Have a Fun and Frugal 4th of July

If you haven't noticed yet, we here at Billeater sure love celebrating holidays, and the closest one on the calendar is the fourth of July! The good thing is that during this holiday, its super easy to have a great time and not spend a ton of money. The most important things are fun, friends, family and pride! Browse our list of tips and tricks and have a grand time this year while staying within your tight budget. 

Decorating

1. Shop the dollar store for cheap decorations and other necessary supplies at the lowest price around, a dollar! We're talking ribbons,streamers wall decor, paper plates, plastic cutlery, festive serving bowls, little American flags and more
2. Skip the American flagged theme, and opt for red, white, and blue decorations. They still stir up the same feelings of pride, but solid colors are generally cheaper than prints.
3. Print out an American flag from the Internet, and use it to decorate around your house or backyard.
4. Make a cheap and festive table centerpiece by filling a jar with red, white, and blue items. Crumbled construction paper, marbles, the possibilities are endless. If you have more than one table to decorate change it up for creativity
5. Use red,white and blue bandanas for decorating. You can use them as napkins, silverware wraps, or to tie back curtains.
6. Use crafts to decorate. It will be a fun activity for the children, as well as some unique decorations.

Entertainment

1. Save money by having a block party in one families yard. Have everybody else bring a dish to ensure that there will be enough food.
2. Skip the home entertainment and head out to a free fireworks show. Chances are, there is one hosted in your town or at least in your area.
3. If you live near a Bass Pro Shop, head there for free family crafts.
4. Consider renting out a public pool for the day.
5. Rent several patriotic movies and have everybody gather around the television with a few bags of popcorn for a truly fun fourth.
6. If you do plan on traveling, make sure to save on a gas. Read a few tips with our articles "Top tips for saving at the pump, and then some" or "Top 12 tips for better gas mileage"
7. Stay outdoors. Plan a day at a lake, beach, botanical garden or camping ground.
8. If you are going to participate in at-home fireworks, have everybody who wants to use them pitch in.
9. Keep kids happy and entertained at a public recreation center, such as a park or public pool
10. Try some crafts to keep the little ones entertained. Some good ideas can be found in the article "4th of July free and frugal crafts to make with your kids"

Food and drinks

1. Buy clear,cheap sodas from the grocery store (Store brand is usually around $0.75 for a 2 liter) and drop in a few colors of red or blue food coloring
2. Make punch bowls for everybody to use with cheap drink mixes, like Kool-Aid
3. Make your own popsicles for the kids by freezing juice
4. Keep the menu simple. Hot dogs, hamburgers and chips are all inexpensive, yet expected summer fare
5. Learn how to barbecue on the cheap with out article "Budget Summer Barbecue"
6. Buy beer in large quantities (30 cases) to save money. If anybody really has a problem with the cheap stuff, they will go out and buy beer.
7. Take advantage of the foods that are on sale at the grocery store especially for the fourth. Chips, sodas, hot dogs and buns will often be marked down, or by one get one free.

Bonus: Safety tips

1. Always make sure there is supervision of some sort when anybody is lighting fireworks.
2. Never allow children to ignite fireworks. Remind children that although it is fun to watch, fireworks are NOT toys
3. When lighting fireworks, be sure to keep pets inside. Each year, thousands of pets die from firework related accidents. They get scared and threatened by the alarming noise, and try to attack them.
4. Drink responsibly. If you are having guests over, it is also your responsibility to ensure that they are drinking responsibly. That means "Cutting people off", after they have had too many drinks, and making sure that anybody who has had too much to drink does not get in the driver's seat.
5. Keep a bucket of water nearby in case of fire accident
6. Be sure to cook all food to a proper temperature. That's160 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit