Low-Cost Family Entertainment Ideas?
We’re tightening our budget big time — my wife is about to take a $10k/year pay cut, so it’s time to rethink our entertainment expenses, especially for the whole family (us + 3 young adult kids).
We’re currently spending about $175/month on internet + streaming (Prime, Netflix, Hulu/Disney, Paramount+, Peacock, Spotify Family, etc.) and thinking we can cut that in half or more.
Here are some cheap/free options we’re considering or already doing:
📚 Public Library
DVDs, Blu-rays, books, audiobooks, free streaming, and more — super underrated.
📺 Free Streaming
Pluto TV, Tubi, Roku Channel, YouTube, Archive.org — lots of ad-supported gems if you dig a little.
📡 OTA TV (Antenna)
Not glamorous, but local rerun channels still air shows like X-Files and Frasier.
🌍 IPTV
Weird but cool — global channels, not in English mostly, but interesting.
🎮 Gaming Nights
We already own Minecraft and Sims — planning snack-filled family game nights.
🎶 Spotify Family
This is our one tough one to drop. Everyone uses it daily. Any cheaper workarounds?
💡 Other Changes:
Switch to local internet provider to save $20/mo
Use PBS Passport ($5/mo) for access to loads of quality series
We’re aiming to get down to $80/month total (Spotify, PBS, and internet). Not quite “$0 entertainment budget” like some of you legends out there — but a big improvement for us.
What else do you use or recommend that’s free, low-cost, and actually gets used?
Particularly interested in tips that work for whole families or households with grown kids.
#FrugalFamily #FreeFun #BudgetEntertainment #CutTheCord #rFrugal #LibraryLife #FrugalWins
