We live in times where we can have anything we want, any time we want, thanks to the Internet. Late-night shopping, check, streaming the top-rated TV shows, check, playing at the best online casinos, check… the list goes on and on.
Still, some people, especially those who like to live a bit more frugally or who can simply not afford these pleasures, are looking for alternative ways to have fun and not break the bank. This is why we wrote a list of the best things to do on a strict budget.
Hiking
It’s true when they say that some of the best things in life are free; this can certainly be said about nature. Hiking is not only good for your health, but also for your soul.
You will be surprised how many amazing sceneries await you around the corner. We are used to taking our home for granted and we often fail to realise how gorgeous it actually is. Look up hiking trails in your area and explore the hidden beauty of your region.
Play a Game Outside
Many kids nowadays choose to play computer games and rarely go outside and have some good old-fashioned fun as we did. Still, it takes one to inspire another, so go ahead and take your kids outside to teach them your favourite games (or your adult friends, we deserve some fun too!).
Here are some suggestions:
- Hide and Seek
- Simon Says
- Hopscotch
- Sack Race
- Water Balloon Fight
- Toss and Catch
- Capture the Flag
Free Museums
Many museums worldwide have become free-to-enter in the last few decades to attract more tourists and show them precious artefacts. What you might not know is that even the museums that sell entry tickets often have discounts for local residents or are outright free for them.
The MET in New York City, for example, asks New Yorkers to donate any amount (which can be as low as one cent) to enter. Research museums in your area and you will likely find at least one or two that are either completely free or only charge locals a small fee.
Libraries
Remember those places that leased books where people used to go to before the World Wide Web? They are still pretty much there and they boast of impressive book collections that date back centuries. If you’re an avid reader who cannot afford to keep buying books, we recommend doing what your ancestors did – get a library card.
To parents with children, the library can be a fun way to introduce your little ones to books, and many libraries also host (free) reading events for kids.
Geocaching
Geocaching is an outdoors activity involving using a GPS and solving clues in order to find an object (cache) hidden somewhere in your area. The official app is very cheap and can be downloaded from Google Play or the App Store.
Once you open the app, you will see a map of all caches in your area which would be categorised based on difficulty and distance. Follow the directions using your phone’s GPS service and solve any puzzles to find the cache, then write your name in the logbook, and hide it again!
This is yet another fantastic way to interact with your surroundings and find place you never know existed. When you become a good cache-finder, you can try to create your own caches for people to find.
Conclusion
Thank you for reading our article! We hope we gave you some interesting ideas about what to do without spending a lot of money.
