Frugal Fun in Arkansas

March 24, 2008 | Leave a Comment

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This is a guest post by Jill Rohrbach, travel writer for the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.  Jill and her husband Mike (of Flying Burrito fame) live in Fayetteville with their two kids.  When she’s not chasing children, Jill can be found blogging at the Arkansas Travel Blog.

Tons of thrifty fun can be found in The Natural State. Free activities abound in the great outdoors. Trails, caves and waterfalls await discovery. Nature centers provide interpretive exhibits and classes.

Fifty-two state parks have no admission charge and offer free programming throughout the summer season. Learn about butterflies, bats, astronomy, mountain biking and more. Take a hayride or wildflower walk. You’ll also find hiking and biking trails, camping and fishing fun. Some parks have additional amenities like swimming pools and golf courses. Crater of Diamonds State Park is unique in that you can dig for diamonds there and keep what you find.

Some special programming will be available this year as Arkansas State Parks celebrates its 75th anniversary. These parks can be great for a day outing, weekend adventure or extended stay. Camping is cheap or if your budget allows, cabins and lodges are available too. Check out northwest Arkansas parks (Devil’s Den, Prairie Grove, Withrow Springs, Hobbs and the new Lake Fort Smith) as well as other mountain, adventure and history parks at www.ArkansasStateParks.com.

Outdoor adventures aren’t the only activities available for the frugal minded. For example, step into the magic of Terra Studios just outside of Fayetteville to find creatures from another world, a labrinyth, and to watch Bluebirds of Happiness being made. You can also visit the state’s online calendar of events for festival information. Most festivals have free admission, so other than buying some snacks, it can be cheap to spend the day watching the Championship Chuckwagon Races, World Championship Cardboard Boat Races or Great Arkansas Championship Outhouse Race.

Visit www.Arkansas.com for information on these ideas and more. Here you’ll also find a list of 101 Free Things to Do in The Natural State and Hot Deals & Packages, which give you more bang for your buck.

There’s plenty to choose from no matter what your interest. So make some memories — those are priceless.

This post is part of the Frugal Life+Kids Week brought to you by Once Upon a Child — the best place to find gently used kids’ stuff in Fayetteville.

You will not want to miss a single frugal tip, so check back daily. Or, better yet, click here to subscribe to Life+Kids and receive free email updates on all things kid related in Northwest Arkansas.

Posted by Terri Chadick | Filed Under Blog, The Frugal Life+Kids Week 

Welcome to the Frugal Life+Kids Week!

March 23, 2008 | Leave a Comment

This week on Life+Kids I will be focusing on ways to save money.  Topics will include frugal food, travel, clothes, and entertainment. 

Those who know me realize that I am not particularly frugal, so I need your help!  Send me your ideas and tips on how to save money without sacrificing fun.  Here’s how:

  1. If you have a blog, write a post with some type of frugal connection and email the link to terri@lifepluskids.com.  I will be linking to frugal blog posts throughout the week.
  2. If you are a reader with any tips on how to save money, email the tips to terri@lifepluskids.com or add them to the comments of any post. I will be adding reader tips to the site as well.

I will get things started by listing 6 websites I monitor for money saving tips:

  1. Baby Cheapskate – Saving Big Bucks on Baby Stuff.
  2. The Family CEO –  Thoughts on Simplicity, Organization, and Family Finances. 
  3. Frugal Traveler – NY Times Travel Blog.
  4. Like Merchant Ships — Practicing Cheerful Frugality. 
  5. Wise Bread — Living Large on a Small Budget.
  6. Money Saving Mom — Helping you be a Better Home Economist.

What do you do to save money?

This post is part of the Frugal Life+Kids Week brought to you by Once Upon a Child — the best place to find gently used kids’ stuff in Fayetteville.

You will not want to miss a single frugal tip, so check back daily. Or, better yet, click here to subscribe to Life+Kids and receive free email updates on all things kid related in Northwest Arkansas.

Posted by Terri Chadick | Filed Under Blog, The Frugal Life+Kids Week 

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