal Fun Night, or in this case, day would be going to climb Pinnacle Mountain in Little Rock, AR. Living in Arkansas gives you many fun things to do outside that will give you the chance to spend time with friends, while getting exercise and being in the great outdoors. You don't have to pay anything to get into the park or for parking, so the only thing you would be paying for is gas to get there. It's really a fun thing to do that doesn't cost you a dime!

    ReplyDelete
  68. My name is Presley Darby. Growing up in Bergman, Ar I learned to be quite creative with my sources. My friends and I would often go to the park, to the creek, or go take pictures. The most we'd have to pay for was gas and most of the time we'd split the cost so it wasn't too much for any of us to pay. Most of my friends, even now, don't have jobs because they are full time students so it's important for them and myself to keep a close look out on our money. Anything that involves the word "free" and you bet we'll be there!

    ReplyDelete
  69. My idea of a frugal family fun night would be sitting around and playing games. When my family gets together, we love to play any type of game from dominoes to cards. To go along with games,a good idea would be to get a sandwich tray from walmart and they can BYOB. This idea is fun, cheap, and a great way for the family to spend time with one another.

    ReplyDelete
  70. In my family our idea of a Furgal Fun night is renting red box movies, buying some snacks from walmart,watching them together on our flat screen, and playing board games all night. Its cost about 40$ for a family night of fun which is pretty good becasue we like to have fun but do it at a low cost.

    ReplyDelete
  71. My idea of FFN is sitting around the dinner table playing board games and eating a big dinner with the whole family. My family likes to have big dinners with the family and any way to keep us from eating out my parents like. Watching movies is another way we would have FFN. Any way to have fun and enjoy the time we have together, while of course being frugal.

    ReplyDelete
  72. my frugal fun night is a basketball shoot around. you find an open gym at a local college or high school or even a rec center and you bring people in to play basketball.cost is 5$ per person. there could be 3 on 3 tournaments and 5 on 5 games. people could even play HORSE. to make it worth the price of admission, there could possibly be door prises and free food.

    ReplyDelete
  73. My frugal fun night would be go to your local paint balling place and play paint ball. It would cost maybe $15 to $20 dollars to play but it would be fun. You would get your exercising in while having a great time for cheap

    ReplyDelete
  74. My Idea of a frugal fun night is to play catch phrase with friends and may cook a cheap meal like nachos or tachos. Catch phrase is a fun game that we play in teams and it is a FREE app on your cell phone. The nachos will be no more than $20 and the tacos are no more than $30.

    ReplyDelete

  75. About a year ago my friends and I had a rather frugally fun fright night where we all made an old-fashioned fort of blankets and pillows, with a flashlight told our favorite scary stories, and then watched the scariest movies we could find on Netflix. It costs absolutely nothing, but it was great just to be able to have a girls night and have some fun!

    ReplyDelete
  76. My idea of a good frugal fun night is playing volleyball at a local gym or my apartment complex. This is a good time for either day or night. You can just invite a ton of people over to play and have a blast without paying a dime. This is the perfect idea for broke college students and it is still a great way to interact with lots of your good friends.

    ReplyDelete
  77. My idea of a good frugal fun night is playing volleyball at a local gym or my apartment complex. This is a good time for either day or night. You can just invite a ton of people over to play and have a blast without paying a dime. This is the perfect idea for broke college students and it is still a great way to interact with lots of your good friends.

    ReplyDelete
  78. Frugal Fun Night Idea: You will need a set of double 12-15 dominos and a group of at 4-8 people. My family plays dominos every time we get together at my grandmas house. This frugal fun night idea is free. I love spending time with family and friends and this is a great way to have fun spending time together.

    ReplyDelete
  79. Frugal Fun Night Idea: You will need a set of double 12-15 dominos and a group of at 4-8 people. My family plays dominos every time we get together at my grandmas house. This frugal fun night idea is free. I love spending time with family and friends and this is a great way to have fun spending time together.

    ReplyDelete
  80. Frugal Fun Night classic: Game night! My family and close friends love to play games. Anything from card games to board games, we love them all. That's a classic way to have fun while being frugal with your money. Estimated expense for the night would be around $20 maybe. And that's only if you plan on having a few snacks available while you play. If everyone eats before or you decide not to have snacks, the cost would be nothing!

    ReplyDelete
  81. It's for me,it is pretty memory.7 friend and me in a apartment.we cook something,drinking,dancing ,etc.But we just spend 10 dollars,because at first,we cook the cookies with chocolate which are both come from the warmalt.Those are contains tax,it's 8 dallors.and we use some electricity and water it almost the 1 dollars,finally,the drink is discount,so we just cost 1 dollar!
    We dance and talk hace no cost

    ReplyDelete
  82. Fun Frugal Night
    Since I am a meathead a fun frugal night with my friends would be to go to the gym! (I know most think this ISN’T FUN) But if you break it down a monthly gym membership is $30. That’s $1 for your fun frugal night. Not only are you having fun but you are improving your health too!

    ReplyDelete
  83. A Frugal fun night for me would be to go pitch a tent by a lake near my house with some friends. You could swim there and fish and just build a fire if needed with some sticks around the place. The only cost would be about $2 for some fish bait (unless you wanted to go dig up some worms yourself) and the gas money for them to get there.

    ReplyDelete
  84. Since I am enjoy exercised and being active a frugal fun night for me is spending a night playing soccer at he local soccer field. Many people go to play pickup games atleast three times a week. The only cost is from the gas spent driving there which is minimal. Its healthy, fun, and basically free.

