No longer can money, or lack thereof, be an excuse for not pushing up the fun factor because I have devised a cunning list. And, let me tell you, I have good pedigree when it comes to having fun on the cheap. Proof; went to university and still managed to find enough money to drink rum, owned my own small and not very profitable business, lived in a country with a pay rate akin to child slave labour. Need I say more. Here’s the list…
- Invite your friends over to watch a movie (borrowing DVDs from the library is cheaper than renting them). Pyjamas only. Everyone bring a snack of some sort.
- Take a dog to the park/beach and play fetch with a tennis ball (the dog is to fetch, not you, unless you own an overweight Saint Bernard in which case you’ll be doing the fetching). If you don’t own a dog, borrow one.
- Grab a picnic blanket, a good book and a bottle of wine and head outdoors somewhere for a relaxing couple of hours.
- Climb a tree.
- Do a handstand against a wall. When was the last time you did this? Have you ever done this? The combination of how ridiculous you look and the blood rushing to your head will result in a high usually only achieved via illicit drugs (allegedly).
- Challenge a friend or family member to a cake bake off. Choose what each other’s cake is to resemble – eg. George Bush’s head, a map of the Galapagos Islands, a rubber ducky. Have an impartial third party judge the winner.
- Go for a bike ride with the kids/friends/partner/dog.
- Head out on a hike and take a packed lunch.
- Check out the “what’s on” type section in your local newspaper. You’ll often find free/cheap things to do or see.
- Help out at a soup kitchen, nursing home, children’s hospital or similar. Giving of your time is fun.
- Go for a swim at your local pool or beach.
- Have a “what global financial crisis?” party. Everyone has to bring a dish that costs under $10 to make. Fake bling is also a must.
- Go check out a museum or art gallery.
- Head to the library and spend some time sifting through books or magazines.
- Take the kids (or borrow some) and plant a tree. You’ll be doing a good thing and they’ll be learning in the process.
- Have a board game night with friends or family.
- Invite your friends over for a game of poker. $5 buy in. Winner gets the pot (you could actually make money on this one if you’re a good/devious enough poker player).
- Grab a newspaper or magazine and relax at your favourite coffee shop (or bookstore with a cafe). $15 should get you at least 4 coffees or 2 coffees and a piece of cake or 1 coffee and 2 pieces of cake or 2 coffees and 2 cookies. Your options are simply endless.
- Invite the neighbour around for a beer or 2. If they want more than 2, point them in the direction of the nearest liquor store. $15 remember.
- Check out these blogs. Joy Rebel and Operation Nice. Nothing but fun and niceness.
- Have a movie night with your partner. You each have to choose a classic that neither of you have seen. Buy popcorn (or a really cheap bottle of vinegar, I mean wine) if you have any cash left over.
- Buy a $15 phone card and call a friend you haven’t spoken to in ages.
- Spend an indulgent day at home doing simple things that you love. Examples; read, write in a journal, play with your kids, take a bubble bath, sleep in, have a long breakfast, lie in the sun.
- Have the girls over for an afternoon of pampering. Everyone brings one pampering type item to contribute (eg. face mask, champagne, nail polish, champagne, foot scrub, champagne or even champagne).
- Have the boys over to watch a game of football/baseball/election results. Everyone brings beer.
- Create something – a painting, a greeting card, a poem, a blog post, a batch of cup cakes, a beer carton hat.
- Build a cubby house made of pillows, chairs and blankets with your kids. Actually, do anything with your kids. They know how to have fun.
- Do a random act of kindness like paying for the next car’s toll or check out this list at Graceful Creative.
- Buy $15 worth of nibblies and spend an afternoon with your partner listening to music, each taking turns at being the DJ.
- Meditate.
- Have your grandparents/parents/brother/sister/whoever over for afternoon tea.
- Wake up early and go somewhere you can watch a sunrise.
- Buy a bottle of wine and a carton of strawberries and watch a sunset with your partner.
- Buy a bunch of flowers and give them to someone unexpectedly.
- Go for a canoe or kayak.
- Go online or see a travel agent to start planning your next trip.
- Build a campfire in your backyard (or go somewhere you can build a campfire) and roast marshmallows.
- Find a scenic road or look-out and go for a drive.
- Pack up a thermos of hot chocolate, grab some blankets and go star gazing. Enter your postcode/zip code at Weather Underground for astrology maps.
- Donate blood. OK, maybe not the most fun thing to do but you’ll be helping someone out.
- Go to the movies. Find out when their cheap night is (usually a Tuesday).
- Take a class in something. Check out your local community centre and find out what they have available for under $15 (free classes are often available).
- Go to your favourite restaurant and just order dessert.
- Test drive a really expensive car.
