Recession Proof Fun

One of the first things many of us sacrifice when we don’t have extra cash is the entertainment budget. We don’t eat out as much, we don’t go to the movies, we don’t buy books. We stay at home and watch bad TV. What is up with that Hole in The Wall show? I could use some extra money, I’m just not sure how far I would go to win some.  I’ve never actually seen an episode but what I’ve managed to catch when I’ve been channel surfing seems really bad. Right up there with that show Wipe-Out. I really don’t see myself doing any of those things on prime time TV. Then again, I’m pretty sure I would never eat a Madagascar Hissing Cockroach. Remember Fear Factor?

So what are the alternatives to no money and bad TV? What do we do for fun? I think it is time to get creative. There are so many things to do that or low cost or even no cost. I think we’ve gotten so used to entertainment being provided for us that we’ve forgotten how to find it on our own.

The average cost of an adult movie ticket after 5pm is $10-$12. Of course off hours are cheaper. For around $20 you can get unlimited movie rentals from Netflix and Blockbuster for a month. You can now rent $1 movies at grocery stores and fast food places. Or you can visit your local library. Most libraries have large numbers of movies for rent.

Libraries also have lots of books. You can borrow them for free. I come from a big family of readers and I grew up in a tiny town. We didn’t have a library but every couple of weeks we’d pile into the car and drive the 70 miles (round trip) to the county library. We’d all check out the maximum ten books and be entertained for days. You can also read all of the current issues of most major magazines at the library for free!

Another thing to do is have a family game evening. They are many, many games out there that are fun for a  broad range of ages. Most of us have board games tucked away in the closet. Bring out some of the games we played as kids and see how your children enjoy them. (I really wish I still had my old Mystery date game!) Not only can it be a huge amount of fun, but it is good quality family time.

If you can’t afford to eat out get creative in the kitchen. There are lots of fun, festive meals that you can make on a budget. Get everyone involved. We used to make won tons and since we had a large family we would have to set up an assembly line to make enough. It was always fun.

Even though the weather has been cold and not so conducive to outdoor activities there are still lots of things to do. Build a snowman with your kids or make some snow angels. Kids really love to see their parents acting like kids! If it’s cold and you can’t stay out long go back in and make hot chocolate.

If nothing else comes from these trying times hopefully we will be able to get back to some basics. We can do things as a family. It’s not feasible to drop the kids off at the mall with some cash so have a family home evening. Have a game night. If nothing else drag out the family videos. Life is short. Don’t spend money, spend time like the valuable resource it is.

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Resolutions

 

Today is January 15th. Middle of the month. Two weeks past New Year’s when most of us, whether we admit it or not, have made some kind of resolutions for the coming year.

Studies show that eighty percent of us make the same resolutions year after year. Some studies claim that at least ninety-two percent of all resolutions will not be kept. Not very good statistics for those of us who have vowed to lose weight or quit smoking or live more responsibly!

One thing I think we should all consider is helping others. Even in the best of times this is important and, as we are all too well aware – these are not the best of times. I know it feels like there’s not much you can do and most of us don’t have extra money to donate right now, but there are things that don’t cost anything but a little time.

One of the best things I think we can do is give blood. Talk about a gift. Quite literally, it is the gift of life. You can go to any center and give, and in this area Bonfils Blood Center had nine community donor centers.  You can also organize a blood drive at your business or church or for your organization. Bonfils will come to you!

Here at the Camera and Colorado Daily we are having a blood drive. I would like to issue a challenge to all of you to do the same. Let’s have some friendly competion for a very worthy cause.

Each week Bonfils Blood Center needs more than 4,000 donors to meet the needs of needs of the community and to prepare for emegencies. Step up and help them out.

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Moving On……

The holidays are officially over. We finally took down the last of the decorations in our office. I still see a few icicle lights hanging across the street from our building, but mostly the silver and gold is gone.  My 3 year old nephew is very sad when the blow-up lawn ornaments in his neighborhood deflate. He worries that they die.  His mom is trying to convince him they are just sleeping/hibernating like the bears. Sometimes it’s hard to let go.

If you’ve finally come to terms with the end of the season, the year and the holiday cheer, but still haven’t recycled your Christmas tree you can still do so.  If you go to Colorado Recycles you will find a statewide, county by county information base for recycling your tree. What did we do before the Internet?

There are other  options to consider. Some areas offer curbside pickup. There may be some restrictions on size and whether or not the tree is flocked. All ornaments must be removed. Some non-profits offer a pickup service. The boy scouts pick up trees in some states. They usually ask for a nominal donation. If you do take a tree to a recycling center most places will take up to two, so help out a neighbor or older person who might not be able to do it on their own.

If none of these solutions work, and you don’t have a handy wood chipper in the garage, cut the tree into workable pieces and put it in with your yard waste. Or turn it into a bird feeder and sanctuary. Put it in the backyard with some popcorn and fresh orange slices and the birds will flock to it. Make sure that all decorations and tinsel are removed. Eventually the tree will become so dry and brittle you can break it up by hand.

Remember that you should never burn your tree in the fireplace or wood stove. Pines, firs and other evergreens have a high content of flammable turpentine oils. Burning the tree may add to the creosote buildup in the chimney greatly increasing the risk of a chimney fire.

Lastly be responsible. Don’t dump your tree on the roadside, your neighbors yard, open space or any other place you think of. Last weekend I was heading home and I saw a man coming from Sterling Court dragging a tree. He crossed Valmont, tossed the tree over the railing by the ditch at the corner of Kings Ridge and Valmont and then turned and walked away. I can’t imagine what he was thinking!

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