If you’re on a tight budget, you have lots of company these days. It seems everyone’s clipping coupons and cutting back. When the mortgage must be paid, the pantry stocked, and the gas tank topped up, it often leaves few dollars left for weekend fun and entertainment. But don’t despair.
You CAN build great family fun into your life, without breaking the bank.
Don’t “buy” into the notion that having fun has to be expensive.
It’s simply NOT TRUE.
So what CAN you do for fun that is FREE or almost free?
Well, in one word – LOTS!
So I’ve created a list of 101 FUN THINGS to do that are FREE or nearly free.
Basically, it simply takes a little thought, and maybe a little gas.
Sometimes a little forethought and planning.
And often a mindset for a simpler type of fun.
Whether its making fun right at home or in your neighborhood, with others or by yourself, there’s sure to be something on this list for everyone. You never know, you might just find it’s more fun when you have to be creative and resourceful, than simply dipping into your wallet.
And it certainly is less painful!
So here goes: Fun CAN be had on a budget!
In your Own Backyard
1. Have a gunny sack race, three-legged race, egg- on-a-spoon race, or wheelbarrow race
(http://www.ehow.com/info_7839021_ideas-childrens-race-activities.html)
2. Organize a scavenger hunt in your back yard
(http://www.ehow.com/how_2213209_have-scavenger-hunt.html)
3. Host a backyard bonfire, together with a sing-song and S’mores
(http://www.songs-with-music.freeservers.com/alphabetical.html)
4. Fill balloons with water, and play the balloon-toss game on a warm sunny day
(http://www.ehow.com/how_4461440_play-water-balloon-toss-game.html)
5. Host a backyard BBQ or potluck
6. Play yard games – bocce ball, croquet, badminton, horse shoes, etc.
7. Play hide & seek ,duck duck gray duck with the kids – or just blow bubbles
8. Turn on the water sprinkler or get out the super-soaker water guns on a hot summer day
9. Draw pictures with chalk on your sidewalk or driveway – let the kid’s imagination go wild
10. Jump Rope – get a long jump-rope and teach the kids how to jump rope, and sing jump-rope rhymes
(http://www.gameskidsplay.net/jump_rope_ryhmes/)
11. Build a snowman, snow angel, or snow fort
At Home
12. Watch old family videos
13. Fix up something and make it new again – paint it, sand and stain it, recover it
14. Make a cake from scratch, then decorate and enjoy
15. Wash your car – great fun on a hot summer day – get the kids involved too
16. Make cookies or homemade bread, and eat it while still warm
17. Puzzles – great for young and old on rainy days
18. Paint a mural or favorite quote onto your wall
19. Use that treadmill or elliptical that’s been gathering dust! (okay now I’ve gone too far, I know)
20. Rearrange furniture and /or accessories around your home
21. Play your Wii
Play Games
22. Board Game night with friends or family
23. Play the games you used to play as a kid (ie: tiddlywinks, pick up sticks, battleship, etc.)
24. Host a Murder Mystery Night with your friends & dress the part
25. Play Cards – get a Hoyle Book and start learning some new card games
26. Teach the kids how to play hopscotch, cat’s cradle and jacks
27. Have a game of darts (http://www.mostdartgames.com/)
Your Local Community
28. Take a walk around your neighborhood, stopping to visit a few neighbors
29. Explore a new park or playground – play with the kids, don’t just watch from the bench
30. Check out free museum (or zoo) day
31. Audit a college class – can sometimes be done for free
32. Play some tennis – don’t have to know how to play, just knock the ball around and have fun
33. Feed the ducks at the local lake (bring a bag of stale bread if permitted)
34. Bike ride – old railroad beds have been converted into bike trails in many cities
35. Go to the horse races on free or discount day – just watching is fun
36. Organize a volleyball or basketball game at your local park
37. Check out local fairs, parades and fireworks
– look in the “what’s happening” pages of the newspaper or online
38. Organize a Neighborhood Block Party
39. Attend an outdoor concert
40. Test drive a new car – just be careful of temptation!
41. Go fly a kite – and I mean this in a nice way!
42. Bird watching – remember to bring your binoculars
43. Watch the planes land and take off near the airport
44. Visit friends and family – Sundays are great for this
45. Go on a picnic – wicker basket, blanket and all
46. Window shop at a fancy upscale clothing store, and try on clothes – it’s free if you don’t buy!
47. Play Frisbee golf
48. Participate in wine tasting at your local liquor store
49. Attend an auction – be careful, a wave can easily turn into a bid!
50. Go sledding or ice-skating
Volunteer your time
51. Volunteer at church, the volunteering soon becomes part of your social life
52. Enjoy church events: retreats, praise and worship nights, bible study
53. Help at the local soup kitchen
54. Visit an elderly neighbor; play a game, help with chores, or just sit and chat
55. Volunteer at the neighborhood nursing home
56. Volunteer to serve on a committee at city hall
57. Volunteer with a non-profit organization about which you care
Time with your Spouse
58. Plan a romantic candle lit dinner
59. Cuddle together and curl up with a great movie and a big bowl of popcorn
60. Watch your favorite TV show together – make it a date
61. Turn up the tunes, clear away the furniture and dance
Time with your Friends
62. Have friends over for a meal – take turns hosting
63. Start a book club – get the book from the library
64. Have an exchange party with friends, instead of shopping
65. Start a game night/card night
66. Organize a cookie exchange
67. Host a “white elephant” holiday party
Crafts and Hobbies
68. Get out all your scrap materials and have a craft day
69. Paint a picture
70. Go out with your digital camera and capture beautiful photos
71. Build a backyard fort or tree house for the kids with all the left over bits of lumber you have collected
72. Make homemade greeting cards
73. Do a paper mache project
(http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/papermache/a/051500pm.htm)
74. Learn to knit,crochet or cross-stitch – then teach someone
75. Teach your children (or grandchildren) how to do something you love
76. Use fall leaves to make a fall center piece
77. Make a wreath for your front door
78. Decorate your mailbox (or mailbox post)
79. Get out the sewing machine, and make something from your scraps
– even if it’s just cloth napkins or a table-runner
Out of Town
80. Study the stars
81. Go pick strawberries – then make jam
82. Go visit a farm
83. Visit an apple orchard in the fall – buy a few and make apple pie
84. Go fishing (license!)
85. Drive out into the country so the kids can see the barns and the cows in the pastures
86. Play “I Spy” in the car on long trips
87. Borrow a canoe and go on a canoe trip, bring a picnic lunch
88. Go on a nature hike (collect things for your craft days)
89. House exchange with others – you use their house and they use yours (for a week or weekend)
Reading
90. Read a great book and relax in your favorite chair
91. Go to the local library – maybe explore a new section
92. Catch up on news and gossip on-line
93. Do some research – something you’ve always wanted to know more about
And Writing
94. Start a journal or little life log
(http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/8290045/first_person_keeping_a_life_log.html?cat=7 )
95. Work on Researching your family tree
96. Write articles for Yahoo Contributor network
97. Write a letter to an old friend you haven’t been in touch with for years
98. Write a letter to the editor
99. Write out your bucket list
100. Write poems with your kids – teach them about rhyming
101. Write to your political representative about causes near and dear to your heart
There you have it, 101 great ideas for having fun on a shoe string budget.
So now there really is no excuse for not building some FUN back into your weekends. The reality is that we have all been brainwashed into thinking “you get what you pay for”.
But I am here to tell you “it just ain’t so!”
So put your wallet away, and GO HAVE SOME FUN!