Just because you’re on a shoestring budget doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your weekend. There are plenty of easily accessible activities that will keep you entertained without spending money.
A classic family or group activity! Even if you don’t have any board games yourself someone you know will. Board games have the added bonus of being a particularly social activity so get some friends together and make an evening of it. Puzzles you can do on your own or with someone else and can be picked up for just a few dollars from an opshop or borrowed from friends.
Some are free, some ask for only a small donation. They’re educational, uplifting, thought provoking, inspiring and interesting. It’ll be the best $2 you ever spent.
There aren’t many places in New Zealand where you’re not close to a beach, park or nice bush. Go walking, biking, kick a ball about, throw a frisbee… People come from all over the world to experience the natural beauty of our country so take advantage of our beautiful “backyard”.
When was the last time you went on a scavenger hunt? You can do this with friends or on your own and its costs nothing. Don’t do it at home, go into the town or city centre, somewhere unfamiliar. You’ll be amazed the different things you notice when you’re looking for random items. Here’s a list to get you thinking about what you might put on your scavenger hunt list.
Geocaching is like a technologically evolved scavenger hunt but instead of looking for many different things, you use GPS to hide and seek random objects located at specific locations. Start Geocaching by creating a free account online.
Websites like Grab One offer some amazing deals. Yes, it will cost you money, but in return for splashing out a little you’ll often get a lot in return. Keep an eye on the daily changing deals and snap up any good ones.
Did you know they hold a giant pumpkin festival in Little River, Canterbury?! What an interesting and fun event to entertain you for nothing more than a gold coin donation. While that might not be your local area, there will always be something going on near where you live that’s worth checking out. A quick Google search will tell you what you want to know.
Ask some friends to each bring a DVD of their favourite film to your house and have a whole day watching movies together.
Free books! It doesn’t get more budget-friendly than that. A good book can keep your entertained for hours. Get lost in different times and worlds with a great story. You may also find your local library loans out computer games and DVDs fairly cheaply too.
Do a reccy of your pantry – you’ll probably find you have most of the basics needed for a whole heap of tasty recipes like these. Baking is a fun activity by yourself but also with the kids and the best part is you get to eat what you create! What could be more fun than that?
Sohpie Gray, aka The Destitute Gourmet is an expert at baking and making meals on a tight budget. Here are some of her best baking recipes, but delve a little deeper into her website and you’ll find yourself actually excited about having to cook on a budget.
If you don’t already have a deck of cards, they’re cheap as chips at the shops and offer hours upon hours of entertainment. There are an almost endless number of card games you can play for free; even poker doesn’t have to involve money as long as you have something to represent tokens.
Play on your own; there are several versions of Solitaire or Patience for one.
Or get a big group over for a card night. Try Mafia, its loads of fun for a big group.
If it’s not just yourself who needs entertaining on a tight budget, but the kids as well, here are some great ideas that you probably already have the resources for lying around the house, or at least could pick up fairly cheaply at the supermarket or mall.
“But chores aren’t fun,” we hear you say. True, that’s why it’s last on the list. But making a list of all those niggly little jobs you’ve been putting off and getting them all done is a VERY satisfying feeling. Then, whatever you do after that will feel very well deserved indeed.