Frugal Friday---Quality vs. Quantity

Happy Good Friday! And a Frugal Easter to you too! No mid week post again...but at least Frugal Friday keeps me blogging weekly. LOL I sort of have an excuse...I am going hard getting ready for Camp Croppin'. It's going to be a FAB time!

Back to Frugal Friday. Do you have children in your life? Sons, daughters, nieces, nephews, cousins, friends...it doesn't matter. Do you ply them with a plethora of Easter treats on this fine long weekend? I am not going to bore you with a lecture about needs vs. wants. We are all aware of the needs and wants in our lives and how to tell the difference. What I want to talk about today is Quality vs. Quantity. This year we have decided (The Hubs and I) to get one large gift for each child instead of filling a basket with 25 things from the dollar store. I LOVE Dollarama. Love, Love, LOVE it! Don't get me wrong, you can get some wonderful stuff there. BUT, let's think about Easter specifically. How much of the stuff that gets into the basket is still functioning by May long weekend? In my house...the answer is NONE. Nothing. Nada. So here's the deal...crunch those numbers. Let's say you go to Dollarama and get $20 worth of stuff. The cute plushy, the bunny ears, the little Easter games, etc. The children love it for the day. Maybe even the weekend. Then you step on the game by accident and it goes in the trash. The plushy gets coated in chocolate so you try to wash it. It comes apart in the wash and then goes...that's right. In the trash. The bunny ears get fought over and snap in half. Then? The trash. Not to mention the huge quantity of chocolate they get in the basket...only to end up in their blood stream. Which leads to a huge quantity of frustration for Mum and Dad. You paid $25 for all that nonsense? This year, we spent $25 on a scooter for our older son and a little more than that on a remote control for our younger son. They will last quite some time and provide an immense amount of playtime outside. Great family time! Yes, Grandma and Grandpa (x2) will have baskets for the kids. Do I confiscate it? ABSOLUTELY. To be doled out in teeny tiny manageable amounts throughout the Spring/Summer. So when you go to fill the Easter baskets this year (reusable ones of course! My boys have metal Spiderman buckets.) analyze each thing you put in. Is it reusable? (I even save the Easter fluff from year to year in a Ziploc bag) is it strong enough to withstand your children for more than an hour? Will it be a good toy in the long run?

Some excellent frugal Easter ideas:

*Hide coins instead of chocolate. Then they can practise counting it and put it in their piggy banks.
*Kids love outdoor play things! Sidewalk chalk, skipping ropes, jacks, a new bat and ball. It doesn't have to be expensive.
*Let the Grandparents do the candy thing. 3 giant chocolate bunnies are yummy but not needed! LOL Bake cookies with the kids. They LOVE that!
*What about movie tickets? Rainbow theatre has great cheap seats for kids.
*Don't undervalue an afternoon of good old fashioned egg colouring! Let them get messy. Let them do whatever colours they want! Fun fun FUN!
*Go to a museum, park or local show. If you live in my area, go to the Draggins Car Show! The original Batmobile will be there. Now that's fun for the whole family!

Have a wonderful, blessed Easter weekend. Remember what Easter is all about. Not gaining 6 pounds worth of Mr. Munchy Bunny. It's about our Lord and Saviour. Spend time with your family and remember that love does not equal money. Love is all about time spent and the laughs that follow. Happy Easter! Go eat some free ham at your Mother in Law's house!