This Year’s 4th of July Is Fire!
As we all know, the Fourth of July is a wonderful time to celebrate with your friends and family, embodying a spirit of community and patriotism. It’s a day filled with cherished traditions, from backyard barbecues and local parades to dazzling fireworks displays. However, the costs associated with these festivities can quickly escalate. If you are buying premium burgers and hot dogs, craft beer and sodas, festive decorations, and any other themed outfits for the whole family, the Fourth of July parties can get quite expensive before you even realize it.
On top of that, we can all attest to the fact that holiday travel isn’t cheap either, with gas prices and flight costs often surging during peak periods. If this year you want to try a more frugal alternative but don’t think there’s anything you could do differently to save money without sacrificing the fun, well, we beg to differ. A memorable and joyous Independence Day celebration is built on shared moments, not big spending. Here’s a comprehensive list of suggestions that you should try to have the most fun during Independence Day, but on a slim budget that keeps your wallet happy.
Host a potluck
If you love to entertain, hosting a Fourth of July party can definitely be fun (especially if you live somewhere with a wonderful view of the local fireworks display). A potluck transforms the gathering into a truly collaborative event, reducing your stress as the host and spreading the joy of contributing. However, providing all the food and drinks for many people can turn out to be quite expensive, easily running into hundreds of dollars.
You can keep your costs down by making this year’s party a potluck. To make it a resounding success, a little organization goes a long way. You only have to make sure you assign people different types of food they can bring. Create a simple online sign-up sheet using a free tool like Google Sheets or a group chat where guests can claim a category. Consider categories such as appetizers, grilled meats/veggies, hearty side dishes, green salads, desserts, and beverages. This simple step ensures a well-rounded feast for everyone. The last thing you want is to have your potluck become “the party where everyone brought a potato salad.”
DIY your RWB (red, white, and blue) outfit
Instead of simply going out to buy a brand-new American flag dud that you might only wear once a year, you can take a look through your closet. The perfect patriotic outfit might already be waiting for you! Do you have any clothing items you wouldn’t normally wear together that might be paired with a red, white, and blue outfit? Think creatively: a plain white t-shirt, your favorite blue jeans, and a red bandana or scarf make a classic, effortless combo. Or perhaps a navy blue dress paired with a white cardigan and some simple red jewelry.
Because if you don’t find the perfect combination, this still doesn’t mean it’s time you buy new ones. Instead, you should try to head to the thrift store and put together a patriotic look for a fraction of the retail price. Look for solid-colored basics that you can easily mix and match. You can also get crafty with what you already own. A little bit of fabric paint can add white stars to a plain blue shirt, or you can tie red, white, and blue ribbons to your shoelaces for a subtle, festive touch.
Skip the fireworks
Well, you shouldn’t skip them entirely; the spectacle is a core part of the holiday! However, there are high chances of having some sort of professional display happening close to you, so you don’t really need to buy them yourself, which is great. These public shows are often far more impressive and safer than anything you could do at home. Check your local town or city’s website or community social media pages for information on free displays. And, while they are a lot of fun, personal fireworks aren’t exactly the definition of safety, not to mention their impact on pets and the environment.
There were eight fireworks-related deaths and around 11,400 injuries back in 2013, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the risks remain very real. Handling explosives is best left to the professionals. Well, if you want to have a bit of fun with some fireworks at home, you can simply buy a couple of sparklers. Even with these, practice caution: have a bucket of water ready to douse the used wires and never allow young children to handle them. For a completely safe and fun alternative, consider handing out glow sticks, bracelets, and necklaces as the sun goes down.
Make sangria
If you are the one in charge of drinks at a party, sangria is definitely one of the best beverages you could make. It is a fantastic crowd-pleaser and incredibly budget-friendly. It’s a wonderful way to dress up inexpensive wine, stretching a single bottle into a large pitcher of delicious punch by adding fruit, juice, and a bit of seltzer. Plus, you can easily make a huge batch ahead of time, so you won’t have to worry about playing bartender and preparing individual cocktails when you’re dealing with guests. The flavors actually get better as they meld together in the fridge!
Also, if you want to make your drinks festive, you can easily make a red sangria, a white sangria and a non-alcoholic blue drinks such as Berry Blue Kool-Aid. For your red sangria, use a cheap red wine, some brandy, orange juice, and sliced oranges and apples. For a crisp white version, try a pinot grigio with peach schnapps, white grape juice, and sliced peaches and green grapes. To complete the color trio, create a kid-friendly blue lagoon punch with blue Hawaiian Punch, lemonade, and lemon-lime soda, garnished with strawberries for a pop of red.
Make your own decorations
There are so many cute decorations that are extremely easy and inexpensive to make yourself. Forget the costly, store-bought items and tap into your creative side. Besides, this can definitely be a fun activity to do with your children or grandchildren in the days leading up to the holiday. Just think of a couple of things such as garlands but with specific, thematic colors: red, white, and blue stars cut from construction paper or even sparkly napkin holders completely made with red, white, and blue pipe cleaners.
You can also paint a few mason jars in patriotic colors and use them to hold cutlery, straws, or small bouquets. Create a simple yet beautiful centerpiece by filling a large glass bowl with red apples, and then nestling some blueberries and white flowers among them. The possibilities are truly endless. If you are searching for some creative inspiration, just search for “Fourth of July decorations” on Pinterest, using terms like “frugal patriotic crafts” or “DIY 4th of July” to find countless tutorials.
