Fredericksburg Parent

22 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • October 2026 Tips to Reduce Entertainment Costs • Examine Your Subscriptions: Cancel streaming services, apps or digital memberships not used in the past 30 days. I recently canceled Disney Plus realizing my teens have outgrown its con- tent. • Leverage Free Tiers: Use free, ad-supported tiers for music, podcasts and video streaming. My family has found that we can legally access thousands of hours of movies, TV shows, music and books without paying a cent by utilizing free tiers and ad- supported versions of major digital platforms like Spotify and YouTube. • Low-Cost Hobbies: Shift toward low cost-per-hour activities, such as long-form video games. Do monthly rotational game nights at friends' homes. Utilize free activities at churches, librar- ies and community centers. Ask my teens and they'll tell you I am always selling something on Marketplace or eBay, swapping books on PaperbackSwap.com or giv- ing outgrown clothing, barely worn shoes and games to families with younger children at our church. These opportunities allow us to pay it forward and reduce our family's footprint all the while recouping some money to buy them their next pair of Jordans. My teens are probably rolling their eyes as they are reading my col- umn, but I can attest they appreciate all their father and I do for them as we are able to plan our next funflation family cruise. WRITTEN BY NIKKI DUCAS Do you find yourself choosing memorable experiences over material possessions? Then "Funflation" may be busting your budget. Funflation is an economic trend where Americans keep paying high prices for in-person entertainment, travel and leisure even when overall costs continue to rise. My family has always prioritized giving experiences (season passes to museums, amusement parks, etc.) over superficial stuff. My husband and I have noticed post pandemic that costs have incrementally increased over the years, thankfully funflation hasn't deterred us from planning our annual family vacations or non-screen entertainment activities with our teens. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American household spends about $3,600 which largely includes streaming alongside hobbies, pets and admission fees, rather than isolating video stream- ing alone. We spend $105 on cellular service, $100 on internet and $84 on subscriptions per month totaling $289. Pets, hobbies and membership fees are catego- rized under another line item in our budget. I have always been a frugal mom and I am continuously looking for ways to keep money in my pocket so my family can do more fun activities together. I've recently used the following tips to help leverage my family's entertainment costs. family money Is Funflation Busting Your Budget?

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