Easy Entertainment in Tough Financial Times: Birthday Clubs and Other Freebies

When you've lived a comfortable middle-class existence, a sudden decrease in your income will be a shock to your system. Nobody is immune in our economy: you may have a job, but no health insurance or your job does provide you with insurance - until you get laid off. Add in a medical crisis, giant repair bill for a house or car, and you suddenly find yourself facing financial ruin.

More often than not, things will work themselves out after a lot of sacrifice and hard work - and time. Meanwhile, things will look pretty bleak. It's really important to maintain as much of a normal life as possible. Think about the things your family does for entertainment. If you're like most Americans, you rent videos, eat out or get food delivered, purchase a latte once in a while (or a few times a week), and treat yourself to little fun purchases. Obviously, if the money evaporates, so do your choices, right? Not necessarily.