    ReplyDelete
  85. We have girl’s night out but we do it at one of our houses. There is usually about six or seven of us and we get together and play Phase 10 a card game that is really fun. Several of us have cards that we bring and make a large deck. We also each bring a food to share our Mexican Food night is the best. The cost is only 5 - 7 dollars per person for food and drinks and we have hours of fun. It is a good time spent with family and friends which is very important.

    ReplyDelete
  86. My favorite frugal fun night is to have movie night for the grandkids. I make tickets, arrange seating, and of course traditional "movie food". The kids stop at the refreshment center and make selection and go to the movie (in the den).
    Movie 1.00
    Popcorn 3.00
    Grapes/apple slices 3.00
    Food hint: something easy to pick up/clean.
    A few hours of fun, parents night out, and an opportunity for grandkids to visit with each other. It seems to be a hit because there are always suggestions for next time. This is a great family time opportunity which is very important.

    ReplyDelete
  87. My favorite frugal fun night is to rent redbox movies, $1 a piece, take out food $10 at the most (pizza), and to get as much junk food as possible from the dollar store $10 at the very most. Just sit back and laugh with all my friends or cry depending on the movie :)

    ReplyDelete
  88. My fun frugal night would be to have a night in with girlfriends to watch movies and eat pizza. I know that to go out to eat and to a movie on the weekend the average cost would be about $20-$25 per person ($10 for the movie and $10-$15 for dinner). With staying in to watch a movie and eat dinner instead I would say the average cost would be about $3 a person versus the $20-$25. A redbox movie is about a $1.50 and with pizza coupons we could order cheap pizza to share! If everyone just pitched in a couple dollars the expenses would be covered.

    ReplyDelete
  89. My idea of a frugal fun night would be to get about 10 or so of your friends together to watch a movie or some maybe a football game if that is something that you are all interested in. Everyone could bring some snack foods for everyone to share; just something like pick up foods, nothing major. This would only be around $10 each and would be a fun way to hang out and enjoy each others company too.

    ReplyDelete
  90. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  91. I think a classic example of a frugal night is a movie night. All you need is couple movies and of course have to have popcorn. It will cost under ten dollars. It's cheap and you can have a lot of fun. It's a great way to socialize and have a good time with people that you may not have seen in a while.

    ReplyDelete
  92. A frugal fun night for me would be to just have some friends over and play games/watch movies. I already have a lot of board games and card games, so that part wouldn't cost anything. If we watched movies we've already seen, we may own them. Or if not, we could go to redbox and get them for $1 each. Food and snacks would cost $15 or less. This FFN reflects my values because I value friendships.

    ReplyDelete
  93. My idea of a frugal fun night consists of friends, yummy snacks, and movies! I'm a girl who loves the website Pinterest and all the ideas it has. I've always wanted to have a Pinterest recipe night for me and some girls. Everyone could pick their favorite recipe that they've wanted to try and bring the dish to my house. Everyone can try them all and see which ones work and which ones don't. We could also rent dollar movies from a local Redbox. The cost would vary per person depending on which recipe they choose to make, but they might already have some ingredients. The most each person would have to pay would probably be around $10!

    ReplyDelete
  94. Little Ceaser's Pizza and a RedBox is always a good call when I get together with my girlfriends for a lazy night in. Even with a tub of ice cream the night may only cost about $10 or less and if you split the costs then its even cheaper for each individual.

    ReplyDelete
  95. Having a Pinterest food and craft night. Everyone (typically girls) brings a food item that they got the recipe from Pinterest for the potluck and then an idea for a craft to do at the party. Put some music on and everyone help each other with the crafts and feel free to be messy because you can be sure to not have time to go out afterwards.
    The night could cost each person as much as they want or can spend but you could make it interesting by putting a budget on the guests to only spend less than $15 or so on ingredients for the dish and the craft supplies. This is a great way to get to know your friends or acquaintances in a new way and brings great memories.

    ReplyDelete
  96. I say dinner and a movie at home. You don't always have to go out to the movies the first day that it is in theaters, you can just wait till the movie comes out on DVD because you are spending basically about the same amount anyways. So a $19.99 movie plus a Chili's takeout dinner about 10.49 will do just as good as anything.

    ReplyDelete
  97. A Frugal Fun Night for me would be a night where all of my family gets together and just spends quality time with one another. We would have a potluck dinner, which would mean that the cost of this would vary from person to person depending on the dish, but all meals should remain within the $10-$20 range so as to not have to spend a fortune on ingredients and such. After dinner we would pull out the board games and pop in a movie and just relax, have fun, and enjoy each others company.

    ReplyDelete
  98. A fun "Frugal Fun Night" would be a good night to have a bbq or cook, play boardgames (Clue, Life, Scategories, etc.), and rent a dollar movie from the redbox. My family does this almost every Sunday after Sunday Night church service. It shouldn't cost more than $20 bucks. Its not only a way to save money but you can spend quality time with your family and have fun!

    ReplyDelete
  99. My idea of a "frugal fun night" would be to go bowling because it's a fun thing to do even if you aren't very good at it! On wednesday nights at the bowling alley in Conway, AR each game you play is only 25 cents. All you have to do beforehand is pay $2.50 for shoes. You can go with your family or a group of friends! I've done it multiple times with college friends

    ReplyDelete
  100. Fall is absolutely my favorite season of the year! I love to spend time with friends and snuggle up to a warm fire. So, for my frugal fun night, I would invite some of my friends out to my house. We would make a bonfire (out of wood that we already have at my house), roast hot dogs and marshmallows, carve pumpkins, and watch a redbox movie.

    Hot dogs, buns, chips, drinks, marshmallows: $30

    Redbox: $1.30

    Pumpkins: $4 for me, everyone else would bring their own.

