Entertainment
There are so many cheap and fun things you can do with your family. First of all, there is almost nothing better you can do than to read with them! I know to some it might sound silly: picture the children poised neatly on the floor with hands in laps, father with his pipe and a book in his favorite chair, mother sitting properly, ankles crossed, and everyone in their bathrobes complete with rosey cheeks. But if all you can manage to do is to push the laundry aside on the couch and sit with your family for ten minutes reading something called "Captain Underpants", then go for it! If you have school aged children and they are up to the task of reading a chapter book, take turns reading a few pages, or challenge your children to get up to reading a whole chapter themselves. Our local libraries are a great place to start! There are often free events and readings as well as library cards are generally free. Check out the WCLS web site at http://www.wcls.org/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1. It's a proven fact that children who read with their families will excel much faster in school than those who do not .
The American lifestyle has become more and more sedentary over the years, so it's always a good idea to be up and moving when we can. Games like Croquet and Horseshoes are good ol' standbys, and are easy and inexpensive to set up. Multiple parks in the county are equipt with frisbee golf courses. The frisbees themselves range anywhere from $7-$40, or you can try your luck at any of the local pawn shops for an even better deal.
Providing your county allows small outdoor fires and doesn't have a burn ban, having a small campfire outside can be a lot of fun. Just be sure to have a water source on hand in case the fire spreads, and of course Smore's makings! Let the party carry into the night by bringing out the flash lights and telling ghost stories!
If the weather doesn't allow you to be outside, there are always card games. Younger children generally enjoy "old maid" or "go fish", where you may want to try "Rummy". Have a few friends over, have everybody bring some kind of snack, and have a poker night all for the cost of a snack and maybe a $1.95 deck of cards. It's ok if you don't know how to play, they are all easy games to learn, and poker decks usually have a cheat sheet included in the deck.