Picnics make me feel light and fluffy since it involves socializing, nature, and sandwiches. I also love the fact that they require people to talk. They get usually quiet people (not me) to open up. Oh, and they are really cheap.
In college, there were a few stone tables outside that were perfectly situated under trees and surrounded by 3 dorms. I'd splurge on a $1.50 loaf of bread, a $2.50 container of peanut butter, and a $2.50 jar of strawberry jam just so I could sit at the table and stop friends and random strangers that were wandering by.
College kids always stop for free food. By the time they finished their sandwich, we had each made a new friend or at least got to get some of the days worries off our minds.
After college, picnics became little romantic dates with my husband. We usually take some cracked corn as well for any ducks or birds that are around. Easy sandwiches, iced tea, good conversation, and wildlife always makes me smile.
In short, picnics are relaxing. You can even find parks with playground equipment that your children would enjoy. $5 of sandwich materials (or salad, leftovers, etc), a place to sit, and hopefully another person or two is all it takes to have fun.
Do you enjoy picnics? How long has it been since you ate outside?
Posts
4 weeks ago
I love picnics, and have them as much as possible. Usually for me, it involves the kids, a giant cooler, and a lake. Even though my kids are getting older (15,14,12), they still love heading over to Lake Huron with a bunch of egg salad sandwiches.
ReplyDeleteFor me, some of my best memories involve picnics. Its kind of a way to get away from it all, but at a cheap price. We used to do it a lot more with other families when the kids were younger, and I miss that now.
Picnics are a great way to spend time as a family. While it can be a hassle to pack and carry things, as long as the weather is nice outside, it can be a lot of fun. Being outdoors in a new venue brings a fresh perspective to people who might typically be indoors much of the day. I find picnics bring lots of laughs and good memories. Furthermore, if you go for a pincic INSTEAD of eating out, its a great substitution from a financial perspective. Additionally, it could very well be healther too.
ReplyDeleteKris, yeah, I miss the college dorm picnics a lot too. I’m always sad that it takes so much longer to make friends now, as a “grown-up”, than when I was younger. People get paranoid and catty and grumpy…
ReplyDeleteSquirrelers, totally cheaper. We always go in place of a meal and pack cheap sandwiches. I’m not sure about our personal health factor since we use Jif peanut butter, sweet jam, and Nature’s Own Honey Wheat, but it’s way more fun than eating out in my opinion. :-)
ReplyDeleteI love a good picnic and so often it is actually better and more fun than your standard 'eating out.' And I would add that it's good for your brain cells too--a little something different, a little creativity. . .
ReplyDeleteWe're more of the outdoor BBQ type -- we love to host and have friends over. A true picnic? I was in high school at the time! But it sounds like it could be nice...perhaps I can convince Mr. Saver to have one in the park one day soon.
ReplyDeleteWhat a cool little reminder post.... I must picnic more :)... Yes I love them too but we all often forget about the simple things in life.
ReplyDeleteRainy-Day Saver, BBQ's are great too!
ReplyDeleteForest, I'm glad you liked the post! I like Fit in a Fun Friday posts a lot and was worried they were not exactly right for a personal finance blog...
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