    An exciting night: Priceless

    ReplyDelete
  101. This reflects my values of quality time with people I enjoy being around because they keep me happy!

    ReplyDelete
  102. Anthony A Amakwe, Little Rock, Ar.

    My idea of a frugal fun night is a friendly game of poker, watching a sporting event, while BBQ'ing. The reason why is you get to bond with on another while having fun. Its always some type of sports on, and its cheaper to cook at home.

    ReplyDelete
  103. My idea of a frugal fun night is painting pumpkins and watching a movie from Redbox. Redbox movies only cost a $1 if you return them the next day, and there are a lot of great options to choose from. Pumpkins probably cost about $5 each. I keep paint with my crafts, so I wouldn't have to go buy that. Paint and brushes probably cost $10 dollars. This reflects my values, because I'm a very crafty person and I love watching good movies.

    ReplyDelete
  104. A frugal fun night could consist of having game night and a small potluck. Every one could bring over there own board or card game that they think is fun. Also everyone could bring a small dish from home that they made to share with everyone. And if you get tired of playing games, you could also rent movies from the Redbox which is like a dollar. You wouldn't spend much at all, especially if you have ingredients at home for your dish.

    ReplyDelete
  105. Game night! I love playing games with friends. It is a good way to get to know each other and it is also a fun bonding experience. I would then have a movie to watch afterwards, and of course have a potluck so nobody is out to much money feeding everyone. the cost would be low, board games can be brought by the guests. Food will set you back probably 10-15 dollars for your dish in the potluck and you can rent a movie for 1$ at a redbox!

    ReplyDelete
  106. Movie night AT HOME! Its easy to rent a popular movie from Red Box for just $1. Got the the dollar store and get movie snacks like popcorn, candy, juice for extremely cheap (especially dollar tree) and TA DA the movie theater has been brought to you in the comfort of your own home. Its much cheaper than spending $9.50 to watch a movie and lets not mention the price of the snacks!

    ReplyDelete
  107. My favorite thing to do is hang out with my friends and family. While sometimes we go and see a movie a lot of times we will have a potluck and game night or will rent a movie from our cable provider. One of our favorite games to play is Encore. I bought it a few years ago for about $10 and it is a singing game. We divide into teams and set the board. Each team rolls the die and you get to move your piece from there you land on a color that color indicates the word. Then the teams go back and forth trying to come up with songs that have the word in it.
    This can also be done with a big bowl and strips of paper just write random words on a bowl and alternating turns with the teams.

    ReplyDelete
  108. My family and I have movie/Board game night. We spend $1 on movies and about $6 on snacks. We spend all of 7 bucks and have a grand old time.

    ReplyDelete
  109. Board games are always fun, like Apples to Apples, Headbands, or Yahtzee. Also, have everyone bring snacks like a mini potluck. Maybe rent a movie or watch a new TV show episode.

    ReplyDelete
  110. One of my favorite things to do is to hang out with my boyfriend. We take turns going out to the movies or renting a movie. Then one of us buys the snacks. We like to get red boxes or watching Netflix to save money.

    ReplyDelete
  111. My idea of a frugal fun night would be a clothes exchange. If you have friends who wear a similar size to you, you can save money by swapping pieces of your wardrobe every few weeks in order to get new looks. If not, you can do the same thing with accessories (hats, scarves, sunglasses, jewelry, shoes). Girls sometimes like to get together to chat and do hair, makeup and nails. Listening to music is a must. A clothes exchange would help me save a lot of money on shirts because I tend to get bored of them quickly, and spend far too much money on new ones each month. Best of all, it uses what you already have. This frugal fun night is 100% free! Guys, it's not strictly a girl thing. Swapping pieces of your wardrobe can help you save money too!

    ReplyDelete
  112. My boyfriend and I like to go out eat on the weekends. A lot of times we go to restaurants that have specials for two people to eat. For example, at Chili's you pick off the 2 for $20. This allows us to share an appetizer and each of us get our own entrée. That ends up saying us quite a bit because some entrees can be around $17 just be themselves!

    ReplyDelete
  113. Everybody has to own at least one movie so on weekends you and your friends can get together and watch one of your movies and everyone can bring one snack making it cheaper on the host. If you don't have a DVD player you can use your computer all you need is the cord to hook the computer to the TV which a cheep one will cost $18.

    ReplyDelete
  114. My idea of a fun Frugal night is a home cooked meal like spaghetti. It is cheap to make especially if you use ground turkey instead of ground beef. And everyone brings their favorite snack. Then my friends and I would pile up on the couch and watch movies that we rented from Redbox. $1.00 per movie a day so of course we take them back the next day or later that night on our way home. But sometimes we use netflix and catch up on our shows. $8.00 a month to watch unlimited amounts of tv and movies. this fits my values so much because I am not a huge fan of going out to eat or around huge crowds. I am more of a keep to myself kinda person. So no matter what movie choice you go with that night of fun is under $10.00 a person!

    ReplyDelete
  115. My idea of a Frugal Fun Night would be watching a movie and ordering pizza. Each night someone is responsible for providing a movie, whether it's one he/she already owns, from Redbox or Netflix. And pizza ordered online can be purchased using online Promo Codes, so depending on how much someone wants it will only cost $3 to $4.
    It's fun to see and explore what other kinds of movies people like. It's surprising and fun to discover a genre that you didn't think you would like in the first place.

    ReplyDelete
  116. A fun frugal idea: In the summer there are lots of free community events, free yoga, free concerts,free exhibits!
    Some events allow you to take a picnic, so you can bring some friends , pack a dinner, maybe a bottle of wine, and have an inexpensive evening, enjoying the outdoors, and maybe experiencing some local culture you would not ordinarily!

