Not Made Of Money

When you’re stretching your budget, either because you’re sacrificing to pay down your debt or because you simply don’t have enough money, entertainment gets pushed pretty far down the list of things you need. It’s probably the only category in your budget that you can realistically plan to reduce to nothing, because you don’t have to have entertainment. However, a budget that doesn’t allow you to have any fun at all probably isn’t going to stick for very long. Instead of staying home and wishing that you still had some fun in your life, try checking out a few of these fun things you can do for free.

Go to the park. Your local park provides a lot of opportunity for a good time. If you’ve got a little one, he or she will love the extra time to play. Here’s a bonus: he probably won’t find anything that he can ask you to buy at the park. If you don’t have a child yet, think of the park as a way to accomplish two things at once. You can enjoy a nice hike (or walk depending upon the kind of park you frequent), get in shape, and not have to pay for a gym membership.

Look for workshops at stores. Many stores offer workshops to introduce you to their products. If you like home remodeling projects, but don’t have the money to complete a lot of them, you can still enjoy learning a new skill. Stores like Lowe’s or Home Depot offer clinics to teach customers how to do things like paint a wall with a faux finish or install floor tiles. Although these classes are really intended to inspire customers to purchase supplies, there’s no rule that says you have to be doing your project now. Spend an afternoon learning how to do something new. Maybe you’ll be able to put it to use later.

Check out your public library. Libraries are the best sources of free entertainment. First, forget about expensive days at the movie theatre or movie rental store. Libraries offer a lot more than books, these days. Many libraries loan CD’s, DVD’s, and of course, the traditional books.

Pay attention to flyers posted around your neighborhood. When churches have special programs, chances are they post signs around the community. If a local band is performing at a community festival, you’re likely to see flyers announcing their appearance posted in local merchants’ windows. Stop tuning out those brightly colored scraps of paper that are all around you and start looking them over. You never know what new entertainment you might discover.

Be a tourist in your own city. Sure, you’ve driven by the Harley plant in your area hundreds of times. Or you’re seen the toy museum’s building so many times that you hardly register that it’s there, anymore. For a day imagine that your city is new to you. Most cities have lots of exhibits that are free to the public that you may not have sampled yet. Go to your city’s tourist information center and learn to see your city in a whole new light.

Not having room for entertainment in your budget doesn’t have to mean that you never get to enjoy your free time again. Instead, the lack of entertainment budget means that you’re going to have to be a little more creative about where you find your entertainment. Free entertainment opportunities are everywhere; you just have to be looking for them.

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