4 Fun and Affordable Ways to Spend Family Night at Home

Posted: 30 Aug 2011 04:00 AM PDT

One of the best ways to build good, lasting family memories is to spend quality time together as a family. In many cases, this quality family time can be spent at home. A family night can be a great way to have a good time — and it is usually a good way to save money as well. You can enjoy your time together as part of a staycation, or make it a regular, weekly or monthly occurrence.

When many people think of frugal family fun at home, they think of board games and movie rental. However fun these ideas are, after a while they become a little stale. There are only so many times you can replace board games with more active games like Twister or Cranium, and only so many times watching your rented movie from inside a blanket tent to add a little adventure. Here are 5 fun and affordable ways to mix it up for family night:

photo credit: oooh.oooh

1. Family Sports

One of my favorite memories is of playing baseball in the backyard with my parents and siblings. I also have fond memories of playing basketball in the driveway with my father, grandpa and brothers. A little friendly competition can be a great way to have fun as a family — and get some healthy exercise. Other games that can be fun to play outside include tag, croquet, badminton, lacrosse and football.

2. Theme Night

Put together a theme night for the family. Everyone can dress up according to a theme, and you can even plan your dinner that night to work with the theme. Make it a point to learn about the theme as well. If you decide to focus on a specific country, learn about some of the customs associated with that country, and enjoy some of the cuisine. You can also have a medieval theme, a circus theme, superhero theme, or any other theme that you think might be fun and (possibly) educational.

3. Theater

There are a number of ways that you can enjoy a little theater at home. Create a puppet theater, or perform a funny play. You can also play charades, acting out different words, or scenes from popular TV shows and movies. You can take turns giving monologues out of character. For instance, perform a monologue from Hamlet in a silly voice, or turn a comic song from Into the Woods into a dirge.

You can also have contests that revolve around recitation. One of my favorite childhood memories of getting together with my extended family was the nursery rhyme contest: Everyone recites nursery rhymes in turn, with no duplicates. If you can’t think of one, you’re out. Last person standing wins.

4. Scavenger Hunt

Put together a scavenger hunt. You can have everyone try to find a certain number of items adhering to a theme, or you can send them on a chase through the house, following clues (with a fun reward or treat at the end). I like book scavenger hunts, in which you try to find something specific in books that are in the house. This is also a great way to encourage your children to read, and enjoy reading.

Alternative Investment Ideas You May Not Know About

Posted: 30 Aug 2011 04:00 AM PDT

Despite the mystique attributed to them, alternative investments are not much more complicated from “mainstream” investments. Traditionally, the three main asset classes have always been stocks, bonds and cash. Stocks have taken two major hits over the past decade: The crash of 2001 and the crash of 2008. The 2008 crash was far worse than the 2001 crash. The other asset classes, bonds and cash have done poorly since 2000 as well. A strong desire for safety among investors has led to the lowest bond yields in decades. Short-term Treasury bills are even trading at negative yields. Long-term and short-term investors are perplexed as to the right decisions.

photo credit: M4D GROUP

Organizing potential investments by asset class can relieve the solution and diversification is key. The idea is that an investor who invests his money across a broad segment of asset classes will survive tough times and thrive in good times. Alternative investments, then are asset classes that don't fall under the traditional assets of stocks, bonds or cash. Asset classes are different from sectors of the stock market or the economy. Alternative investments include real estate, commodities, hedge funds and foreign currencies.

Foreign Currencies
The foreign exchange (forex) market is the largest and most liquid market in the world. Trillions of U.S. dollars’ worth of currencies flow in and out of the market on a daily basis. Fortunately for investors, getting involved in this market has never been easier. FOREX investing provides both protection from domestic currency debasement and an opportunity to make solid profits. The easiest way to get involved is the vaunted carry trade in which an investor sells one currency with low interest rates and buys one with high interest rates, thus earning the difference between them.

Investors can add currency-based exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to their portfolio to profit from movements in foreign currencies against the U.S. dollar. Some ETFs also attempt to leverage their own carry trades to earn greater profits. Alternatively, investors can choose an ETF that is either short or long the dollar (depending on their own outlook and preference). Foreign currencies can also suddenly fall relative to the dollar resulting in losses. When the dollar is weak, it presents an opportunity for investors to buy low on one of the strongest currencies in history.

Real Estate
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) made it much easier for small investors to own this valuable asset class. Real estate has a low correlation to stocks and bonds. Additionally, owning real estate gives an investor a solid stream of income and protection from inflation. Owning real estate or having a mortgage was a great deal in the 1970s. Every year the mortgage was worth less while the property was worth more. Current real estate rates are close to historic lows and could present a good investment opportunity.

Hedge Funds
Hedge funds have received plenty of scorn for their supposed role in the financial crisis. The truth is hedge funds are growing in popularity as an alternative asset class. Hedge funds can achieve phenomenal returns compared to stocks, bonds, cash, foreign currencies, and real estate. The downside is high fees and relative illiquidity. Hedge funds can provide fantastic diversification benefits, but they are not for every investor’s portfolio.

Commodities
The cream of the crop when it comes to alternative investments is commodities. They are perhaps the best way to diversify a portfolio. Precious metals, foodstuffs, and industrial materials trade around the world. The easiest way to invest in commodities is trading futures contracts but the average investor may stay away from this investment tactic. Buying foreign currencies is much easier than buying commodities. The advantage of this asset class is low correlation and protection from inflation. Gold, in particular, has a history of protecting against both inflation and deflation.

About the Author
Tal Baron writes for Currensee, a FOREX trading social network where investors can explore foreign currency investment options.

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