    ReplyDelete
  117. I think a great fun frugal idea is get all of your friends together and make cheese or pepperoni pizza which won't cost a lot. Then play board games and everyone can just bring whatever they already have or watch movies from Redbox or Netflix.

    ReplyDelete
  118. Zee Barrix.
    My kind of a Fun yet frugal night is going Climbing at the indoor Climbing Center in Little rock. My friends and I would ride together and go on Wednesday nights. They have a Free gear rental and Belay lesson with a purchase of a climbing pass from 6-10p.m. it would usually cost $24 to do this but we only pay $12 on that night. I think it's a great way to spend the night with friends and take a break from our everyday life, without having to wait for the weekend to do so. Climbing is a great workout and rappelling is an awesome way to take your trust with your friends to a new level! so that's my input for an FFN, and I hope you consider doing it sometime with your friends, it's amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  119. My idea of a Fun Frugal night would be to do a Do It Your Own Craft off pinterest! I love crafting and if you buy some paint ($10-15) and canvases from walmart, which come in like sets of 3 for ($1.99) and make art for a dorm room or a house will set the mood for the rest of the night! Put comedy movies and make some popcorn all in pajamas and have a huge sleepover! I love movies and after a long week it is definitely needed if you just want to relax with your good friends!

    ReplyDelete
  120. My idea of a Fun Frugal night would be to do a Do It Your Own Craft off pinterest! I love crafting and if you buy some paint ($10-15) and canvases from walmart, which come in like sets of 3 for ($1.99) and make art for a dorm room or a house will set the mood for the rest of the night! Put comedy movies and make some popcorn all in pajamas and have a huge sleepover! I love movies and after a long week it is definitely needed if you just want to relax with your good friends! It relfects my values because it shows how inexpensive it is to have fun! I'm always up for cheap dates/time with friends. Balancing my budget has been key this year and I plan to stay on top of it!

    ReplyDelete
  121. My idea of a frugal fun night is to gather many friends, at least 10 people and play snow ball fight! Personally I valued relationship with my friends most, and this activity would cost no money - as long as it is snowing a lot. This activity is also good for health too! Many people prefer staying inside their house and play games or watch movies, which sounds pretty good too, but why don't we go outside and play like a child together again with seeing a beautiful views?

    ReplyDelete
  122. My idea of a great FFN is to have everyone gather at a river or a field and have a barn fire. Granted you need decent weather but with the weather permitting you can have a great time. Bring some hot dogs and stuff to make smores. It'll only cost around $7-$10. I love the outdoors. I'm all about saving the environment, so getting to enjoy it means a lot to me. Gathering with friends in an outdoor environment sounds like a perfect night to me.

    ReplyDelete
  123. My idea of a Frugal Fun Night is Potluck Party. If I invite about 10 friends, I need to cook only 7 to 8 servings, since everyone else will bring something too. Depends on food, it will cost around 10 to 15 bucks. I value friendship really important and I love to cook. With only 10 to 15 dollars, you get to join 10 different home meals!

    ReplyDelete
  124. My idea of a Frugal Fun Night is a game night with a group of friends! Everyone loves playing board games and it is more fun with all of your friends there. I value friendship and having fun and this allows you to experience both! A board game is only about 15 dollars and it is something you can keep and play again. Having fun with friends is important to me as well as making memories.

    ReplyDelete
  125. Getting together with your friends and making dinner is usually much funner than going out. You make a lot more memories and might even learn how to cook something from some of your friends. The price can be as cheap as you want. Spaghetti is a fairly inexpensive meal, especially when the cost is split between multiple people.

    ReplyDelete
  126. My ideal of a frugal fun night is a movie night with friends or family because i value friendship and the moments passing with them more than anything else.Today everyone can watch movies online for free.Again spending the night playing game such as Monopoly, Cranium or Uno along with some snacks and soda that will cost you less than $10.

    ReplyDelete
  127. My idea of FFN is too invite all your friends over for a movie night. You could either choose to rent a movie from redbox which would only cost $1 or someone could use their Netflix account. Also order a large pizza that could be split between all your friends. Each person could pay into it so that it'll be cheaper on everyone. A large pizza only cost somewhere between $8-$10. You'll be able to have quality time with your friends and have fun without spending too much money.

    ReplyDelete
  128. My idea of a Frugal Fun Night is to invite friends and family over to have a fun night of movies and catch up on conversations. Me and my friends come together every two weeks and pick a movie to rent. Before we start the movie we spend at least an hour or two catching up on conversation amongst each other. Everyone shares new and exciting things that they may have going on in their life. This is a fun and cheap way of hanging out instead of spending money on individual tickets to go to the theatre. This is also a better way for everyone to make time for each other instead of trying to catch a movie in the theatre. The cost of this event can be somewhere between $1-$6.

    ReplyDelete
  129. What me and my girlfriend do for a frugal fun night is we go to redbox grab a movie for a whole $1.39 (this is with tax already included) per night (which we always only have it for one night or it is additional for however many more nights you have it) and we grab a couple of snacks for like 5-10 dollars or we utilize whatever food we have at home. We go home relax watch the movie then go to sleep and to us that is our frugal fun night.

    ReplyDelete
  130. My friends and I are all pretty crafty, so we usually have a ton of craft supplies laying around. On nights that we are broke, we load up a bunch of our stuff and go to one person's house and have a fun crafting night using all of the supplies. We also pitch in for a home cooked meal and enjoy our time together. Usually, this is no more than $5 a person depending on what we choose to make for dinner.

