Having fun and finding entertainment and recreation opportunities doesn’t have to be expensive, which is great news when you are living with a tight budget. You might need to be a bit more creative than just booking into a 5-star resort or buying expensive tickets to the latest show but it is possible to find budget activities. While everyone’s idea of fun varies, try these 5 great ways to have fun on a budget.
- Budget for entertainment - hoping that there will be money left over for fun doesn’t work when you are on a budget. While your budget might be tight, it is often possible to allow a small amount each month for entertainment or recreation. Put aside the same amount each payday and soon it will start to add up to a tidy sum. You can either save it up for a big event or allocate a certain amount for weekly or monthly inexpensive fun activities. We personally have section in our budget called entertainment which works really well.
- Join with friends – getting away for a weekend can be expensive with accommodation and meals always costing more at the fun places to visit. Get a group of friends, who get along really well, and book a cottage in the country or at the beach, out of season. Organize a menu for the weekend beforehand and allocate meals or dishes to be brought by those attending. I have used Doodle in the past to keep things organized. Our friends love it. Sharing the accommodation and catering costs makes a fun weekend more affordable. It can be more fun spending a weekend break with good friends than going it alone.
- Get outdoors – there is so much to see and do outdoors, whether you are in the city or the country. Go for a walk, ride your bike or borrow one if you don’t have your own, ride a ferry, go to the beach and paddle barefoot, drive to the country and take a picnic. These are just a few of many activities you can do when you get outside your house. Walking is such a friendly pace; you get to see, close up, all the nature around you, even in a city; you have the chance to smile and say hello to total strangers – who knows who you could meet? Don’t knock it until you have tried it! The added advantage of outdoor activities is that they are healthy; you get vitamin D from the sun, you breathe fresh air and the exercise makes you feel good while improving all aspects of your health. When I want some cheap fun or to relax and unwind, the outdoors are my go to option.
- Host a games night – get out the old board games and invite a few friends over for a games night. This was the traditional way of having fun for families and friends for decades, before the advent of television. There are board games for the serious minded and for the fun loving; there are games for children, adults and families to enjoy. If you don’t have your own board or card games, borrow them from friends or relatives. Second-hand goods stores are a great place to source games at very reasonable prices. We love Ticket to Ride and Cranium to name a few.
- Get into books – buy your own books, borrow books from friends, join a library or join or start a book club. Books allow you to travel to another world, to learn about people and places and they bring much enjoyment. Reading is a great way chill out after a hectic week; it is relaxing and fun. Being a member of a book club gives you a social outlet and the meetings are renowned for being lots of fun.
- Open mic evenings – check out your local clubs and bars for open mic nights for free, live entertainment. These offer music, poetry and comedy for the cost of a couple of drinks.
In our modern fast-paced, consumeristic society we seem to have lost the art of enjoying simple pleasures. These are just a few of the amazing range of opportunities we have found for having fun on a budget.
So, how do you enjoy the simple pleasures? How do you like to have fun on the frugal?
Miss T has written 582 articles on this blog. Hi, I am Miss T and I am the owner and head writer of PrairieEcoThrifter. Each and every day I am working to live a money savvy, healthy, and green life.While you're here, consider signing up for the RSS feed or email subscription . Both deliver the latest articles directly to you everyday. Have a Twitter , Facebook, Reddit, Stumble Upon, or Digg account? Then follow me for all of the latest posts or to send any comments or questions.
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We like to haev fun at home a lot and just relax. Relaxing is always nice!
Just about the cheapest thing you can do and if it is fun for you, all the better!
I’m a big fan of game nights! Some of my favorites are Taboo, Apples to Apples, and Pictionary. A lot of times I prefer just hanging out with friends at home on the couch rather than a big night out somewhere. It’s easier to talk and much more relaxed, along with being a money-saver.
I am a BIG fan of Settlers of Catan. Great board game that never repeats itself (the board tiles are set up uniquely each time you play).
Games nights are awesome! The boyfriend and I get together with some friends and play games and it’s cheap and a lot of fun. I also love reading.
Take advantage of your local library to save money on books.
Game night, books, and budgeting for entertainment are all standard for us. With a little bit of planning, much recreation doesn’t have to detract from other financial efforts.
Well said Roshawn.
A great reminder of how entertainment doesn’t need to cost a lot! Now we just need to remind kids how much fun playing outside can be!
Thanks,
Timothy
We plan to make sure there is no game console in our house. The kids in this neighbourhood love playing in the 100+ yr old laneways. Love the sound of kids playing outdoors.
Greetings Miss T.
I have to agree with Jeffrey, Apples to Apples and Pictionary are awesome! I love game nights! Order some pizza, invite some friends over, and whip out Guesstures, another good game!
Humbly Yours,
The Mayor
We often make our own pizza. Cheaper and you get more toppings
Jeffery is definitely right about that! I love game nights!
My favorite thing to do on a budget though is going up to this place called Rampart. Its 30 minutes away so I have to use a little gas. other than that i don’t have to spend a dime. We pack a picnic, and fishing gear. We also grab my tubes so we can relax and float down the lazy river!
I have been thinking about joining a book club. Sounds like fun. Need to find one in our area though.
I’m sure they exist Tushar – just need to dig deep to find one.
I am a big fan of game nights as well.
We enjoy hanging out with our friends in our backyard around a fire. Nothing like relaxing and hanging out with others (as long as you enjoy their company).
Camp fires are nice. Did you know some cities are banning wood burning (fireplaces, firepits) in an effort to reduce smog? Montreal, Canada – home of over 3 million people has done as such.
Potluck dinner, everyone brings a dish, everyone eats a ton, everyone has ton of fun.
When I was younger and had less money, I enjoyed many of your ideas. Funny, I still enjoy many of these things. We still do many of these things. We and our friends throw parties and ask for everyone to bring a dish. This way no has the burden of hosting.
I’m scheming to plan a family trek to make a day trip for bicycling on the Katy trail with grandparents, parents and grandkids!
Hosting friends and having games nights are a lot of fun. If the weather is good, then going to the park or beach is also a great way to have fun for free. It really does cost very little to enjoy yourself if you are willing to be creative.
I’m an active member of the local running community, so I often combine runs with socializing–cheap AND healthy!
I love to spend time outdoors. We go walking, biking, hiking, camping, spelunking, canoeing — you name it, we’re game!
So many ideas for free entertainment to post about but our activities depend on the season. Winter it’s reading, handcrafts, games; Summer we like to work in the yard later in the day toward evening and enjoy the quiet of the night outside.
Everyone entertains themselves differently that is for sure. Gardening can be a great hobby and stress relief.
These are all good suggestions. Our problem was that we got so carried away by work and other commitments that we hardly spent anything on fun. This changed when we started the ‘I’m so worth it’ account – money goies in every month, it is for fun and it has to be spent within the month. So we do it. We also found that we like hosting dinner parties – we like cooking and it is much easier to catch up with friends; food is better and we save a fortune.
Relaxing at home with a good movie and a bowl of popcorn is a fun inexpensive night for us.
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