Ms. Val's Bargain of the Week

All summer, the boys--Kyle, mostly--had been begging to take them to Waterworld, a water park near our house. I had putting them off for various reasons. For starters, Waterworld costs $22 per person admission. That's $88 for our entire family, plus food, raft rentals, and locker fees once you're in the park. Also, Quinton's condition and energy level prohibit him from fully enjoying the park's various slides. Lastly, we have a perfectly good swimming pool in our back yard.

That's why I convinced Kyle that the Sunrise Community Pool would be a better choice for his birthday. That place costs only $4 admission for our entire family. For that price, there's no guilt if Quinton gets tired and we have to leave after only an hour--and that's exactly what happened.

Also, unlike Waterworld, Sunrise wasn't very crowded. The line for the water slide was, at most 5 people long. Bench seating was plentiful, the place wasn't so large that you would lose sight of your kids. Also, the lifeguards at Sunrise are nicer. I've found that there's some rampant abuse of power among the teenage staff at Waterworld.

The trip to Sunrise Pool left us with enough cash to have lunch at In-N-Out Burger, go to a movie, and go to a Chinese restaurant that night for dinner. If we had gone to Waterworld, we would have gone home afterward, where I would have fixed Top Ramen for four.