    ReplyDelete
  131. Battle of the Sexes: (Debate Night with Family/Friends):

    My idea of a Frugal Fun Night is inviting family and friends over to have a "friendly debate night". Communication is very important to me. I feel like a lot of people lack proper communication in their relationship with others. So, the purpose of this night would be to open people up and give them the opportunity to voice their viewpoints about certain political, social, relationship, religious, and other issues. There would be snack food included like chips, cookies, and kool-aid. People could also bring dishes of their own to make a potluck. The total cost for the night wouldn't exceed $10 on my behalf.






    ReplyDelete
  132. Being a college student and being poor, I've become a master at frugal fun. One of my favorites is the frugal fun date night! One of the things we like to do is try out a new recipe together AT HOME-- this saves a ton of money because your not going to a restaurant to eat & it's fun cooking together. We like to go to the tandy 10 and see the cheap dollar movies as well. They may be older but chances are-- I didn't spend money to see it while it was playing for $10! This is my idea of a frugal fun night!

    ReplyDelete
  133. Being a college student i tend to spend a little more money than i should but thats only because i am enlisted in the unite states army and i have a steady income coming in. But never the less i try to spend less when it comes to certain thing. For example instead of going to the high over charged movies all the time, i rent from the red box and eat my own pop corn and snacks here at home. And i have a fun night just as u would if i went out.

    ReplyDelete
  134. My idea of a Frugal Fun Night is to invite friends over and play Quelf, Apples to Apples, Twister, or Rummy. Quelf can get very interesting depending on how crazy your friends are and it costs about $20 at most. Apples to Apples is also very fun if your friends are good at arguing and its cost is around $20 or less. Twister is also a hoot to play and it costs around $20 or less. The cheapest and probably least entertaining is Rummy at about $4 or less.

    ReplyDelete
  135. One of my favorite frugal fun nights would have to be Mexican restaurants. Me and my wife go and split a dinner and get a drink. It is fun to get out and eat when you eat at home a lot. They have unlimited chips and salsa, and the food is inexpensive. Usually we do not spend more than 15 dollars for the two of us to eat.

    ReplyDelete
  136. I absolutely love to be outdoors so a great Frugal Fun Night would be to go hiking during the day or afternoon and then campout with friends that night. Spend a couple of dollars on smore's items and drinks and your set up for a great night around the campfire!

    ReplyDelete
  137. My idea of frugal fun night would be to play pool at Conway family bowling. It only costs $0.75 per play and 1 game lasts about 20 minutes, which if you are there for 2 hours it would only cost $4.50. 2-6 people would be a good number of people to play. I would highly recommend it rather than playing bowling, which is just a rip-off.

    ReplyDelete
  138. My frugal idea is to go to 99 cent skate night at the Conway Skating Rink. My daughter is just learning how to skate and for $2 I can swing that. We can spend time together, get a little exercise and she might even learn a new skill. Plus all that exercise gets her ready for bed without putting up a fight.

    ReplyDelete
  139. My idea of a frugal fun night would be a simple night at my apartment with movies and board games. My roommate has a lot of board games, so just watching movies from redbox for a dollar and maybe rent about 3 and playing board games or cards would be a great idea. The only things in which we would need to buy maybe about $20 on snacks and drinks to enjoy our night.

    ReplyDelete
  140. My boyfriend and I love to go out to eat, but it can get very expensive. I always wait for a great coupon to surface or buy gift cards to restaurants ($4 for a $10 coupon) to make it a little cheaper. I also love to try new recipes. I always look on Pinterest for recipes under $10. It is interesting the good foods you will find! The local bowling alley here in Conway has bowling games for half price one day of the week, and it is already super cheap! Redboxing is my go-to. I am a movie maniac, so I always love only having to spend $1 on a new movie!

    ReplyDelete
  141. Because we are on a budget, we have a lot of FFNs. Our favorite is always havin people over to play cards and binge on sweets. My most memorable however, was a date night I had with my wife. We dressed up and went to town to do whatever we wanted. We ended up eating early then borrowing a friends car to teach my wife how to drive a standard. When it started to get dark we went to see some musical lights in an underground tunnel. It was a nice night so we got to walk around together. Afterwards, we went home, played some cards, and watched a movie we had recorded. Great night and it only cost us dinner: about $25. We are all about spending time together so this was perfect for us.

    ReplyDelete
  142. A frugal activity me and my friends have is playing card games. We sit in the house on the weekend and play different cards games such as spades, speed, and poker (No gambling). A deck of cards are about 2 dollars

    ReplyDelete
  143. An ideal FFN is getting together with both of my roommates and making tacos. They are inexpensive to make and we all split up the cost on buying supplies. After the tacos are ready, we'll watch a movie together (usually on Netflix) and talk about our lives. Sometimes, we invite a big group of friends over and play fun games like Apples-to-Apples or Cards Against Humanity.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The cost of taco supplies would be less than $20. We all just enjoy spending time together and talking.

      Delete
  144. My ideal Frugal Fun Night is to invite friends over for a movie night. When you rent redbox movies the movies only cost a little over a dollar so to rent a few would not be very much money. You could ask your friends to all bring appetizers and whatever they would like to drink. I could provide the movies and popcorn and one appetizer. If I had 5 people come over there would be plenty of food and drinks and it would be a lot of fun and not expensive! :)

    ReplyDelete
  145. My idea of a FFN is to invite some friends over and grill out some burgers. Then after we can watch a movie on Netflix or play a board game. If we all split the cost it would be 5 dollars at most. I like this idea because it is cheap and allows me to spend quality time with my friends, which is what I love to do.

    ReplyDelete
  146. My idea of a FFN is just inviting a group friends over and playing card games, or my favorite (catch phrase). Catch phrase is a fun competitive game that anyone would enjoy. Also, after playing a long game of that maybe rent movies from red box, there always cheap and have a wide variety of movies. The estimate cost of that is cheap, a dollar and some change for the movie and about $15 for the game. Its a cheap night but alot of fun with people you love.

