Eating out is a significant expenditure for many people. While this may be budgeted into your food expenses, eating out is substantially more expensive than eating in, even if you choose convenience foods. If you enjoy meals out, consider eating lunch instead of dinner, to take advantage of lower prices at lunch. Choose affordable, but enjoyable restaurants, and eat food you love when you eat out. Consider having water or a soft drink with your meal and packing your dessert to go to have with a glass of wine at home. If you eat out with your children, consider frequenting restaurants with kids' specials or highly discounted kids' meals to save on your dining out budget. Finally, consider whether this is money well spent. If you truly enjoy eating out, and can make room in your budget for it, do so; however, if meals out are more often a convenience issue, and one that no one enjoys, rearrange your meal planning to eat at home and save.

Tickets to movies, plays, and concerts are another common entertainment expense. Again, consider whether this is something you love, and that you deem worth what you are spending on it. If you enjoy movies, discounts can be had by attending matinees, opting for a lower priced theater, or simply waiting for the DVD release. Your local library may even offer DVDs, enabling you to have that movie night at home for just the cost of your microwave popcorn. Season tickets may offer some savings for the theater or concert series, or perhaps choosing community or college theater is a lower priced option for you. Some theaters do offer an opening night discount, and this can save you a substantial amount on your tickets.

Families often find that a substantial portion of their entertainment budget goes to admissions to zoos, children's museums, amusement parks, swimming pools and skating rinks. While these activities build great memories, offer fun and educational experiences and more, the costs can rapidly add up. Many facilities offer multi-use passes, memberships or season passes. It may not take many trips to the zoo to make that annual fee well worth it. Furthermore, zoos, aquariums, children's museums and science centers also sometimes offer reciprocal admission to facilities in other cities and towns, making a membership useful even when traveling. Also, look for free admission days, reduced price times, and group admission to everything from the city pool to the local amusement park. Discount tickets and coupons may be available in your community, so check locally printed parenting resources. Also, families should look for free activities. Often parks departments, library systems and other community resources offer great, fun, free and educational activities for families.

Whether your goals are simply to be more financially responsible or make expenses and income match up, or to substantially free up funds for debt reduction, reducing your entertainment budget without making painful sacrifices can be done. You can enjoy your family and your life, do what you love to do, and still keep your entertainment spending well within reason.