So far we have started bringing our lunch to work, used the Latte Factor, cut back on travel expenses, taken a long hard look at our finances, negotiating your bills, found way to make money (or other things you need) by bartering, implemented a 30 day rule for purchases over a certain amount, and found 25 ways to have frugal fun this Spring. Hopefully, after looking at your finances you found some more places to cut back.
Many people think because they are trying to save money or pay off debt that they can't enjoy themselves. Not true. There are many ways to have fun, on a budget. Here are some more tips to have fun on a budget from Free Money Wisdom...
Game nights are already very popular these days. You can hold friendly competitions with board games or video games. You can play rock band and compete for the highest score. You can play trivia games or charades. There really is no limit to what kind of games you can come up with. Game nights are cheap and incredibly fun.
Go for a walk or a hike.
Enjoy the outdoors by going for a walk or a hike. Go around the city or walk around a local park. Research hiking trails and ask about what you need to do and bring when going hiking.
Check out free community events.
You can check out the local papers or ask around about free concerts, cultural shows, or festivals in your area. Check if your local community center or the library has free film showings scheduled.
Check out free visits to the zoo or the museum.
Sometimes, zoos and museums hold free admission days. Check out the zoo or museum event schedule and enjoy a free day.
Go to the park.
There are so many things you can do at a park. You can have a picnic and just hang out with friends or family. You can play ball and other games on the grass. You can check out water activities like kayaking or boating. Some may even have community swimming pools. Simply do some quick research online and find the parks in your area. You’ll be surprised at the number of fun activities available at your local parks.
Join a club or community organization.
Look for local clubs or organizations. Join a theatre club or a book club. You’ll meet people who share the same interests as you and you won’t have to spend a lot in the process.
Do some volunteer work.
Volunteering can be fun, too. Check out community projects and charities. Try your hand at volunteering at a soup kitchen, animal shelter or local clinic. Many people find volunteering rewarding and enjoyable.
Schedule movie nights at home.
You don’t need to go out to the cinemas to enjoy a great movie night. Gather friends or family for a movie night at home. It’s less costly than going out and you don’t have to worry about bothering strangers with your reactions or discussions about the movie. Movie nights can be a fun time to hang out and just enjoy the company of loved ones.
Schedule potluck dinners with friends or family.
Instead of going out to a restaurant, you can hold potluck dinners with some friends or relatives. You can pick themes to make it interesting. You’ll be able to enjoy any type of food, be it Chinese, Italian or Mexican food, in the comfort of your own home and with great company, too.
Have a karaoke night.
You can be creative and hold your own karaoke nights at home. You can download free karaoke apps or use YouTube. With a little creativity and initiative, you can find many ways to have fun without spending a lot.
12 weeks in, these simple changes should start to become a habit. These are life changes not just to complete the 52 Week Money Challenge. The goal is to change the way you handle your finances and your life.
Challenge Total Week 12 = $78.00
Saving money is hard. It takes discipline and self-control to stick with the plan you developed. This year why not make it easy on yourself?
I am a huge fan of ING (ING has been bought by Capital One and will become Capital One 360. Doesn't look like much will change...). ING lets you automate your savings so you don't have to think about it. The greatest feature is that it takes a couple days to get money transferred back to your checking account. There are a couple ways around this, but not being able to touch the money in your ING accounts is great for medium/long term savings goals.
If you have an ING, or other savings account, simply automate your savings transfers each month according to the chart below and watch the money stack up.
If you don't have a savings account, GET ONE! Not just for this challenge but everyone needs at least one savings account - with an Emergency Fund.
This week 12 should be transferred to your savings account. We are up to $78.00 this year. Things from this point on will start to grow pretty quickly. How are you doing? Any savings light bulbs going off? Have you planned what you are going to do with the money at the end of the year?
This week 12 should be transferred to your savings account. We are up to $78.00 this year. Things from this point on will start to grow pretty quickly. How are you doing? Any savings light bulbs going off? Have you planned what you are going to do with the money at the end of the year?
Even if you missed weeks 1 through 11, you can still get started today. Deposit $66 into a savings account and you will be caught up.
Keep Up the Good Work!
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