    ReplyDelete
  147. Invite a bunch of couples over for a potluck! Perfect for college students, because you each bring something and you leave fully fed (who misses home cooked meals? I do!) Have everyone bring something and at the end enjoy the night followed with card games such as (my favorite) Apples to Apples or kick it old school with Twister. The game itself would cost about $20, but you can definitely get your money's worth out of it, depending on what type of dish you make, anywhere from $5 to $25.

    ReplyDelete
  148. A FFN for me would be to invite my group of friends over and play games (board games, video games, etc.). Everyone would get to be together, feel included, and save money, which reflects my values. Maybe $5 for snacks and drinks!

    ReplyDelete
  149. Invite a bunch of couples over for a potluck! Perfect for college students, because you each bring something and you leave fully fed (who misses home cooked meals? I do!) Have everyone bring something and at the end enjoy the night followed with card games such as (my favorite) Apples to Apples or kick it old school with Twister. The game itself would cost about $20, but you can definitely get your money's worth out of it, depending on what type of dish you make, anywhere from $5 to $25.

    ReplyDelete
  150. Invite a bunch of couples over for a potluck! Perfect for college students, because you each bring something and you leave fully fed (who misses home cooked meals? I do!) Have everyone bring something and at the end enjoy the night followed with card games such as (my favorite) Apples to Apples or kick it old school with Twister. The game itself would cost about $20, but you can definitely get your money's worth out of it, depending on what type of dish you make, anywhere from $5 to $25.

    ReplyDelete
  151. A FFN for me is to get my friends together and go to the local gym and play pick-up basketball games. Its free, fun, and great exercise, just don't get too competitive.

    ReplyDelete
  152. When my friends and I have large gatherings, we have a potluck and play a game call Salad. The way we play it is there are three rounds. First, you give everyone one a small slip of paper that can be divided into three pieces. The first piece you write a person- can be any body. The second piece you write an item and the third piece you write a place. Once everyone has written their three things down, you put it in a bowl and mix it up. The first round, each person gets 1 minute to try to get their team to guess as many as they can by giving any sort of verbal clues and unlimited passing if they don't know what the item is. Once all have been solved, they go back into the bowl and mixed again. In the second round using the same pieces of paper, each person gets 45 seconds to try to act out as many as they can with no talking and only three passes. Again, once all have been solved, they go back into the bowl for mixing. In the last round, each person has 30 seconds to try to get their team to guess as many as they can by only giving one word as their clue and they only get to pass once. We always have a lot of fun with it, and you only are spending money on the item you are bringing to be eaten, which would typically be around $5 to $20.

    ReplyDelete
  153. My idea of a FFN would be a movie and pizza night with a few of my friends. We could watch a movie that we already have and order a couple pizzas to share. We would all split the price of the pizzas. Lots of fun!

    ReplyDelete
  154. This would only cost about $15-$20!

    ReplyDelete
  155. Movie's and some board/card games are a couple of my favorite things to do with friends. Grab a few games, nothing too rage inducing like Monopoly. And with Redboxes being so common now, it would be nice and cheap.

    ReplyDelete
  156. My idea of a FFN would consist of games, food, and movies. Since we are already registered with Netflix, we could find a movie to watch on there. Then everyone could pitch in together and we all could create a big meal. Afterwards, we can play games such as charades and card games and enjoy each other's company for no more than $10 a person. This idea reflects my values because family and friends mean the most to me and also saving money. It's a win-win situation overall.

    ReplyDelete
  157. One of my favorite Fun Frugal Nights is hanging out with my three best girls friends, which includes a cheap bottle of wine and a red box. Even though we end up spilling all of our secrets during the movie there is nothing more satisfying in life then to just hang out with your closest friends and talk about anything under the moon. Past, Present or what's to come in the future.

    ReplyDelete
  158. A good FFN would be to host a clothing swap. Everyone brings unwanted clothing and an item to share (food or drinks). At the end of the night you have had a good time, spent only on what food / drink you contributed ($5-$10 max) and have new (to you) clothes. It's a great way to satisfy a need for change without spending money on new items. This aligns with my values because it's thrifty and fun while spending time with family and friends. It also recycles clothing that still has plenty of life left.

    ReplyDelete
  159. A good FFN would be to go bowling. It's competitive and is a physical activity. Most bowling alleys have weekly specials or have discounts if you play by the hour. The cost could be split depending on how many people take part. Conway's bowling alley has Quartermania every Wednesday. There's a $6 cover charge and everything else is only 25 cents. Every other day you can rent a lane by the hour for about $20 plus shoes. It's a but more expensive than Redbox, but it gets you out of the house!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I meant to write "it's a bit more expensive than Redbox..."

      Delete
  160. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  161. When my sister and I get bored over the summer, we go and take out the family tent and set in up in a field close to our house. This way we have the fun of feeling like we're being adventurous while still having the comfort of running back to the house if we forgot something. The most would pay for these nights were around $5-6 for the batteries to our flashlights and marshmallows for our fire. Anything else we wanted to eat or drink could simply be stolen from the house. It's one of the happiest times I've had with my sister.

    ReplyDelete
  162. Get some friends to come over and play board games like Monopoly, Life, or play Catch Phrase or have some playing cards that you could play with too. The cost would be just the one time to pay for the games, then they would be free every time after that. This could save you hundreds instead of going to the movie theater or mall. My values are reflected in that you have good, clean, cheap fun with people that you love or enjoy being around.

