Install an inexpensive blocking program, and let them go explore the world. Sports can usually be played for the cost of a football, basketball, or Frisbee. They need not be expensive. Puppets can be made out of lunch bags. Use old clothes for dress-up.
Puzzles are pretty cheap.
Help them start a business. They can wash cars or sell lemonade. They can baby-sit. In 1997, the average American household spent 39 percent of its food budget on meals outside the home. Two Cents Each of these savings alone may be miniscule, but when you add them together, they can make a big dent in your expenditures.