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Once a month we try to have a no spend/low spend weekend so we can save some additional money. We may eat & drink what’s “in stock,” or take the dog for a hike, or have an impromptu game night with friends. Even if we spend a little money, it is considerably less than what we spend on a normal weekend because we are conscious of what we are buying and try to plan ahead a bit.
The following 50+ (I added a few while updating this post!) ideas cost little to no money and are actually a lot of fun!
- Have a garage sale or list items for sale on Craigslist. (Make money rather than spend it!)
- Attend a free movie or concert in a local park.
- Go for a hike. If you aren’t sure where to hike, download the Trails.com app to see what is nearby.
- Have a picnic.
- Make a meal together using ingredients you have on hand. Plug the ingredients into Allrecipes.com to see what you can whip up with what you already have.
- Explore a new section of the nearest major city. (Have ONE drink or ONE appetizer if you must- but resist dinner out! We like to explore new areas by finding great ice cream shops! It’s usually around $7 for ice cream for two, and it’s a lot of fun!)
- Go to the beach.
- Attend a free lecture at a local university.
- Play cards.
- Make popcorn and watch a movie you’ve never seen.
- Get caught up on your DVR shows.
- Go fishing.
- Have friends over for a potluck + trivia night.
- Take a nap.
- Work on your garden or landscaping.
- Have a fire and snuggle with your love.
- Detail your cars.
- Clean out your garage and get rid of broken or unused items to free up space.
- Volunteer.
- Take a free class at a local studio, gym or library.
- Go for a bike ride to your neighborhood ice cream shop.
- Plan your next vacation. Need some inspiration? Check out our dream vacation posts on Fiji and Iceland. <dream>
- See if an elderly neighbor or single parent needs help with some yard work.
- Prepare a two-week meal plan. (Need ideas? Check out our Meal Prep Like a Pro series!)
- Make a meal and freeze half for a night when you’d normally order take out.
- Go through your house room by room and make a master “To Do” list.
- Complete a project that has been lingering for months.
- Attend a couple open houses for decorating ideas.
- Have a campfire and look at the stars.
- Challenge your spouse to see who can master juggling first.
- Listen to a podcast.
- If you have old gift cards or Groupons that need to be used, use them! (Just don’t go over the amount.)
- Call your cable, internet and cell providers to inquire about lowering payments.
- Make a time capsule and stash it away. Set an event reminder in your phone calendar to open it in 10 years.
- Start planning your holiday gift list so you’re not scrambling at the last minute AND so you are thinking of meaningful gifts to give this year.
- Take a long, relaxing bath.
- Clean out your closet and dresser, donate what you no longer wear.
- Call your Mom or Dad if you haven’t talked to them lately.
- Organize your pantry, fridge and freezer and come up with three meals you can make with what you have on hand.
- Bake something yummy, like this easy Blueberry Breakfast Bake. Yummm.
- Touch up paint throughout your house.
- Look through the event calendars of local libraries, museums, cities and universities and plan some fun future activities.
- Read a book.
- Take a course on Udemy.com.
- Give the dog a bath.
- Watch a “how to” video on massage and show your spouse what you’ve learned.
- Download a trivia game on your phone and challenge your spouse.
- Go through your house & gather everything that needs to be returned.
- Visit your local animal shelter and walk some of the dogs.
- If your parents or grandparents are local, go for a visit. They will love to see you and you’ll probably get dinner out of it, too!
- Visit your local ballpark and take in a little league game. It is so much fun- and the concession stand will have fun (and cheap!) ballpark food.
- Gather up any old, broken, missing-pieces gold jewelry and sell it at a “we buy gold” store. You’ll be surprised what a handful of jewelry drawer junk is worth!
- Start a blog! It’s easier and more profitable than you think!
What will you do on your next money-saving weekend?
Want some more savings ideas? Check out these posts:
10 Sneaky Ways to Save Money Each Month (This post shows you how to use the money saving app Acorns to save your spare change electronically! It has an awesome savings calculator to show you just how much you can save from spare change over the years.)
5 Totally Awesome (and Totally FREE) Money Management Tools
10 Surefire Ways to Save Money Like a Genius
Money Matters: 7 Things Millenials Can Learn From Talking to Their Grandparents
For more money-saving tips and ideas, check out our Frugal Living and Money MattersPinterest boards. They are loaded with hundreds of money-making and creative budgeting ideas from other top bloggers.
Stay up to date at all times by checking CNN Money for daily news insights on all things money.
Happy saving!
Allison
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