On The Cheap

Who says you can't afford to go out these days?  With a little research, a useful birthday gift and the help of my kids' good grades, my family of five was able to enjoy a fun night out recently.  Many of you know I had a birthday earlier this month.  A good friend of mine gave me a restaurant gift card as a present and I decided to share it with my family.  So, last Friday night we went out to eat at Chili's.  Granted, the gift card did not pay the entire bill, but it sure took a big hunk out of it!  It just so happened that it was grade card day for my two oldest children.  We took those along with us and after dinner, we went across the street to Krispy Kreme and the kids picked out one free donut for every A grade (or equivalent score) that they received.  Presto!  Breakfast for the next morning.  After that, we stopped by our local Blockbuster video store.  The good people there allowed my children one free video rental (from the family section only and no new releases) for their favorable grades.  We could have taken it a step further and headed over to the mall where Cheryl's Cookies will reward all A's with one cookie each. 

We have a local restaurant that will reward an A/B average with a free kids meal.  And did you know that you can get a $10 discount for each A per night on lodging at several of the state parks located in Ohio just by brining in your kids' grade card?  There is a great local blog, Columbus On The Cheap, that I refer to often to see if there are any new "deals" out there that we can use. If you live in central Ohio, I recommend that you bookmark this site as well.  I'm a bargain hunter.  A bit thrifty too.  With three children, I am always looking for ways to keep us entertained and on the go without breaking the bank.  I am happy to share my "inside scoop" with you!

Note...the links provided above will direct you to facts regarding the good grades programs.  The promotional offer for the Ohio State Parks is good through June 30, 2010 only at the state parks managed by Xanterra Inc.  The link provided outlines the offer at Burr Oak State Park.  There...that's the end of my free commercial.