No water flowing down the waterslide (somehow the kids still made it fun), no luxurious bubble baths, and dying grass are now our reality – along with the occasional holler up the stairs, “You’ve been in the shower too long! Turn the water off!” Add to that the heightened awareness over every leaking faucet, toilet, hose connection, and low pool water, and suddenly, brief water anxiety attacks have become commonplace.

As we live with the dead lawns, the heightened ability to hear water running, and the final realization that “Oh my God” we actually do live in a desert, I am flummoxed and fascinated that surrounding counties are not experiencing the same reality as Angelenos. I have witnessed lush green grass, flowing fountains, wet clean concrete and (gasp!) overflowing bubble baths in all other areas of the southland. Water envy takes coveting thy neighbors’ goods to a whole new level.

But the coveting came to a halt when I opened my bill. It was the lowest my DWP bill has ever been in the ten summers I have spent in my home. Last year, during a 59 day summer billing period, our daily average water usage was 1,762 gallons. This year the same 59 days had a daily average of 431 gallons. Seriously, that’s 25% of what we used last year. A 75% decrease! You’d think there’d be some sort of credit bonus for that, but no, just a much smaller bill than normal. And with my tight budget, this was the first time in a long time I smiled and celebrated a bill (while it was not a 75% decrease in my bill’s total due, the bill was significantly smaller than I had expected or anticipated).

So, does this make me want to loosen up on my conservation? No. Rather, it makes me proud that my kids and I have found a way to work within it – cutting deeply our usage and not having suffered in any way for it. Sacrifices, sure (did I mention the bubble baths?). But as we are all heading toward conservation of our finite resources and someday as a community and individually toward sustainability, it motivates us to do more. So with the money not spent on a green lawn and flowing waterslide this summer, we are talking about starting our own vegetable garden. Which will help sustain our family in more ways than one.

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“So, do I need to pack anything for the kids?” a friend asked after I agreed to take her kids to the beach one day.

“Just some gas money,” I replied. She laughed out loud. I didn’t. “I’m serious,” I countered playfully, not wanting to seem rude, but needing her to get that I was not joking about it. She laughed again, kissed her kids and left.

This was not the first time I had taken her kids for an entire day. And I knew it would not be the last. As I work from home, I try to schedule time off to explore our city and all it has to offer with my kids. And because she can’t, on occasion, I take her kids. Truly, she is a lovely lady, but even my own sister and I make sure that we have trued-up on cash, expenses, etc., when we have each other’s kids for an extended amount of time. It’s never a big deal and is often met with “Don’t worry about it.” It is, however, an important sign of acknowledgment and awareness.

Now, with budgetary constraints and gas prices rising again, I am feeling the pinch around my fuel bills. From my house in the Valley to Zuma Beach is approximately 18.3 miles. To the Santa Barbara Zoo it is 65.7 miles. To Burbank: 15.4 miles. To Magic Mountain: 19.6 miles. To San Clemente: 84.3 miles. At today’s average gas price of $3.05 (for the cheap stuff) a gallon and a minivan that gets approximately 15 miles to the gallon (I know it’s not much, but it is what it is), those trips add up to 406.6 miles or 27.11 gallons of gas – which is $82.68 total round trip. For some perspective, that is the cost of my monthly phone bill and cable bill, both absolute necessities, combined.

I get where my friend is coming from. I have never (until now) added up how much it was going to cost me to drive anywhere before, much less ever asked her to cover gas expenses because her kids were coming along before. But with the economy in the state it’s in, with my budget for extracurricular activities in the pinch it’s in, and gas becoming more expensive (last year it hit $4.35 a gallon, which would make the cost of those trips $117.92), I think it’s only fair that the cost is shared, since I am invariably the one who does the driving.

As a competitive athlete growing up, there was a group of parents that took turns driving the kids to all the weekend meets throughout Southern California. Back then, regardless of the fact that the duties were shared, everyone’s parents gave us kids money for food and snacks and a specific amount of money for us to hand to the driver. Gas money. I don’t remember how much gas was at the time, but I do remember that it was significant enough that my parents bought themselves a diesel Peugeot to save on the cost of fuel. I took my driver’s license test in that car and years later, it was the car they could not sell or even give away. Diesel had failed. Gas lived on.

What will become of our situation today? A hybrid getting 45 miles to the gallon would almost save me enough money on a monthly basis to afford another car payment. But I am waiting it out. I am hanging on to my car because it is paid for, because it seats seven, and because the last saving grace to the fuel crisis of the 80’s turned out to be a burden to some.