    ReplyDelete
  163. My idea of a frugal fun night is to invite some friends over and play games that we all already own. For instance, I have an Xbox and a Kinect. I like to invite some friends over and play Kinect adventures because it is fun, social, and can also be a great workout! For snacks, I buy popcorn kernels in a tub and pop them over the stove for a healthier, cheaper version of bagged and buttered popcorn.

    ReplyDelete
  164. Whenever my friends and I get together we enjoy playing games. Like almost everyone, we enjoy board games but we are not made of money. In all reality we are just broke college kids living penny to penny. In fact, most of us are in the negative when it comes to our money, considering student loans and no time for work, etc. And have you been to the stores lately where they sell board games? Almost all of them are $20 or more. My point being we do not have the money to spend on legit board games, and in all honesty who does? So we make our own games, so to speak. Have you heard of the game called Hedbanz? Well, my friends and I came across this app that is available on any apple device, such as an iPhone or iPad that allows you to play the same game. You just hold the phone up to your forehead just like you would the actual game piece. Even better, the app is free! Now if you do not have an apple device, no worries, you can make this game too! All you need are some blank cards, my friends and I have used a pack of index cards before. A 100 pack of Index cards are 97 cents at Walmart. You also need a pen or pencil, which everyone probably has in their house, to write on the cards. On the card you write something which the player will have to guess. Then, you hold the index card up to your forehead just like you would the app or the real game piece. How you play is, the card will read a movie title like for instance, Titanic, and the player holds that card up to their forehead then the opponent tries to get the player to guess what that card says (the movie). The opponent can only give hints, quotes, cast members, but not the title of the movie. So, this night can be really inexpensive, either 99 cents for the app or about 2 dollars for the index cards and a pen or pencil. But this night can be totally free if you already have index cards and a pen at home.

    ReplyDelete
  165. I am always a fan of arts and crafts, so one of the average household ideas for decorative arts and crafts are roses made of plastic spoons. The plastic spoons cost around $1.00 plus tax at the dollar store and you can also buy a candle and matches for around $5.00. All you have to do is melt the spoon pedals and mold them together to where a flower is arranged. The flowers can be used as a artistic touch to a table. It is a cool activity and an inexpensive way to decorate your home originally.

    ReplyDelete
  166. Because I am fairly competitive, I would suggest playing any game or outdoor activity with a group of friends and/or family, such as playing a basketball, soccer, or footbal game. I enjoy video games, card games, and board games that require each player to place a bet of maybe ten cents a game. After each game, the winner receives all the money that was collected. Personally, as a Hispanic, I would play the Mexican classic card game, "Loteria" or "Toma Todo". Both are extremely fun when played against several players. They're both fairly cheap. "Loteria" might cost around $6 and "Toma Todo" is around $2, however, I don't believe Wal Mart or Kroger carry them, so a Mexican store will be your best option. Another favorite of mine is having a sport video game tournament, such as FIFA, NCAA, or Mario Cart along with friends. I would only recommend this to those who already own an XBOX, PS3/4, or WII and the games because of the prices for the gaming consoles and video games. If these options don't seem appealing, you might want to subscribe to Netflix or Hulu, which only costs about $8/month with unlimited access to movies and tv series.

    ReplyDelete
  167. My favorite cheap thing to do on the weekends is game nights! My friends are all very competitive so we love to play catch phrase in big groups. As well as games like phase-10 and UNO with just a few of us. We usually order a pizza and split the cost so its's about 3$ a person. it works great!

    ReplyDelete
  168. Every weekend my friends and I, split a 30 pack of beer which is about $5 a piece. We do this every weekend and we start off the night playing spades which is always fun because we all don't want to lose and get kicked off the table so others could play. Cards are only $2 and last a long time. Very cheap and always fun.

    ReplyDelete
  169. Because I work with a bunch of geeks and ultimately am one, a frugal fun night that my friends and I plan is playing online games. Instead of ordering out we split the cost of food/drinks between us all and prepare enough food for everyone at the host's home, which usually means that there are enough leftovers for some people to take home with them. The games, we already own, and it is no extra cost for hardware/software. If it's not games we watch tv shows or sports that are already on tv.
    Depending on how many people show up will determine how much it could cost over all, which usually is nothing more than the cost of the groceries and drinks bought for the night. a group of 8 people may spend about 5 dollars a piece. It is a savvy way of spending, you get to spend time with your friends and coworkers, and you can plan it with little notice.

    ReplyDelete
  170. On weekends, I normally hang out with my friends to play cards or watch movies. Each of us would bring some snacks, so this way we can split the cost and have a good time. It usually costs each person less than 6 dollars. And as of watching movies, we watch that on netflix, which is fairly cheap.

    ReplyDelete
  171. My Idea of a Frugal fun night is to have a fun night with my friends. I like to invite my friends over to my apartment and just hangout. We like to get together and make snacks. After that we like to watch movies, which we may rent or just watch the ones we already own. After the movie, if we still have some time after the movie we like to play some board games and just talk and enjoy each others company. The cost for this night is about $5 per person or less depending the snacks we make. This way we don't spend a lot of money, and have a good time together.

    ReplyDelete
  172. Frugal fun night would be to go to a place that has arcade games and play pool $1 per game ($5) and have a couple of drinks during happy hour $1 whales, and few hours of fun could run you no more than $12 bucks.

    ReplyDelete
  173. Ideal of frugal fun night would be instead of ordering a pizza, wings and cheese sticks. we would make our own homemade pizza. we could however much we want on it. also since I know that my friends like to have drinks and go to karaoke, we could all pitch in on alcohol and have karaoke on the the xbox 360 app I have.

