Let’s face it; there are hundreds of “national holidays” that most people have never heard about before. Obviously, holidays like Christmas are widely celebrated and acknowledged throughout the United States each year. But what about “frugal fun day”? Can you honestly say you’ve heard of this family-friendly occasion?
Every October 1st, families in “the know” are treated to an inexpensive day of fun. Fortunately, the cool fall air provides the perfect backdrop for numerous outdoor activities. Many families head to a local park or find a cheap campground for one last fling before winter hits. However, frugal fun day is the perfect time to grab some inexpensive sparklers to aide in the festivities. Luckily, I’ve put together this helpful guide so you can maximize your day without spending a penny more than necessary. Here’s what you need to know.
Why Choose Sparklers for Frugal Fun Day?
As the name implies, the most important goal of the day is to keep things extremely cheap and affordable. With persistent inflation and no relief in sight, finding inexpensive options can be extremely difficult. Obviously, it’s also geared towards families; so you need to strike a balance between these two worlds. Sadly, kids aren’t as easy to entertain as they were just a generation ago. However, everyone becomes enthralled as soon as sparklers hit the scene. Here are some key reasons you should consider them as part of your frugal fun day celebration.
Extremely Inexpensive
Since price is the biggest driving factor for this holiday, it seems like the perfect place to start things off. The best part of choosing our products for your plans is that we have nearly every type of sparkler made available at your fingertips. Some of our options are as cheap as $0.10 per sparkler; so almost anyone can afford to participate. However, we don’t have a single option available over $1.00 each, so any choice could easily be regarded as “frugal”. With so many options and an affordable price tag, they should be an obvious choice for many people.
Fun for the Whole Family
The next major reason that sparklers are the perfect candidate for this occasion is that they are extremely family-friendly. Obviously, you can’t hand them to a 3 year old and you need to supervise older children for it to be safe. However, when done properly, using sparklers with children is not only safe; it’s also a very fun pastime. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone that doesn’t enjoy these classic little novelty items! For these reasons and more, they are the perfect accessory to enhance your family fun.
Enhances Nearly Every Activity
Lastly, you don’t need to go out of your way to include them in your activities. Perhaps you are headed to a local park for a free day of fun? Simply bring a sparkler along for each person and do them before you head home. Having a backyard party? The same logic applies here, too. The best asset they bring to your event is that they can simply be tacked onto almost any other activity. With so much versatility, you can see we they’re an easy choice for a lot of people for a day of frugal fun.
Most Inexpensive Sparklers for Your Celebration
Once you’ve decided how to include them in your festivities, you’ll want to consider your options carefully to keep things on budget. Fortunately, with so many versions available, you can easily find sparklers that fit your cost expectations. Here is a breakdown of the most desirable options for a truly frugal fun day.
Keeping it as Cheap as Possible
If you want to spend as little as possible, the cheapest option available is 10 inch gold sparklers. At around a dime each, you can provide fun for everyone for only a few dollars. Additionally, they last around 30 seconds each; so you aren’t going to be disappointed with your purchase. Also, they are smokeless so you can use them either indoors or outdoors. With all these features and more, you will not be disappointed in this extremely affordable choice.
Making Dessert a Special Experience
Depending on which activities you have planned for your day, sometimes it’s easier to just accessorize instead of doing something special. One of the least expensive things you can do for your family is to bake a cake from scratch to serve at lunch or dinner. If you want to make your tasty treat more epic, consider adding a few cake sparklers to the decorations. It’s similar to putting candles on a birthday cake but much more entertaining. In the end, it will make your budget-friendly dessert a special treat.
Something a Little Less Frugal
Of course, the idea of “affordability” means something a little different to each person. If you have five kids and an average salary, going as cheap as possible is a priority. However, some people have a little extra cash in their wallets and prefer a classier option. If you aren’t afraid of spending a dollar or more per person, consider a specialty item like star shaped sparklers instead of the more traditional versions. They are one of the pricier options, but they are still extremely affordable and will make a bigger impact on your event.
Affordable Alternatives to Sparklers for Frugal Fun Day
Depending on where you live, finding sparklers locally may be difficult; or even impossible! It could be the time of year that hinders your plans, or perhaps they are outlawed in your state. Nevertheless, there are plenty of other fun options available that work as an alternative. Here are some of the most popular ideas.
Plant Flowers
If you happen to be eco-conscious, doing something beneficial for the environment can create its own reward. Best of all, it is an extremely affordable way to have fun with the family! Planting some seed packets of flowers will cost around a dollar for the whole group to participate and the result will be magnificent for years to come. Just make sure you choose perennial flowers instead of annuals; otherwise they won’t come back next year after the freezing temperatures of winter.
Feed Ducks or Other Wildlife
One of my favorite pastimes as a child was heading to our local park to feed the ducks. All you need is a bag of bread or popcorn to make the ducks as happy as can be. In particular, children love tossing the food into the water and watching the fowl gobble it up quickly. If you have a little extra cash, you can upgrade the experience by heading to a petting zoo to feed other animals, too. Not only will this be extremely affordable, but it can be a fun learning experience as well.
Release a Sky Lantern
Lastly, if you want to keep the flames away from small hands, consider releasing a sky lantern together as a group. They work particularly well in the fall months because the temperature differential between the ambient air and the heat in the lantern is more extreme. However, you need to make sure you study up on how to light a sky lantern before you begin the experience. With the proper education, sky lanterns are a wonderful alternative to sparklers for frugal fun day.
Should Frugal Fun Day Become a New Family Tradition?
No matter what you decide the definition of “frugal” is compared to an average outing, it’s a great exercise to build a stronger bond with your family. Obviously, you’ll need to be more thoughtful in your planning if you want to keep the fun on a tight budget. However, once most people try it, it becomes a yearly tradition they look forward to experiencing. Hopefully, this guide has opened your eyes to the infinite possibilities that exist without having to spend a fortune. Good luck and have a great family day!
