One thing we knew we would have to re-design for our No Spend Challenge was the Sunday morning kid time outings I have with my kids. This special time with Mom was spent going to either Panera or Starbucks (kid’s choice) for a treat, sitting together, and enjoying each others’ company. While it may not seem too difficult to spend time together without spending money, for my kids, the trip to Panera or Starbucks was a highlight.

With Panera and Starbucks off the list because they cost money, my kids and I started brainstorming ideas to keep our time special. Now that we are four Sundays into our challenge, each child has had a turn with the new No Spend rules. Here is what we have done so far:

• Read a book together and sipped homemade hot chocolate
• Took a drive to look at interesting buildings (too cold to walk around)
• Colored pictures together
• Indoor play area at the local mall

While it is requiring a bit more thought than our standard trip to a coffee shop or café, we are still enjoying the time together and making it special. Still, there are a few kinks we are still working out.

First, I noticed that when we do something special at home, it is difficult to keep the time one-on-one. For instance, when Lizzie and I were sipping hot cocoa and coloring pictures, we had Danny and Rory peering over our shoulders. While only Lizzie and I colored and we enjoyed our time, the lack of privacy is something I intend to remedy.

Second, we have to plan ahead a bit more and sometimes move the schedule to make it work. When it was Danny’s turn, I asked him what he wanted to do and without hesitation he proclaimed, “Go to the park!” Since it is the middle of winter with temperatures below freezing right now, I did some quick thinking and offered a trip to the indoor play area at the mall instead. He quickly agreed, but since we usually go Sunday morning before church, we had to postpone our outing until after church to accommodate the mall hours.

Even with these minor adjustments, I see a promising future for our No Spend outings. We have more ideas to try out, so I’m confident we won’t be bored. The seasons will shape what we can do, giving us fresh options as it gets warmer. I’m glad we aren’t sacrificing our special time together just because we aren’t spending money. With a bit of creativity, our No Spend outings might even be an improvement on the Sunday morning tradition.