So I will once again revive “Gas Money.” If asking nicely doesn’t work, perhaps I should just hand over an invoice? I’m not a petty or cheap person (quite the opposite really), but who else is going to look out for my interests but me? And truthfully, by not being aware and acknowledging the circumstances and offering to cover costs, who is being petty? Or cheap?

The best thing about this conversation is that because everyone seems to be affected by the economy, adults and kids alike are talking about it, asking everyone from their friends to their accountant to their twitter community for advice. And people are willing to participate, to help, and to listen to a new voice – anyone’s voice. There is no fear of being snubbed or feeling awkward about asking for, searching for, and talking about the best deals or how to save a few bucks. If the economy has done one good thing, it has leveled the playing field of where and from whom we are willing to get new information.

As the desperate cries of my summer camp-less kids have grown louder, I sent out an SOS signal to my many varied communities. What I learned about the free or cheap activities in and around The Valley should provide a refreshing break, free air conditioning, and the elusive endless free water from public water fountains, which I have yet to ever allow my kids to drink from, but there is always a first time for everything. This is the summer of true “Free”- dom.

The kids may be reluctant, having grown up at Barnes and Noble, Ultrazone and Jumping Genius, but your local library and city park and rec centers offer lots of free things to do. From book readings to music programs to open play gymnasiums, these community resources are a veritable bastion of free entertainment. Pack some lunch, make a few calls and voila! you have an impromptu potluck party outdoors – just like grandma and grandpa used to do. Life really does come full circle.

Do a little research on the web ahead of time and create a “scavenger hunt” for items and information tailored to your family’s interests then hit the museum circuit. An obvious source of free entertainment, this can make museums feel new again to those who have seen them one too many times on school field trips. The Getty, the Science Center, and the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust are free everyday; the Museum of Modern Art is free every Friday from 4-8pm; the California African American Museum is free every first Sunday of the month; the Natural History Museum is free the first Tuesday of the month, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art is free the second Tuesday of the month.

Our kids have not grown up knowing what a drive-in movie is like, but they most certainly can know what movies in the park are like. For a wonderful sense of community, grab a blanket and a folding chair and head to Warner Center Park in Woodland Hills. There are trees to climb, grass to run around on and even a new play structure to turn into whatever your imagination desires. On Saturdays an outdoor family movie plays in the park at dusk and is the next best thing to star gazing. Sundays showcase some wonderful well-known and local music groups with free concerts in the park.

In the east valley, The Starlight bowl in Burbank offers outdoor music concerts on Sunday evenings at 6.30pm complete with a grassy play area, comfy seating and an opportunity to lounge about and converse with others in the beautiful breezy valley evenings. If the heat gets to be a bit too much to bear, The Grove in Los Angeles also plays some all-time favorite movies under the stars every Thursday at 8pm. 

For indoor movies and daytime air-conditioning, Regal Entertainment Group, of which the Calabasas Edwards Grand Palace Stadium is a part, offers a free family film festival. Since 1991 (who knew?) Regal has provided free showings at 10 am on Tuesdays and Wednesdays of select G and PG movies. For nine weeks during the summer, seats are available on a first come, first-served basis.

The Orange Line bus and the Metro (a.k.a Los Angeles Subway) are a full day of fun on the cheap. Buy a day pass for both and explore the city – there are enough stops and ‘must sees’ to exhaust even the most restless adventurer. After all, people do come here to vacation for a reason. It’s time you and your kids find out why.

Free food! Feed your hungry kids at no cost after your museum trips, movie adventures, or days of exploration. Many restaurants offer free kids meals on various days and times – Tuesday’s at Islands and Wednesdays at Maria’s Italian Kitchen. Tony Roma’s, Carrows, Ruby’s Diner, Denny’s, IHOP and Fuddruckers, all with locations around the valley, have kids eat free promotions. Check their websites for specifics and you could be looking at a week without any heat in the kitchen.

As free and frugal have become hip words today, we are all looking for things to do with our kids that ensure all will be entertained. And when push comes to shove, we do live a short drive from the beach and a short drive from the mountains, both of which offer some of the most beautiful state parks in the country. Ultimately, summer is about taking a break together, making memories and connecting with others. I am grateful to have the kids around this summer (as opposed to being at camp all day, coming home exhausted and zoning out in front of the tube in the evening). Planning what we are going to do together, and experiencing the summer days together is a gift this year. And both the summer and the kids will be gone before I know it, so part of my plan is to truly, freely, enjoy it.