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Going Out Doesn't Have to Cost a Fortune!

The economy stinks, we all know that. In a way, I feel blessed, because my mother was the miser of the family, even when the economy was good and we had plenty of money! While I hated that as a kid, I suppose I'm thankful now as an adult that I know the tricks she taught me that allow me to save money and go out and have a cheap night out with my family.

So as a way of saying thanks to my mom, here's a few tips I've learned from her that can help you take your family out for a night out without breaking the bank - cheap!

For a cheap night out, check out Ma and Pop!

If you're looking for a cheap night out at a restaurant, skip the casual dining chains and look for some of the ma and pop places. A lot of those places offer meal deals that are a lot cheaper than the chain casual dining restaurants.

Look for coupons for a cheap night out!

Restaurant.com is an exceptional option for dining out for cheap. Restaurant.com let's you pay a flat fee for a gift certificate or gift card worth more than you paid for it. Check your local newspaper for advertisements for coupon and dining savings too. Here in my city, there's a website where local restaurants put up flat fee like for Restaurant.com. Sometimes, you can get $100 meal for as little as $25 bucks, and other times, you can pay $5 plus postage for a $20 gift card. Well worth it for a cheap night out!

Oh, and while at a restaurant, skip the sodas and drink water. I HATED this as a kid. Mom never did let us get sodas. She said they were a waste of money. But if you think about it, with sodas at a restaurant costing around two bucks a piece, that's $8 in drinks alone, which is enough for almost two kid's meals! Plus, the lower your bill, the lower the tip for your cheap night out!

Cheap night out entertainment? Dime-a-frame and Wheels!

Many local bowling alleys still have special nights for bowling where they only charge a dime per frame - that's a buck per person per game. For a family of four, you can have a cheap night playing two games of bowling each for less than $10 bucks, and that includes the shoe rentals!

Another option is roller skating. You know you want to lose a few pounds and tone up, right? Skating, blading, boarding - all cheap or even at a park perhaps free! Hours of cheap entertainment. Plus, I loved to skate when I was a kid and could do it for hours!

Cheap night out entertainment idea at the movies: Skip the theater.

Rent a movie and have everyone pitch in for beer or pizza and stay at home. Rent PPV. Think of it this way, at an average of $8 per person for movie tickets, a family of four will cost nearly $50 bucks to go to a movie, get sodas and popcorn, and that's just one movie! Air popped popcorn costs a few pennies to buy, a movie is about four bucks, a bag of chips and some sodas, and you're sitting in front of the television watching three or four movies for cheaper than one movie at the theater!

Cheap night out summer entertainment idea: Take me out to the ballpark!

Usually if you're willing to bring a blanket and sit on the grass or wait until right after the first pitch is thrown, you can get into a AA or AAA ballgame during the summer for super cheap. Just show up late to a regular season game and ask them for 'the cheap seats'. Here where I live, we can get into night games after first pitch for less than $2 per person!

I know, there's not a lot here that's super creative, or even unusual or unique, but the point is to help you get started brainstorming for other cheap night out ideas. Having a night out doesn't have to cost a fortune, and a cheap night out doesn't have to be no fun!

Learn more about this author, Michelle L Devon.
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