5 Cheap Ways to Celebrate the Fourth of July

Having a really fun, fulfilling holiday weekend doesn’t have to cost you an arm or a leg. There are a ton of cheap ways to celebrate the Fourth of July. Below you’ll find fun activities, good food, and cute decorations you can utilize to save money this 4th of July while still having an enjoyable, festive time!

During a normal year, our Fourth of July celebrations would include fun with the family at barbecues and fireworks celebrations. This year, however, that isn’t possible as we continue to self-isolate to protect our youngest daughter’s compromised immune system during the coronavirus pandemic.

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So, I quickly threw together this list of ways we could still have a patriotic and frugal celebration. First things first, meal plan.

If you’ve been here before, you likely know how I feel about meal plans. Of course, I’m planning one for our Fourth of July fun, too. It’s basically the only way I can ensure that I order all the ingredients on grocery pickup.

Related: How to Meal Plan on a Budget

Yep, that’s right, I’m ordering all the groceries. We don’t have delivery in our area, or I’d probably do that, too. Either way, Walmart’s grocery pickup is LIFE over here! A frugal Fourth of July doesn’t have to take up a lot of your time or effort.

Related: Sign up for Walmart Grocery Pickup and save $10!

What Should I Make for 4th of July Dinner?

Patriotic Fourth of July Meal Plan

Here’s a few things I’ll likely add to our Fourth of July Meal Plan. They are cheap, relatively easy, and the kids will approve. That’s most important, right? Happy kids, happy life and all that jazz.

A quick google search led me to these two recipes: here and here. The recipes are for bomb pop style, but the ingredients are likely the same.

Fruit and yogurt, how easy is that? They definitely make the cut for a cheap and easy way to celebrate Fourth of July. If you’re anything like me, you might have those ingredients on hand already.

How To Save Money on Your Fourth of July Meal

Quite possibly the easiest way to save money on your 4th of July meal is to have a potluck instead of making all the food yourself. Invite friends and family and ask that they bring a side or dessert while you focus on the main dish. Hosting a potluck will save both your time and your money this 4th of July.

Buying in season or frozen fruit/produce will help you keep the cost down. Generic brands, especially from Walmart also help keep costs low while still maintaining the same quality. Of course, making dishes and treats instead of buying already made products will reduce costs, too.

Shelf cooking can help you keep costs down for celebrations, too. I couldn’t talk about cheap Fourth of July foods without including this shelf cooking success story from Spring 2020. NutterButter S’mores.

Related: What Is Shelf Cooking? How Can It Help You?

Story: on a mild Spring day, the kids wanted s’mores. We didn’t have graham crackers, or chocolate bars. What we did have, however, were NutterButter cookies and leftover Easter chocolates. Perfection.

Those s’mores were heavenly and have since convinced us to try other cookies in place of graham crackers. Highly recommend switching up traditional s’mores with other ingredients. Shelf cooking for the win!

One last dessert idea: American flag cupcake picks. For just a few dollars, you can order cupcake picks on grocery pickup or try some of these fun picks from Amazon. Making cupcakes at home is easy and cheap, especially if you use generic ingredients.

You could also use the flags in little fruit salad cups, or even gelatin dishes. The possibilities are endless, really. The smallest addition to your party, like small flag picks, can really jazz up your patriotic Fourth of July celebration!

Cheap Fourth of July Main Dish

One of my favorite grocery stores sent me this amazing email full of Fourth of July recipes, tips, and tricks for a patriotic celebration. One thing that caught my eye was this list of burger recipes. No need for plain old burgers this year!

As I mentioned before, buying in season produce is a great step towards a budget friendly Fourth of July. But really, buying in season produce is a great way to stay on budget any time of year. If you choose the Gluten Free Hawaiian Burger from the list of burgers above, pineapple (in season) could double as a great side, too.

Related: How to Start a Grocery Budget

Of course, watermelon is in season right now as well, making it an excellent cheap addition to your backyard Fourth of July celebration! Cut up the pineapple, watermelon, and add in some strawberries and/or blueberries from above for an easy (and delicious) fruit salad!

Cheap and Easy Fourth of July Decorations

Ok, great, you have some cheap menu ideas for a Fourth of July meal plan, but now, what about decorations? I’m not huge on decorations, but of course, the kids will love it. So here’s an idea they can even help create.

Red, white, and blue balloons are affordable, easy, and the kids will love it! Need to get a little fancy? Assemble them into a garland or as a bunch and voila! A cheap, patriotic way to celebrate the Fourth of July!

