Many people equate being on a budget or shooting for FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) with having no life. After all, if you’re trying not to spend much money, how much fun can you possibly have? All the fun things in life cost money, right? While quite a bit of fun things do cost money, there are plenty of ways to do some of those same things for free or low cost. Saving money doesn’t automatically consign you to days and nights of sitting on the couch while everyone else has fun or enriches their life. You just have to be patient, adjust your expectations, and think outside of the box sometimes. Here are some typically expensive things you can do for less, if you’re willing to go against the mainstream a little bit.
Movies
Instead of the theater, wait for the rental or streaming options. Even buying the DVD is often cheaper than tickets, and you can enjoy the bonus features, too. If you miss the social aspect of moviegoing, invite friends over for a screening. Bonus: You can snack and drink for much less, and pause for bio-breaks whenever you want. Your local college or library may have movie nights that are free or inexpensive. Local parks sometimes offer outdoor screenings during the summer. (Ours just showed Guardians of the Galaxy 3 and Mario Brothers this summer, just months after they were in theaters.) You may also have a discount movie theater nearby that offers cheap tickets for older films. Big theaters sometimes offer inexpensive screening of classics or other events. If you don’t have to see everything the second it comes out, there are plenty of less expensive options.
Books
The library is always free! If you prefer to own your books, try used bookstores or thrift shops. Many library systems have book sales each year to clean out older inventory and raise money. You may be able to find some locally sponsored Little Free Libraries in your town. Or, try a book swap with friends who have large collections. Start or join a book club to give yourself a social outlet for all these free books.
Eating Out
Use coupons or other discounts (student or senior nights, for example). Lunch is often cheaper than dinner, and weekdays are sometimes cheaper than weekends. Ask for restaurant gift cards for gifts. Look for the less expensive option for the same cuisine. (For example, in my town we have an upscale Japanese restaurant where the food is prepared at the table. We also have a Japanese restaurant in the local strip mall that serves the same type of food without the show for half the price.) If you must do fast food, use their apps. Most fast food places keep the good deals and coupons on the apps now, while ordering in the restaurant is more expensive.
If you’re so inclined, you can also make restaurant meals at home. There are lots of cookbooks on the market that specialize in replicating restaurant recipes, and many of them come quite close to the restaurant version. (Bonus: You can control some of the salt and fat, or make substitutions to suit your health needs.)
Hobbies
There are two approaches here. First, choose inexpensive hobbies. Writing, cooking, DIY, bird-watching, sports played with friends or at the rec-league, wood whittling, or reading are examples of inexpensive hobbies. Anything that doesn’t cost major dollars (or offers some return on investment like DIY) is a good alternative. If that doesn’t work and your hobby is expensive, look for ways to reduce the cost. Buy used equipment and supplies, or discontinued equipment on sale. Haunt yard sales and thrift stores to find stuff others want to get rid of when they quit the hobby. Share or trade supplies with other hobbyists. Ask for hobby items for gifts, or gift cards to appropriate stores. And don’t buy more than you need. Don’t let your buying exceed your skill level, or ability to realistically complete projects.
Travel
Not all travel has to be to far-flung locales or all-inclusive to be meaningful or fun. You can have a lot of fun in your own town, or in a destination a few hours away. Driving is cheaper than flying, so any destination you can drive to will be more affordable. Similarly, if you have the time to “slow travel” and take the train somewhere, it will likely be cheaper than flying. There are tons of ways to lower the other costs of travel, ranging from getting deals on hotel rooms to swapping houses with someone for a week to cooking in your accommodations instead of eating out, or even giving camping a try. Research your options and search for less expensive ideas. Saving money on travel is an area that’s widely covered in books and online, but the biggest way to save is to realize that “small travel” can be just as rewarding as jetting off to foreign countries.
Parties/Weddings/Reunions
Not every birthday, wedding, or get together has to be a huge production. Granted, the trend is to make everything (even birthday parties for one-year-olds) into an expensive event. But it doesn’t have to be that way. In almost every case, the party is trying to accomplish one thing: Bring together people you value and love to celebrate something, or just have a good time together. There’s nothing about that that needs to cost a fortune. You can have meaningful celebrations at parks or someone’s home instead of expensive venues. Food can be potluck or simple items instead of catered extravagance. Entertainment can be a local band, games, or simple activities instead of name-brand entertainment or expensive rentals like bouncy castles for kids. Decorations can be simple and/or homemade. When planning any party, remember this: It’s the time spent together that’s meaningful, not the extravagance of the event. You don’t have to join the neighborhood party arms race.
Concerts/Live Events/Sports
Most cities of any size offer tons of free or low-cost events, festivals, plays, and concerts. No, it won’t be Taylor Swift and it probably won’t be comparable to traveling to Burning Man, but there are still lots of high-quality offerings out there that are affordable. Check out the local Chamber of Commerce or tourism board for information. Many local news stations or papers do “Out and About”-type features that showcase local events. Many cities offer minor league teams for sports like baseball or hockey and they’re much cheaper than the big leagues. Tickets to women’s sports are always cheaper than men’s. There are also probably college or high school offerings, as well. If you don’t mind a little work, you can volunteer or get a part-time job at an arena or venue and see at least parts of big-time events for free.
Education
No, you won’t get a four-year degree for cheap. However, you can get an education to better your circumstances and enrich your mind for low cost or free. There are often a variety of extension courses on offer through your local community college or university system. Libraries and other venues offer all kinds of classes ranging from languages to the arts. Certifications can be an affordable way to move up the ranks and generally don’t cost as much as a degree. A two-year program from a community college can land you a very good job, and some offer night classes so you can keep working. You can teach yourself a variety of things through videos, self-directed research, or library books.
Video Games
If you have to have the latest, you’re going to spend a lot. But if you just want to play something on your computer, there are lots of low-cost games out there on platforms like Steam (just don’t fall into the DLC trap of never-ending expansions that suck your money away). Sure, some are junk, but there are good titles, too. Wait for sales! When a new console comes out, the previous generation can often be found at deep discount and games are usually still produced for them. (And you can find plenty of used games for older consoles as other people trade up.) Rent games or buy them used, or check big blowouts like Black Friday. Borrow or trade games with friends, and swap consoles if they have a different model than you. There are low-cost gaming options out there, as long as you’re not wedded to the newest hardware and games.
Decorate
It doesn’t have to cost a fortune to decorate your space. First, don’t buy disposable decor. Buy things you want to keep for many years. Not changing your decor every year will save you a ton of money, so get quality items in timeless designs and colors. Buy used, or snag stuff when relatives downsize. Paint can cover a myriad of issues and change the whole feeling of a room. It is cheap if you do the labor yourself. You can create your art, or have a talented friend create something for you in exchange for something else. Less is often better, anyway, so don’t feel the need to fill every bit of space. Holiday decor can frequently be found barely used in thrift stores or at yard sales, or you can use alternative holiday decorations.
Read More:
- Practical Reasons Why You Should Buy Items From Hobby Quitters
- Free (or Nearly Free) Entertainment Ideas for Every Week of the Year
- 3 Tips to Get a Cheaper Education
- How To Nicely Furnish And Decorate Your Apartment For Under $1,000
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