4th of July Ideas- The frugal and organized way

Independence Day is one of my favorite holidays for having fun as a family.  Some of my most cherished memories of when our boys were small is wearing our matching Old Navy shirts, grilling out and then going to watch fireworks.  So many activities surrounding this holiday are free! 

Here are some tips for having a fun, frugal and organized fourth:

• Find local firework displays.  Take a blanket or camp chairs and stake out a spot early in the day.  Take some activities like a frisbee, velcro catch mitts from the dollar store (and plenty of sunblock and water) to keep the kiddos occupied until dark.  Many local and state parks host displays as well as colleges and universities.  One local fire department hosts a fireworks display in our area.
• Take the family to see a parade.  Many small towns have fun parades that can be free and fun entertainment for your family.
• Host a backyard BBQ.  To make it even more frugal, host a potluck and have everyone sign up to bring a dish.  An affordable menu can include hamburgers or turkey burgers.  We like to liven up our burgers by adding a pack of lipton soup mix to the meat before forming into patties.  We also buy chicken legs, boil them and then put on the grill and slather with BBQ sauce (cheap and easy!).  For dessert, consider jello parfaits with red and blue jello and cool whip layered for a red, white and blue treat.  We have also made trifles with strawberries, blueberries, vanilla pudding and pound cake.

How do you celebrate the fourth of July (and can you believe it is July already?)

This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday.