How are you celebrating Bonfire Night this year? Whether you’re heading out for the local display, or having a few whizzes and bangs at home, it can sometimes feel like you’re burning through your money at this time of year, and things like Bonfire Night often fall outside of your planned spending. Here are a few of our tips to give your fireworks night some sparkle, without blowing up your budget.
Stay local
Laying on your own fireworks display can be expensive. Fortunately, lots of towns, villages and local organisations up and down the country will be hosting public displays, either for free or at a small cost. Check your local council’s website and other local listings and pop along to a nearby display.
Get up high
Is there a high point in your town where you can survey the whole area? Rather than buy your own, or pay for entry to a local show, how about building a little picnic and seeing what fireworks the rest of your area is setting off into the night sky – absolutely free of charge.
Go chumping
If you’ve got the space in your garden, having a little bonfire can be nice to gather around with a few friends and family. You could even just dust off the barbecue from summer.
If you have children, or like a bit of an adventure, why not head out ‘chumping’ beforehand i.e. looking for wood to burn. It’s fun and free to go out to nearby woods and pick up some fallen sticks and twigs to add to the fire. Just make sure you don’t chop down anyone’s prized shrubs!
Go firework free
If you don’t fancy getting out into the cold wintery air, you could recreate a fireworks display indoors with bonfire-night themed crafts. Bust out that glitter, make some indoor confetti launchers and sparklers, and enjoy! These kinds of crafts are great if you have young children who don’t like the loud noises of real fireworks. But are also great fun for adults too! There’s plenty of inspiration online, so have a look and see how you can turn leftover things around the house into a bit of cheap family fun.
Firework night finger food
Whether you’re out in the cold or indoors covered in glue, your fireworks food has got to be pretty hands on. Which is why the traditional baked potato to warm your hands and stomach is such a great option. And they’re very cheap to make, which is an added bonus!
If you fancy trying something a little different, check out these recipes over at BBC Good Food. Including Catherine wheel toad in the hole, fancy hot chocolate, and the classic American style marshmallow S’mores cookies.
Stay safe on Bonfire Night
Most importantly – whatever you’re doing, make sure you stay safe. The Firework Safety Code has a guide on how to look after yourself and the family here.
For more tips on how you can make the most of your money, check out our Life Hacks articles for inspiration.
How do you avoid overspending on Bonfire Night? Let us know in the comments!
