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Fun
and Frugal
Outdoor Gatherings
How do you plan picnics and other outdoor summer
get-togethers on a budget? What tips and tricks to you use to
have maximum fun on a minimum budget?
"We take 5 of our children
with us. Our other 5 children with grandchildren, friends, and
significant others can more than double our campsite and the
need for more food. We almost always overbuy on food, but it
makes for a relaxing week after camping using up the leftovers.
One year for one of our 3-5 day camping
trips, I made several kinds of muffins. I thought it went over real
well, after they all found out what cooler the food was in! It
made good morning and afternoon snacks. And even though I had to buy
some ingredients I didn't normally have on hand, I still believe it was
cheaper than buying prepackaged donuts or muffins.
Another idea I use is to make up my own
trail mix out of nuts, sunflower seeds, dried fruit, etc., and put in
individual baggies. Avoid the chocolate chips if possible!
We buy hamburgers and hot dogs by the
case, keeping a portion of the food frozen by using a 5-day cooler.
We've also bought ice and kept it in the
5 day coolers. That way, we weren't constantly running to the
store for more ice. But I found if the food was in the 5-day coolers, it
had a tendency to freeze.
One thing we do for safety is that my
husband buys the 8-12 hour light sticks cheap during the hunting season.
Then we give each of the smaller children a lightstick. I usually make a
necklace of yarn for them. Then we can tell from a distance where the
children are. Since we camp by the lakeside, this is an important
identifier for us. And the children love having the little nightlight in
the tent with them." ~ Maggie
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