I have been looking at our budget trying to find ways to make our income stretch and am wondering how much does your family spend on eating out and entertainment (movies, concerts, plays, zoo, etc) and how many people is this for?

Thanks so much! -Ann

well we have a pretty non exsistant budget for entertainment we get 25 (5 people)bucks for a month of eating out and paying activites we actually only eat out maybe once every other month.. we have debt so its not a good idea for us to be eating out and paying to go to movies ect.. when we could use that money to pay off our debts sooner we have gotten used to it now our kids think when you go out to eat its a treat not just another meal.

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Measure wealth not by the things you have, but by the things you have for which you would not take money.

We never go out, but we spend about $20-$25/month on pizza. Other than that...no concerts, movies, zippo. Zoo passes we get from the library for free, and that counts for movies too.

When the weather gets a little warmer, some of the parks in our general area have entertainment. Sometimes it's a community band, sometimes singers, a real variety. The shows are always free, and you can bring your own refreshments. It's a bonus for us if the park also has a playground.

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~Jeweled

We rarely go to see a movie in the theater so we don't budget for that.I get them free from the library. We look for free entertainment (free concerts in the park, free exhibits, free things at the library).
Dh eats out a lot when he is working so he likes a home cooked meal on his days off. We spend about $35-50 on eating out a month for the family. Now that should be cut in half now that dance is over for the summer. We were trapped at the mall for 2 hours and not alot of alternatives to eating out there.

We are saving for a trip to an amusement park that's 2 hours away. We think this year we are going to stay in a hotel there and spend 2 days on the rides and the new water park. We are able to get discounted tickets through Mom's work.

In my monthly budget I have $150 a month for eating out (there are five of us in the family so this might be two nice lunches and a nice dinner with a pizza night or two thrown in.) -- This does not include my husbands "work" lunches which are extra on a weekly basis to socialize with his co-workers. I also get to dine out often for work and get to write it off to my business.

I also have an additional $100 a month in the budget for "extras" like movies and fees. (I generally buy DVDs when they are released so we have them instead of the movies, but the kids do like to do certain things that have a cost to them -- like the aquarium, zoo, skating, bowling, plays, field trips, etc...)

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Grace

Wife to Stoney

Mommy of Sarah (8), Hannah (6.5), and John(4.5)

I don't have a set budget for entertainment...I have $100 per week for groceries (not counting our meat), GAS, and anything else we might do...bowling, roller skating, eating out, movies, bounceland, letterboxing, etc.

We try to do one thing each weekend...even if it's just fishing or a walk (free).

Trust me, I get very creative. LOL

A couple weeks ago, I didn't go to the grocery store at all so I could have money for the animal auction that weekend.

We also use netflix and that's not included in my weekly $100.

Letterboxing is free, but we have to figure the gas now. We combine our outings with other errands and it doesn't seem so bad.

The movie theatre is $4 each and that includes popcorn and soda, so it's only $8 for DD and I to go to the theatre (plus $8 in gas to get there...we don't have a local theatre). She doesn't care to go much, so we only go once every 3-6 months or so.

We do have a drive-in during the summer months. It's $8 per carload and we bring our own popcorn and snacks. It's about $5 in gas to go.

Bowling is what she enjoys. It's about $5 in gas to go. If we meet her friends there, then their mom and I visit while the kids bowl and it costs less than $10 for 3 games plus shoe rental. If just DD and I go, then I bowl too and we just bowl 2 games for about $12 w/ shoes.

Roller skating is another favorite. It's $8 in gas to go. Then $4 admission and $2 skate rental. $12 for both of us.

Bounceland is $8 gas. It's about $8 admission for DD and I'm free.

We don't eat out much at all. We have a playdate on Monday evenings at McDonald's (or a local park), but DD and I eat before we go. She then gets apples and I usually get apples or a parfait, sometimes a sweet tea. We spend about $3 total.

If we are doing something special with DH on the weekend, then we do hit fast food occasionally. We try to avoid it though, DD has acid reflux and there isn't much that she can eat at fast food places anymore (no fried foods).

I haven't included my youngest DD or DH in much of this, as she usually stays with my parents or DH while older DD and I go do something special. Youngest is just not at a good age for such things right now ... LOL. DH usually opts for staying home.

If we have a low money week (often), then we do something fun that's free. A walk in the woods, fishing, or kayaking (or sledding in the winter). The library and local parks are also big hits for us.

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I budget $20 a week as "fun money"
that means a cool make up, going out with my son, friends or anything like that.
its not because I can't afford more, its because I'm in a TOTAL SAVING MODE!
I have a certain amount I want to have saved by the end of the year!
its a lot, but I can do it if I stick with my plan.
I will take my son on a winter vacation though at the end of the year!
but for now, if we want to do something more expensive,
I save up a couple more weeks.
And, I've been doing the envelope system,
I seem to have a lot more money...??? but I spend less, i don't know why that is, but i'm not complaining

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Thanks,
Bestmommysaver!

Thanks so much for sharing. It lets me know what to shoot for. Everyone around me is always eating out and going to movies all the time--- I needed som perspective and grounding!

I think I am going to budget about $100 a month.

Thanks Lisa for including gas prices--- your organization is an inspiration!

--Ann