Easter on a budget

[Dace]

I can't be the only one who wallet is thin these days, can we share some ways to have a good fun Easter with the kids without going broke and going into sugar shock?

We usually do outdoor/summer themed baskets....new flip flops, bathing suits, side walk chalk, nail polish, and loads of candy.

This year the budget is leaner.....my bug girls love those trash gossip mags, so they will get those.....maybe plastic eggs filled with small amounts of money (change and maybe a couple bucks each). Not really sure what else.

What fills your basket?

 

[Aidenbaby]

Growing up, we only ever got the junk food. My kids will probably have the same tradition as they grow. We just limit the amount they can have in one sitting. I have thought about making mini cookies and using those as egg fillers. Last year, as an Easter/Mother's Day gift to myself I got chicks. This year is our rabbit.

 

[Javamama]

Along with some good chocolate - bubbles, jump ropes, flip flops or sunglasses, new markers and coloring books. Whatever I find that doesn't break the bank AND is useful in some way. Then we usually take them out for pizza or a trip to the ice cream parlor.

 

[sufficientforme]

peeps, because our allergic child rarely gets candy (they are GF)
crossword puzzle books- 1.00
sun dress/shorts set- clearance for less than 5.00 each
inflatable (super compacted dip in water) towels with Easter theme -1.00
painting kit that is a planter clearance -3.00
stickers -1.00
and what ever their Grandparents send gets added into baskets.
I always buy or save from previous year gold colored eggs, they are the prime prize of our hunt they have 5.00 in them. The regular plastic eggs (I use 2 dozen each child) I drain my change drawer and add it to the eggs. All eggs have a child's initial and they are only allowed to get their own (this prevents fighting around here and also makes it easy to hide them age appropriate places for a challenge) No candy in the hunting eggs here.
I try to make an Easter coconut cake the shape of a rabbit every year also which is a huge treat for them.
I try to spend around 15.00 or less, I shop year round for clearance to use for holidays. Most items average 75% off or more. I never buy from the dollar store either, just watch for sales.

 

[tortoise]

My family never did anything for Easter (besides going to church).

Why not dye eggs together - maybe tie dye some t-shirts too (egg dye DOES NOT work on cotton, FYI). Go to a church easter egg hunt, if you must.

Memories are the best kind of gift.

 

[tamlynn]

Ditto tortoise, we never did/do presents for Easter. IMO, its turning into a commercial excuse just like Christmas.

We usually do an extended family or church egg hunt, then the rest of the holiday is focused on our religious beliefs of Easter.

Dying eggs is a very fun idea, since most people just do plastic eggs now.

 

[farmerlor]

Annie has type 1 diabetes so we have to keep the candy to a minimum. So they'll each get a chocolate bunny and a couple of eggs filled with candy (we have an easter egg hunt so amount can vary), bubbles, sunglasses, balls, cars, books and sunscreen.

 

[miss_thenorth]

My family never did anything for Easter (besides going to church).

Why not dye eggs together - maybe tie dye some t-shirts too (egg dye DOES NOT work on cotton, FYI). Go to a church easter egg hunt, if you must.

Memories are the best kind of gift.

Ditto, and I don't mean to offend by this statement, but if your kids know some of what you guys are facing now, I'm sure they will totally understand nixing the gifts this year, and maybe next too, who knows. Also, spending money you don't have on something they don't need is not sending them a good mesage. And please, I don't say this to condemn, I say it as a friend.

 

[big brown horse]

Growing up, all we did was go to church and then find some hard boiled eggs out in the sticker patches and fireants. Chocolate or candy didn't hold up in the TX sun...neither did I which is why I never liked Easter-time. (Christmas is my favorite holiday to celebrate!! I'm good at doing it on a budget too!)

Anyhoo, these days up here in the land of milk and honey I am finally getting into Easter. Spring is now my friend! I think we are going to make the black bean chocolate cake together and decorate some pretty blown duck eggs and hang them on a "tree" (that is really just a branch).

My motto: "K.I.S.S."

 

[Dace]

Great ideas

The kids do know where we are at....and will be fine with whatever we do. But the 7 yr old is another story....not that she will really recall what we did last year, just gotta make sure that the E.Bunny doesn't forget about us

We always dye eggs as a family and the kids wake up to hidden eggs. Then they play with whatever the EB left in their baskets, we usually have cinnamon rolls (out of a can ) this year I will do scratch though

My mom comes over and she hides more eggs for the kids. Usually we are pretty low key anyways.

This year we were invited to DH's Brothers house. They have a pool while I doubt any reasonable human woudl want to go in, I am sure the kids will.
I wasn't really going to bring anything, but I think now I will do a veggie tray and maybe a BBcake with fresh berries and whipped cream.....see if I can fool them

It is fun to hear what everyone does!