- Dance like nobody’s watching or like Chania Girl at Living Happiness.
- Organise a tennis afternoon with friends. Court hire is cheap, especially when it’s split amongst a few of you.
- Learn how to juggle.
- Have an afternoon of conversation with your partner. Talk about goals, plans, dreams, fun times ahead and fun times been and gone. Maybe leave the “why the hell don’t you wash the dishes” conversation for another time.
- Create your own radio station with last.fm.
- Invite friends around for a jam session and sing along. Feel free to provide kitchenware to those without instruments.
Your turn. What do you like to do for some inexpensive fun?
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I just found your blog via Lance’s post, and I love it! You’re so creative! I’ll be visiting frequently.
51. Walk/run in a rain shower…no umbrella.
52. Date night at the ice cream parlor.
Awesome list Sami! I could have fun for a year (wait…does that make it sound like I don’t have fun today???)
What a fantastic list, thanks for some new ideas!
Being in a new place without a car and not many new friends, Max and I have had to devise a few ways to have cheap fun on our own.
1. Find a new park or place to walk
2. Jump on public transport to a new place & explore (with packed lunch)
3. Grab your camera, go for a walk and try different settings and compositions – play around and get arty farty!
4. When walking with your partner start running as fast as you can away from them, its fun watching them try and catch up! Just like when you were a kid
5. Buy a world map and spend time with your partner pointing out all the places you intend to visit
That is just a few I can think of right now. We have also had fun making our own greeting cards for friends and family using cool photos from our travels. We have got so much satisfaction out of using our own photos and seeing how great they look!
You can have fun on the cheap, thanks for the reminder Sami!
What great ideas! And so, so perfect for these tough economic times. Thanks for sharing all of these great suggestions.
51. Find a busy footpath, and put up a lemon stand. If you’re an adult, you might want to have a child with you…otherwise, it’s just weird. ; )
Thanks for the link love!
Now Sami. Is that US dollars or Aussie dollars or NZ dollars or Hong Kong dollars? makes a big difference you know
We have a favoured thing that we do – pack up a picnic (usually nibbles and a bottle of wine/beer) and head for our preferred piece of the coastline. This spot is on a cliff overlooking the beach and where the large ocean liners and freighters pass by on their way to Brisbane. We usually choose late in the afternoon when people are out walking their dogs, playing with their children, going for a late swim or generally having fun. What more could you ask for…. and cost effective!!
@Bri
Hi Bri,
Thanks very much and thanks for stopping by. Great to have you as part of our awesome little community here.
@Lance,
Hey Lance, I TOTALLY love number 51! I really have to do that next time it rains. We used to do it all the time as kids. And as for number 52, I’m going to be difficult and change it to “date night at the cake parlor” given I have an obsession with all that is cake!
@Valeska
Hi Vee, excellent suggestions. Had to laugh at number 4. As an adult I do that with the car – just as Chris walks up to the door, I drive forward slightly. It’s hilarious by about the 4th time. Ahh, I have such a sick sense of humour. Chris would be totally up for number 3. He loves doing that.
@Positively Present
Hey PP, you’re welcome. Hopefully those who are a little strapped for cash will get something out of the list.
@Kirwin
Yeah, I’d have to borrow a child! Mind you, it’s not like I’ve never done something embarrassing or crazy before! Why stop now? You’re more than welcome re the link love.
@MartYn
Well trust you to be difficult. Can you not just pick a bloody currency and be done with it? Here, I’ll pick one for you – pula. That’s Botswana’s currency. AUD$15 is 85.31286 pula!
@Mum
Hi Mum, yep, that’s a gooden. You know I’m a fan of the Moffat Beach cliff top picnics! xxx
I could always use more ways to have fun for cheap — it’s hard nowadays, with rising prices and falling wages. Good post, and what an imagination to come up with this list. I only wish I had the creative power to come up with something like this (or maybe I could…). Haha. Either way, good post and keep it up!
The town I live in has many spots for listening to new and old musicians ( for example; Richie Haven just gave an outdoor concert and Jonathan Edwards will be playing in a couple of weeks. And these were free.), poetry (like Hoot Night or A poetry Slam), or odd but interesting lectures. Another inexpensive idea is to go to school plays ( To go watch the 12 best high school plays is a really uplifting experience.)and band concerts. Give your support to your schools and community.
@Herbert
Hi Herbert, it’s not always easy to have fun, especially when funds are low and stress is high. I think that it’s even more important now more than ever to have fun though, even if it’s just to keep the stress in check and keep things in perspective. And it really doesn’t have to cost much (or anything). Hope the list helps and thanks for dropping by.
@Chick J
Hi Chick J, free concerts rock (pardon the pun)! Love the idea of supporting local schools and community events. Great suggestions Chick J.