Affordable Luxuries for the Family
When you’re running a family – and it can sometimes feel like a business with all the organization that you have to do each and every day – there are times when you might think that you just can’t afford some of the little luxuries for the special ones in your life.
Sure, cost is always a factor when you’re thinking about things such as gifts, holidays, weekends away, and getting the children involved in arts and sports clubs, but not everything needs to be ultra-expensive when it comes to luxuries. If you’re smart, you can find many things to do that won’t break your budget and give everyone happy memories.
Head for a wonderful vacation
Any vacation needs a lot of planning, no matter how close to home or how far afield you go. The great thing about vacations today is that you don’t just have to sign up with a travel company and leave it up to them. Nothing wrong with that at all, and there are many special offers at various times for you to get a superb family deal.
Look to book well in advance if you can if you’re using a company because they want to get customers in right from the start of their promotions. Alternatively, wait until a week or two before your planned dates and see what’s being sold as special offers at reduced prices. If the airplanes, coaches, and accommodations aren’t filled, then the company is losing money.
Not everyone can wait until the last minute, so more and more vacationers are doing it themselves. If you’re flying, you can get cheap flights if you book early in the travel cycle for airlines, and you can often get cheaper accommodations by using a partner of the airline – this could include car hire as well.
Always look at alternatives. If your family likes camping, get on the road with a motorhome and explore the country. Kids love the opportunity to be in the great outdoors, and there are campsites all over with everything that you need on site. Go walking, cycling, climbing, kayaking – whatever you like. It won’t break the bank and will give your kids experiences that they will never forget.
Vacations bind families together, and it doesn’t matter whether you are exploring other countries or staying closer to home, there are amazing opportunities at very reasonable costs for all to enjoy.
A day at the museum or gallery
Museums have for a long time had a slightly stuffy image, worthy institutions with important collections of the past, but times have changed and museums and art galleries have embraced the fact that they need to encourage families by making what they do as accessible as possible.
In some countries, access to museums and galleries is free either all the time or on certain days, so plan your visit for when you can get in for free. Whether it’s a science museum, one focusing on local history, a huge art gallery, or a small one with contemporary work, you can open everyone’s eyes to new experiences.
The interactive exhibitions at a science museum could stimulate a lifelong interest in archaeology, biology, the natural world, or engineering, while an art gallery could inspire wonder through paintings and sculpture that will inspire a child to free their imagination and encourage them to pursue their own artistic work.
Cool concerts
Almost all large cities, as well as smaller towns, put on festivals for local people and visitors. So many of these provide free concerts and events, and they are great places for families to absorb the luxury of hearing top musicians and other performers without paying a cent. Your only expense is in getting there and grabbing a dog or burger from an onsite vendor. Maybe it’s a different kind of luxury, but it beats paying top dollar for a show in a vast stadium.
Gifts for special occasions
As someone, somewhere once stated, it is better to give than to receive. Whatever you think about that, there’s little doubt that being able to give an appropriate gift for a special occasion will make you feel good, whether it’s for immediate or extended family, or for friends. You have plenty of options to find gifts that are very reasonably priced:
- Gifts for kids: children aren’t difficult to buy for because they have a thirst for new experiences and challenges. For younger kids, you could look to activity gyms and baby play mats that can be used indoors and out and about and offer unique stimulation for the little rugrats. For the older ones, look to some family games that can be used when the weather is not suitable for going outside. There are plenty of classics to explore, and games makers are always adding new ideas. For outside activities, simple and absorbing games such as skittles, darts, and the never-ending joys of hide-and-seek are highly cost-effective ways of bonding with family and friends.
- It’s Christmas time: if you think slightly outside the box, you can amaze your family with a simple but very desirable kitchen appliance such as an ice cream maker. You can make up any type of ice cream that you want with a huge variety of ingredients.
- Food, glorious food: for any special occasion, food is a perfect solution. You need to have an idea of what your family will really go for – it shouldn’t be too difficult as you’ve been feeding them for years – and go for it. Maybe a gourmet fruit basket with some carefully added candy would do the trick or a jar filled with scrumptious cookies.
Luxuries for the family can be very affordable when you plan them, so never feel that you can’t give your loved ones some special treats.