Fourth of July

3 Great Ways to Celebrate the Fourth of July on the Cheap

I don’t know about you, but I have always been a fan of summer holidays especially when they allow for a long weekend. I remember growing up as a kid my family would always do something fun for the holidays, especially over the Fourth of July. It usually involved grilling of some sort, hanging out with friends and massive amounts of fireworks. If you’re looking for a way to celebrate the Fourth of July frugally, there are still some options available to you that will allow you to enjoy the festivities and not bust your budget.

Have a Party at Your House

This, by far, is one of the most popular ways to celebrate the Fourth of July. Now I know that it may be a little late to plan one as the holiday is tomorrow, why not have an impromptu party with those friends who may not be on their summer vacation yet. If you involve a few friends or families you can keep the cost low as they can all bring one food or another. You can offer to provide the meat to grill (and who doesn’t like to grill) and your friends can bring the rest. This allows you all to enjoy a great meal and not spend a lot of money in the process. One thing we always did as a family for the Fourth of July was making homemade ice cream the day off as it usually makes so much and who doesn’t like cold ice cream on a hot summer day?

Go to a Museum

My undergrad degree is in history and I have always been a bit of a history buff. I personally think the Fourth of July lends itself perfectly to that. If you live near any historical museums, presidential homes or national parks it can be a great way to enjoy some history on such an important day. The great thing is that many of these places are either free or very cheap to go to and can really help bring the importance of the Fourth of July holiday home. We did this as a family as I was growing up and it really did help me gain a better appreciation of our history and was fun as well. As an aside, if one is several hours away from you, then you could use it as a perfect opportunity to have a small summer vacation as well.

What is the Fourth of July Without Fireworks?

I admit, I love fireworks! I think I might just be part pyromaniac, or at least that’s what my wife says. Fireworks can be expensive, if you allow them to be, which is why we budget a little for them the months leading up to the holiday so I can buy what I want. If this is not an option for you, have no fear as there are many options out there. Many communities will have their own organized fireworks events and are often free, so that is always an option. You can also go in with several friends to buy some fireworks so that’ll lower your per person cost. If you don’t want to go to the effort of buying fireworks yourself or go somewhere to see them you can always set up a lounge chair in your yard and watch others shoot their fireworks off – which I find is half the fun anyway and you can relax to boot. If you do choose to shoot off fireworks, please make sure and shoot them off safely as losing a finger or hand is not worth the fun by any stretch.

What are some of your favorite things to do for the Fourth of July? What will you be doing tomorrow?

Image by Ronan O’Donohoe/ flickr

10 thoughts on “3 Great Ways to Celebrate the Fourth of July on the Cheap”

  1. In 2011 I spent my first 4th of July in the US, we were somewhere around lake Michigan and had found a little beach to camp for the night, we bought wine and cheese and made a bonefire then just watched the fireworks on the other side of the lake. It was awesome!

    1. That sounds like a great evening Pauline! Lake Michigan is beautiful on it’s own, but watching fireworks over it takes it to another level.

  2. We routinely get together with friends and always pitch in with the food. This year we are meeting at my house and everyone is bringing a dish.

  3. I think having a good ‘ol fashioned American barbeque is the best way to celebrate. If you invite people and have everyone bring some food it is very cheap as well. Then you can just watch other people’s fireworks. 🙂

    1. Agreed Nick! We do something like that virtually every year…though I am the one shooting off fireworks. 😉

  4. We live way out in the country and most of the surrounding towns have their own little parades and street festivals. We usually pick one. We didn’t do that this year because of the weather. I’m not much for crowds, so the small festivals are just my speed.

  5. Huge mistake yesterday by going to the beach for firework. Firework for 20 mins and 2.5 hours drive back. Got home at 12:30 AM

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