Shop after the Fourth of July has passed next year
This is a pro-level frugal living tip that requires a bit of foresight but pays off handsomely. If you want to purchase your decorations, make sure you wait until after the Fourth, because that’s when you will find the biggest discounts, often 50-75% off or more. This is the perfect time to stock up on non-perishable goods like themed paper plates, napkins, banners, and even small flags. Then, try to save them for next year. Designate a specific storage bin labeled “4th of July” and put it away with your other seasonal items.
This is one of the best ways to stock up for any holiday, be it Christmas, Easter, or Halloween. It’s true that you will have to think ahead but trust me, it’s worth it. When you pull out that box next June, you’ll thank your past self for the planning and the significant savings.
Take advantage of free activities
Another wonderful thing about the Fourth of July is that it is generally chock-full of free entertainment: Whether we’re talking about parades, live music in the park, historical reenactments, decorating contests for kids, and many other things, there’s a little bit for everyone in most communities. A quick search of your town’s or a neighboring town’s website will reveal a schedule of events for the day. Planning your day around these can provide hours of fun at no cost.
If you know how to take advantage of some of these forms of entertainment, you can rest assured that you will save plenty of money. Moreover, keep those free activities free by packing a bag of snacks and cold drinks from home. A cooler with sandwiches, fruit, chips, and water bottles will save you from the high prices of festival food vendors. Bring a blanket or some folding chairs and make a comfortable home base to enjoy the day’s festivities. Frugal, but fun!
If you are traveling, don’t overpay for hotels
If you somehow decide to travel during Independence Day, make sure you know where you’ll stay and book well in advance. If you plan to go to a city that’s a hub for American history, like Philadelphia or Washington, D.C., hotel rates might turn out to be much higher than usual due to the holiday demand. These prime locations often see price surges and may require multi-night minimum stays, further inflating the cost.
Instead of booking a hotel, you should look into renting a house or apartment through a website. We recommend you try Airbnb.com or VRBO.com, where you can often find more space for less money, plus the added benefit of a kitchen to prepare your own meals. There are many East Coast cities with excellent public transportation, so you might as well consider staying in the suburbs and taking a train in for your favorite events. This can save you a significant amount on accommodation, and the savings will likely far outweigh the cost of a daily transit pass.
Go camping
The Fourth of July is definitely a great time to consider camping, and what better place to celebrate being an American than in one of our national parks? It offers a wonderful escape into nature and a chance to disconnect. Imagine grilling hot dogs over an open fire and watching the stars come out, far from the city noise. State parks and national forests are also fantastic, and sometimes more affordable, options.
There are plenty of parks that offer advance reservations for camping spots, and they rapidly fill up, so make sure you check online before you pack your bags and go. For a holiday weekend like this, it’s wise to book your site many months in advance. If you’re new to camping and don’t want to invest in gear, ask friends if you can borrow a tent or sleeping bags, or look into local outdoor stores that offer rentals.
“D” your decorations
In this particular case, “D” stands for DIY and dollar store, a powerful combination for festive decorating on a dime. We’d advise you to check your local $1 emporium for the nicest (but also cheapest) Fourth of July-themed decorations. You can find streamers, balloons, and tablecloths in patriotic colors. Also look for stand-alone red, white, and blue elements such as vases, plastic plates, and bowls that can be used again for other holidays like Christmas or Memorial Day.
On the DIY side, red, white, and blue paper chains would make a lovely Fourth of July-themed party, and they’re especially nice since you can also involve your grandchildren in the process. Just cut strips of construction paper and let them loop and staple them together. You can also try cutting out paper stars in well-known patriotic colors and hanging them from the ceiling with different lengths of string. For an even simpler idea, fill clear glass jars or vases from the dollar store with layers of red, white, and blue sand, beans, or candies for an instant centerpiece.
Just skip the expensive berries
We know, we know: there are so many Fourth of July dessert recipes with an astounding amount of colored raspberries and blueberries out there, that you don’t even know which one to pick. The pressure to create a Pinterest-worthy flag cake can be immense. However, depending on where you live, those berries might not be in season just yet, making them surprisingly expensive due to shipping costs.
You shouldn’t feel the need to spend $4 a container of raspberries (as tasty as they may be). Instead, look to less-expensive strawberries, which are often at their peak and more affordable during early summer. You can make a beautiful strawberry shortcake with whipped cream for a perfect red and white dessert. Also, get frozen berries if it’s the right choice for the recipe, like in a cobbler or muffins, as they are much cheaper than fresh. Or, simply use food coloring to make your cake as colorful as it can get. A simple white cake with red and blue frosting swirls is just as festive and delicious.
Cut your own flowers
A beautiful bouquet of flowers can brighten any party table, but we know that it would be much easier to hop into your local flower store and pick your favorites. Yes, it’s definitely easier, but this doesn’t make it any cheaper, as professionally arranged bouquets can be quite costly. That’s why we’d advise you to cut your own flowers from your beautiful garden. Look for naturally red, white, or even blue blooms. Red zinnias, white petunias, and blue salvia can create a stunning patriotic arrangement.
After all, we think it will also feel more rewarding to do so! Even if you don’t have a flower garden, look for bountiful greenery like ferns or hosta leaves to create a lush base, then add a few pops of color. Now, since you already know what you have on hand, don’t hold back from doing the best, most mesmerizing flower arrangement for Independence Day! Needless to say, we would love to see the way in which you let that creative beast out, so make sure you send us the results!
Ultimately, celebrating Independence Day is about patriotism, community, and making memories, none of which require a big budget. We hope these tips help you have a fun, festive, and frugal Fourth! If you found this article useful and you would like to read another similar one, here’s what we recommend: Costco Food Court: 12 Delicious Things You Didn’t Know You Could Buy
