Entertaining yourself for free.

Frugal fun isn’t about deprivation, or as boring as some people imagine. It is about shifting where the enjoyment comes from. When you stop relying on spending, your creativity emerges, and you also  notice how much free entertainment is already around you. Here are some examples of what I mean.

The great outdoors

The obvious place to start is  outdoors. A simple walk can turn into something more engaging if you give it a purpose. An example is that I use foraging to make my walks more interesting. It also motivates me to actually go out. I look for clues like blossom on trees for the prospect of apples later in the year, or pick hawthorn flowers to make tea now. I explore new local areas.

About 5 years ago I found the most beautiful wood full of Blue Bells literally 10 minutes away from my house. I have lived here nearly 30 years and didn’t know about it. Another thing I do is to take photographs. Not only do I capture the beauty of nature or the surroundings, but I will take snaps of a new plant to identify and research about it later. It is amazing the medicinal uses for the weeds we see on our walks. One of my favourite ways of cleansing my body at the moment is steeping Cleavers in water in the fridge for a cool refreshing drink. It tastes like cucumber.

Other times I use the Merlin app to identify the birds singing around me, or do a bit of forest bathing. If the idea of a walk is boring to you,  introduce the stimulation yourself. Even in a towns there are places in nature, like parks or canals, or maybe you could do a historical walk and research life in the past. Often towns and cities have free museums or art galleries.

At home

At home, entertainment can get more intentional. Reading is an obvious one, and using libraries. Libraries opens up not just books, but films, audiobooks, and even free events.  For me, cooking is a hobby instead of a chore. We challenge ourselves to make something new by using only what we already have in the cupboards, and turn it into a kind of game. Researching historical recipes and learning from the past, or having food theme nights based on cultures or countries is also fun. Gardening and growing our own food also adds to this as we challenge ourselves to make meals in summer just using home grown produce.

Film nights with homemade pop corn and a hot chocolate is something we do once a week in winter. It doesn’t even have to be streamed, but maybe a borrowed DVD, or a cheap charity shop find. Board games nights, learning skills or travelling through watching YouTube are other ideas. Mr S has recently started whittling and is learning to carve a spoon. Skill stacking instead of random scrolling is a more constructive use of time and less boring. The choices are endless based on what you enjoy doing.

Creative hobbies are strong options as some can also save money in other areas. Writing, sketching, crochet, jewellery making, knitting, dressmaking, mosaic, basket weaving, wood work, embroidary, are all things I have tried. Setting yourself challenges to learn new hobbies or skills, and have no spend days, brings out the creativity, and oddly makes things more fun.

Socialising

Socialising is still possible without money. Instead of meeting at a cafe, I often meet friends for a walk or a picnic. Friends can be invited round to your home for a pot luck, when everyone bring round a dish of food to serve. If chatting isn’t enough, cards, board games or some other theme can be indroduced. People remember the experience and atmosphere, rather than the cost. I invited friends around once and we put mosaic on to plant pots as I had broken tiles from updating my bathrooom. Another time we met up and played Bingo and all brought Christmas presents we didn’t want as prizes. Making wreaths from things gathered in nature is another idea.

Fun doesn’t disappear when money does. It just changes shape. Once you get used to it, paid entertainment can actually start to feel less interesting than the free stuff. There are always free days and events to tap into. Local towns to us hold Victorian days, free music or light festivals in the park,  food markets which we explore for ideas to make ourselves. The National trust give free vouchers on line or in newspaper, or there are open farm days. There is so much out there when you really look.

The honest Truth

It is important to make entertaining yourself a game or challenge.  If you just avoid spending, it feels really  restrictive. Small treats are also important, even if you take them yourself and they are home made. We made a kite to fly with my grandson, and I make a chocolate lolly or his favourite snack to have on a picnic.

The first few times of not spending might feel a bit underwhelming. That’s normal. You’re used to paid entertainment doing the work for you. Once your brain adjusts, these things start to feel satisfying because you’re actively engaged, notice more, and somehow feel grateful as you are having fun but saving money.  The key for me is variation, challenge, and purpose so that things don’t feel boring. Our next challenges are to learn more about fermenting and to preserve this way in summer, and when Mr S gets well again, to walk the Leeds Liverpool canal in stages.

How do you go about entertaining yourself for free?