    ReplyDelete
  174. A good idea for a cheap night that we do as a family gathering every weekend we have trouble, monopoly, connect four, spades, phase 10, uno, speed, we play the Wii and Xbox,pitty pack,pokeno (the quarter game).To get quarters the woman scrap the bottom of our purses and if thats not enough we all put in 2 dollars and get change for quarters and if you dont want to play that game then you dont have to.My mom makes us drop our cell phone in the cell phone box and its strictly family time we all pitch in money for food we all bring an item such as chip, dip, cakes, cookies,wings, beer winnies, and we make daquiris.So that makes it cheaper when every body plays a part and bring there items so everyone mite spend the max of $5 for there item. But out of all that its nothing like family and friends getting together laughing and playing games. This is a FFN because your having fun and your not spending much money your able to stay within your budget. So the max money you need would be 7 dollars.

    ReplyDelete
  175. Card game and dinner for around $!5. Make Hamburger Helper, get some juice and maybe some bread. The cards are probably sitting around the house somewhere. Invite a few friends over, eat some dinner and play a game called Nerts! It's fun and cheap! This holds true to my pursuit of keeping people at the center. A night like this is perfect for family or friend bonding! It gets people closer, while keeping your money close too!

    ReplyDelete
  176. A frugal fun night for me would just be a simple movie night! Now with Redbox it is so easy to rent movies and cheap at that. You could have a few friends over and each friend could bring certain snacks. Everyone could spend around $5 and its only a couple of dollars for the movie. Sounds fun and cheap to me!

    ReplyDelete
  177. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  178. This is not some thing that is a plan to do, but something I do every year, Thanksgiving and X-mass are stressful with my family so every year instead I invite EVERYONE (mostly culinary students) I can, to a get together the day before or the day after the holidays for a party. The rule is for everyone invited to bring a "plus one" everyone brings a dish and or alcohol (wine, brandy, vodka etc) so the cost per person is about 15-20 bucks. So instead of a stuffy house full of relatives I don't know, I have a house full of drunk and merry strangers, That all brought great food !:) It's a really safe event will plenty of DD's and I beats spending 100's on food and decorations,just to be "traditional" It's efficient and lots of fun. I invite my immediate family too (my sisters, mom and dad)

    ReplyDelete
  179. I love to go stargazing! I generally go with anywhere from 3-12 friends. We each bring one type of snack or drink which adds up really fast! One person might bring a liter of soda, while another person might bring a box of Little Debbie Cakes. That alone is enough to suffice everyone, but there is always so much more! The price each person spends is generally no more than $5.00 (many times it's less). The combination of the refreshments, the company of your friends, and the beautiful view makes for a perfect night with a minimum cost!

    ReplyDelete
  180. My favorite cheapest thing to do is play video games at my friends house on the weekend. It usually costs from 3 to 5 dollars when we decide to get food and the rest of the night we play Call of Duty.

    ReplyDelete
  181. A good Frugal fun night for me must be a Friday night at my own apartment. Ask some friends come over and cook Chinese food which is really cheap. After that, we gonna play some card games and Majiang. We all can get a lot of fun without spending a lot of money. As international students, we do not have our families here, so friends becomes the most important thing of our lives. We always get together and cook really Chinese food. A big Chinese meal only costs $30 for 5 people. It is really economical.

    ReplyDelete
  182. Great job everyone!!!
    Thank you.
    Dr. MAC

    ReplyDelete
  183. A frugal fun night to me would consist of me and a few friends all getting together to play spades. Maybe all chip in and order some pizza and watch old classic movies from our home collection. Have each person bring movies they have a home. The only money that should be spent would be the money for the pizza, which shouldn't be much when split a few ways.

    ReplyDelete
  184. My idea of a Frugal Fun Night would be to have a huge game of Hiding Seek with a large group of people but separate into teams and make it a team effort to find as many people from the opposing team as possible. The object of this game is to show that no matter how old you get it is okay to sometimes be a kid at heart. There will not be any money spent at any point in this activity.

    ReplyDelete
  185. I tried to post but it is not here so I will try it again. My Frugal Fun Night is with my family at the disc golf course on the UCA campus. Free is good and we use the time to bond and talk about our lives and bond. This is our time to make a "moment" to remember through out the years. Time is precious and I cherish the time I get with my family. Its easy to spend money but takes an effort to make a "moment" that will last a lifetime.

    ReplyDelete
  186. What I value the most is time spent with my fiancé and both of our dogs. So rather than go out to dinner and a movie I would much rather hangout and watch a movie at home. Our favorite frugal fun night is "RedBox" night. We'll buy a frozen pizza and a couple boxes of Junior Mints, then make some popcorn and rent a movie that we weren't able to see in theaters. All of this costs about $10 and leaves our stomachs full and our hearts happy.

    ReplyDelete
  187. What I value the most is spending time with my friends as much as possible. My idea of a frugal fun night would be having all my friends over and us having a dance off on the wii to the dvd Just Dance. Also, we would watch movies and just have a great time hanging out with each other. Since I already have the game, it wouldn't cost us anything. The only thing that would cost us would be the snacks we had and the movies that we watched that night. Probably no more than $30.

    ReplyDelete
  188. My idea of frugal fun night would be to attend a free event or volunteer at an event with a group of friends or invite friends over for a game/movie night. All of these activities are free so you would only need to worry about spending money on food. My suggestion would be everyone pitch in for pizza, or something along those lines. That way it's less than $5 a person and you've had a pretty awesome day/night!

    ReplyDelete
  189. For my frugal fun night I would want to invite some friends over to my house, and we can have like a pot luck dinner. Then after that we can turn some music on and have a major dance party or movie night!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I forgot to add this should only cost around $20 depending on what food you bring. I really like this idea because its a fun way to hang out with your friends and get to know them more.

      Delete