My family also does a lot of picnicing.  We have made it a habit to go to all the local parks.  Some with a little driving but not much.  The parks around here have of course the playground but one has a free water park.  No pool but sprinkler type things.  One has a free zoo and two others have a bandshell.  That is great the kids love to bring their "instruments" and put on a show for us.  Picnics are very good family time with little cost.  We also have harsh winters so we picnic sometimes on the living room floor the kids love it.

posted on 3/27/2010 11:04:31 PM

Oh I most definately pack up lunches and hit the park. It saves alot of money, gains alot of family time and creates memories for years to come! I have noticed alot more people doing it over the last year probably due to the economy.

posted on 3/16/2010 4:18:39 PM

I ALSO DO PACKING AND BRINGING SNACKS FOR MY TWO KIDS NOW AT DAYS AND TRY USING COUPONS

posted on 3/15/2010 8:17:46 PM

This is a great idea, not only a way to save money but to spend time with the family. We are buried under snow, but when it melts this will be one of the first things that we will do.

posted on 2/28/2010 2:43:17 AM

i clip coupons everywhere i can find them mostly on the internet and P & G saver is a life saver!!!

posted on 2/25/2010 11:41:47 PM

I love picnic's too! It is definitely more economical!! It is a great time to spend with your family where you can really concentrate on each other and also have some physical activities to do. I have noticed recently there are a lot of restaurants that have TV's in them. I also found that my family was not talking to each other like they should because they found themselves watching TV. So I don't like to go often to them. So anything you can do together to get away from other distractions is a winner!

posted on 2/25/2010 10:03:20 PM

It is also great time for family because you can sit and have a conversation without having people listen to your discussion.   Another thing we did with our kids was make something at home something you don't have that often and the light some candles and turn off the lights.  It was a great time for our girls and we had a good time talking. 

posted on 2/25/2010 9:49:01 PM

Love this!  Our family has never been one to eat out.  We can cook MUCH better food at home than we get in a resturant so the only time we do eat out is if I don't feel like doing dishes. :)  We love haveing picnics in the park or along the river.  I love seeing more families taking the extra time to pack a picnic.  It's healthier and cheaper.  A win win in my book!

posted on 2/25/2010 7:34:23 PM

I have also done the same thing. But i have done this before the economy had gone down hill. I believe this is the best way to cut my kids cravings for junk food.

posted on 2/25/2010 1:53:50 PM

i wish we could go to the park maybe in the summer time.....when its not snowing..lol

posted on 2/25/2010 11:52:43 AM

This is much more intimate than going to a crowded restraunt, not knowing who is preparing your food anyway. Better quality time with your family

posted on 2/25/2010 10:35:43 AM

I can't wait for the weather to get nice again so we can get outside again!  Until then we just pack our lunch when we go to the indoor mall playground.

posted on 2/25/2010 10:23:54 AM

Yes I also had to make some changes because of the economy. My change has been in my shopping habits. I now use a lot more coupons while shopping and I use reusable shopping bags. Every little bit helps. And picnicking sounds like fun but in my area we've only had snow for the last few days and not much sunshine.

posted on 2/25/2010 9:33:59 AM

Makes me nostalgic!  Not so many people do picnics anymore.

posted on 2/25/2010 1:05:50 AM