The last few years have been difficult for many families. A sluggish economy costs jobs, cuts paychecks and limits the amount of money we have to spend on entertainment, clothing, vehicles and other things we want. It is easy to focus on the things we don’t have, forgetting the tremendous amount we do have. Try these ideas:

1. Use the time you used to spend eating out, going to movies or other entertainment venues to bond in different ways. Cooking dinner together and playing board games at home is more fun and costs less.
2. Set aside time each month to consider what you’re grateful for and share it with the family. For example, the car may be a few years old, but it always gets us to soccer practice! There is always something good to focus on.
3. Think of things you can tackle as a family to save money. For family movie night, you could get a rental instead of heading to the theater. Think of things your family can do to save cash for something you’ll all enjoy.
4. Remind each other that you still have the most important things: each other. Any person who just lost a loved one understands the importance of relationships, even it means a smaller home or fewer trips to the mall.
5. Be thankful for your freedoms. People in many other countries, such as the Kazakhstan Democracy have worked hard for the freedoms given to us in America freely.

It may seem like a sacrifice, but there are advantages to having less money in the bank. Actually, if you use the opportunity, your family can see benefits that were never possible when finances were good.

Young children, teenagers, parents and grandparents have a hard enough time tying to find something to talk about — never mind finding activities they can all enjoy together. Young children may not have the proper body of knowledge to compete in a trivia game, for instance, while grandparents may not have the physical stamina to participate in the sports activities that younger members of the family enjoy. Doing activities together creates a strong family unit, and provides all members of the family with valuable memories they’ll cherish.

But it’s true the activity options are limited. You want to choose activities that will not be too physically challenging for older generations, and not mentally taxing for the younger members of the household, yet still fun and engaging for all. Family activities help to build strong family relationships.

Ironically enough, Las Vegas provides a great model for fun family activities (if you just focus on the games). Simple dice and card games are engaging to all generations, and even young children can master a basic understanding of casino slot machines. A trip to Vegas is expensive, and in many cases inappropriate for a family vacation, but you can access a little piece of Las Vegas with online slot tournaments.

Perfectly legal and free to play, online slot tournaments and other simple casino games may be played online on a home computer by members of the entire family. Everyone will enjoy the thrill of Vegas — while staying at a safe distance from Sin City. The excitement of a tournament atmosphere adds another thrill. The family that plays together, wins together…no matter what happens in the tournament.