Adding red, white, and blue streamers or small paper stars would go great with the balloons, also. Streamers are usually cheap, and because you get so much at a time, they can be used again for a different party. #winning The Dollar Tree is an excellent store to shop for decorations. They always have a great, festive selection at affordable prices.

The secret to frugal 4th of July decorations is to keep it simple. Those beautiful red, white, and blue foods you assembled earlier? They will jazz up the food table and double as a decoration!

If time is not on your side, here’s a collection of Fourth of July decorations. It’s a set that has everything you need for a festive celebration for a great price and great reviews! Consider all that’s included in the set when considering the price. How much would it cost to buy each of these items individually? Another budget friendly Fourth of July find. Thanks, Amazon!

Related: Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial

So if your 4th of July budget is small, focus less of it on the decorations and more on the food and entertainment. Simple red, white, and/or blue tablecloths with a couple balloons or streamers will do just fine amongst all the other patriotic aspects of your celebration!

Fun and Frugal Fourth of July Activities

Awesome, so now you have food and decorations, but aside from watching fireworks, how are you entertaining the kids? That’s where the games begin.

My friend Lucy has this great list of exciting summer activities for kids. From homemade ice cream sandwiches to water gun fights, there’s a little bit of something for all ages.

Add in some red, white, and blue to an activity on the list and bam! a fun Fourth of July activity to keep the kids entertained. Most of the 19 Exciting Fun Summer Activities at Home for Kids are cheap, too. Think shelf entertainment instead of shelf cooking.

That’s my kind of list! The activities include many items you probably already have on hand. No need to head to the store before enjoying all the fun.

Related: What Is Shelf Cooking? How Can It Help You?

One activity my kids always enjoy, regardless of the occasion: fort building. We keep a raggedy, old blanket in our covered outside toy bin, it’s perfect for a cool fort! Build a backyard fort and attach a few red, white, or blue balloons to create the perfect, cheap Fourth of July getaway!

Fun for Older Kids and Teenagers, Too!

Have older kids? Teenagers, perhaps? If nothing from Lucy’s list sounded fun, try this list of board games instead. While the list is travel game focused, you could easily enjoy these in the backyard. Just travel to the backyard instead of anywhere in the car, right? 🙂

Card game, anyone? Throw down a picnic blanket, pull up a patio chair, or lounge on the couch in the air conditioning. With the games on this list, cheap Fourth of July fun can be had just about anywhere.

Cheap Fourth of July Outfits

One thing we didn’t cover in this list of cheap ways to celebrate the Fourth of July, was outfits. I am that mom who enjoys matching her kids’ outfits for holidays.

Flashback to 2019, my kids all matched for the Fourth of July and it. was. adorable! I picked up their outfits at Walmart and The Children’s Place.

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Typically, I try to buy special outfits just after the occasion and just a little big. After a holiday, the themed clothes are usually super cheap. To maybe make them stretch for two occasions, I buy one size up.

For example, my oldest’s tank top is actually from 2018’s Fourth celebration. It just might fit her well enough for 2020, too. She hasn’t grown a ton, thankfully. *We’re coming up on Fourth of July 2021, and my oldest is STILL fitting into that tank top!

My middle daughter’s dress is a hand me down from my oldest daughter. My youngest daughter’s outfit was super cheap at Walmart and because I bought big, it may work for 2020, too.

Whichever family members don’t have America themed clothes can still join in the coordination fun. Just browse the closet/dresser for red, white, or blue clothes. The items don’t have to have flags or say America or USA, matching colors will still correlate well and be festive!

See, so not even coordinating outfits has to be expensive. With a little creativity and maybe some luck, you can cheaply match the whole family in Fourth of July attire!

How To Save Money on the Fourth of July

1. Plan a menu with in season foods.
2. Make dishes and desserts from scratch instead of buying pre-made.
3. Use items you already have on hand for exciting entertainment.
4. Buy streamers and/or balloons to make cheap DIY statement decor.
5. Reuse holiday attire or browse your closet for colors versus themes.

Cheap Ways To Celebrate the Fourth of July Without Fireworks?

Last, but not least, my biggest frugal tip for an awesome Fourth of July celebration: watch someone else’s fireworks show. This may be a given, but it’s worth the mention.

Seek out fireworks shows in your area and take the family to those instead of buying a ton of fireworks for yourselves. Fireworks are expensive, y’all. It is so, so much cheaper to celebrate the Fourth of July with someone else’s fireworks.

Celebrating a holiday, throwing a party, or hosting an event doesn’t have to cost a lot. Proper planning and a little creativity can make for a fun celebration the whole family can enjoy! What’s your favorite way to save money on the Fourth of July?

Stay courageous,

*updated as of May 2021