Real talk, ladies: I am broke. Broke as a joke right now. Things are looking up for the near future, but the next few weeks? Yikes! It's gonna be a rough month. Of course, this rough month comes just before holiday shopping kicks in, and holidays meas more travel to see family. It's a stressful moment in our lives, to say the least.

But one of the hidden blessing in this whole fiasco is our ability to regroup and stick to a budget when need be. One of our favorite tricks is Zero Dollar Days. The goal is to last 24 hours without spending a cent! It's more difficult than you might think! Of course, it doesn't include food or treats that are already in your home. If you've rented a movie on Tuesday, you can still watch it on Wednesday.

Here's the thing: looking back as an adult, I realize that sometimes my parents were really scraping the barrel financially. But at the time? At the time, I didn't even notice. I never would have guessed that our family was in dire straits, because my parents somehow kept us occupied and having too much fun to notice. Now, my family wasn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination. One thing I will give them both credit for is not laying their financial burden on their young children. They did their best to keep us appropriately naive. That act of sacrifice allowed us, their kids, to focus on the fun. Here's a few ways we kept the fun without the funds!

Game Night

Ok, admittedly, this was more of a hit in my husband's family. My family's attempt at game night ended with my father accusing me of cheating because I was able to think more quickly than he could, so I kept beating him. Remember when I said my family was by no means perfect? Yeah. Example #1. BUT - don't let that distract you! Family game night is a great way to sped hours of time (and no cash!) and make great memories at the same time.

Take A Hike

Yes! Do it! Get outside, go for a walk around your neighborhood. Meet your neighbors! Or, better yet, get outside to a great park or state land! So many benefits to this one: you're creating so many lovely moments for the old memory bank. You're getting physically fit, keeping yourself young, connecting with the outdoors. Likely you'll be unable to spend that time attached to your phone. Spend time with your kids in the great outdoors instead of money.

Paint With Water

This is one of my favorites! Honestly, we do it at least once a week as a playtime activity. One of my friends turned me on to this and it was so simple it blew my mind! Grab some construction paper and a set of brushes. Fill a cup with water, and let your imagination run wild! This easy painting hack works on sidewalks, driveways, and cardboard, too! No cost, barely any cleanup, and no paint-stained pants!

 

What are you favorite ways to rock Zero Dollar Days? Tell me your free fun lifehacks on Twitter @pi3sugarpi3 with #FreeFamilyFun