When people bring up the fact that they’re living frugally-many people may assume that means living a boring life. Not so fast. For many, embracing frugality is the idea that you’re going to spend money mindfully and on areas that are important to you. Yes, it might mean some sacrifices, or cutting back on a few things, but most frugal people have a bigger goal in mind. Typically those goals are: debt freedom, increased savings, travel, or for charity. I thought it would be fun to brainstorm fun things to do that aren’t boring and may surprise you. Here’s my list of 25 frugal activities that aren’t boring.
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Related Post: 21 Ways to Live Frugally and Not Feel Pain
25 Frugal Activities
You won’t find knitting, coloring, or watching t.v. on this list. And, I enjoy two out of the three activities I just mentioned.
- Re-read your favorite book series. Some people might find this boring, but I absolutely love doing this. And, I have a couple of series that are on my list. Including the Shadow Hunters Chronicles. And, Harry Potter. Yep, I love those series.
- Digital or Hardcover Scrapbooking-I love scrap books. And, even though I’m a growna@@ woman, my mom and Grandma (and friends) still love getting scrap books from me.
- Write letters-I absolutely love receiving and sending letters. Letter writing has become a lost art…which is kind of sad. Once a month write a letter to someone that you love. It will make their day.
- Go on a “Little Free Library” scavenger hunt. Ok, time for some truth, I’m weirdly obsessed with these and want one in front of my house. Denver is one of the cities that has received a City of Distinction award from the Little Free Library Organization because we have so many. They come in all types of shapes and sizes. I’ve found one here that was the Tardis from Doctor Who. As a former Dr. Who fan-that was awesome.
- Check out the Murals in your town. There is nothing better than checking out free art in your town. I’m not talking tagging btw which sucks. I’m talking cool murals in sanctioned areas around your town (or, a town you’re visiting)
6-10
- Facebook Events– Don’t sleep on your Facebook Events feed. There are a number of free and cheap events that pop up on my feed daily. The bigger the city that you’re in-the more events you should be seeing. And, now that Facebook is focusing on sharing local information more-keep this in mind when you’re on Facebook.
- Meetups-I’m a broken record when it comes to Meetup.com. This massive community driven by regular people like you and me rocks. I’ve gone on hiking trips in the mountains (in Colorado and Sydney, Australia) participated in mixology events, and learned Spanish-all for free. You may need to attend a couple of meetings to get a feel for the group. But, I’ve met some great people via Meetup.
- Volunteer for a Conference-Conferences need people to help them run the program. Yes, volunteering takes up your time BUT you will also gain access to the conference organizers and resources that you can utilize in the future.
- Start a Podcast-Check out how you can start a podcast for $5 a month. Podcasting is a great activity and a wonderful way to share topics that you care about or are interested in.
- Go to $5 yoga-It exists. Really. Usually, you can find a one off class or a yoga teacher who needs more instruction hours. In fact, in Denver there is business that has paired with different yoga instructors for Yoga, Wine, and Shops. If you’re being frugal watch out for an event like this because you may end up spending a ton on clothes. I just bring $5 for yoga and a tip for the wine (it’s included) and then I tell people about the shop. Winning.
11-13
- Free Cultural Events-Being held by your city. It doesn’t matter how large or small your town is, they all have a couple of free events that are offered each month. Go to them.
- Host a Group-Don’t see a group that you would like to join, but you have an idea for a community? Host your own group. In fact, I’m doing this starting in May and I’m working to get sponsors for it as well. There was a need that I decided to address AND I have a free space to do this in. Share your group on Eventbrite/Facebook/ and social media. Charge $5 to attend.
- Blogging-Let’s be honest, I really love blogging 🙂 I really do. It has been incredible meeting new people, speaking at conferences, and sharing my experience with personal finance and Colorado (I have two blogs). Blogging has pushed me personally and intellectually in ways that I wouldn’t have experienced at work. Love it! And, will continue to blog for some time to come.
Want to Start a Blog?
I love blogging! It has been an incredible experience, transformed my life, and connected me with a ton of amazing people. Blogging is a pretty cheap activity and I recommend hosting your blog with Siteground. Many bloggers have begun leaving HostGator and BlueHost and moving to Siteground. Myself included! Read why I’m leaving HostGator and BlueHost (I have 2 blogs one on each hosting platform) and moving to Siteground. If you’re a new blogger Siteground will cost around $3.95 a month (depending on the size of your audience). They have great customer service and tutorials on how to host your new WordPress blog on Siteground.Â
14-20
- Â Â Start a Vlog-I’m still blogging right now, but I’ve started dabbling in vlogging. It’s challenging in a different way from blogging.
- Spend Time-With loved ones. We’re in such a hurry all the time that we forget to set time aside just to hang out with loved ones.
- Go for Walks-Currently, I’m trying to lose weight. And, the key to that weight loss is walking 10,000 steps a day. Every time I go for a long walk I feel reenergized and able to focus on the tasks that I need to work on.
- Take a Nap-Some people aren’t able to nap…happily, I’m able to take naps. The Spanish are on to something. It’s so relaxing to take a nap and wake up refreshed and ready to go. If you don’t have to push through the day…why do it? Take a nap instead! Americans aren’t getting enough sleep.
- Treasure Hunt-Remember when Pokemon Go was a huge deal? Well it was basically a treasure hunt. I don’t care if it’s digital or real. Treasure hunts are fun to do. Except the one for gold in Southern Colorado. People keep dying doing that one.
- Gamify Your Savings-Sometimes you can make a boring activity fun. I love using Ibotta to save and I’ve tried to make it as fun as possible. I also like getting money back at the end of the month to do fun things with! Get $10 towards your first payout after you redeem your first savings!
- Host a Themed Dinner Party-Specifically a potluck so that people will bring different dishes to eat. Keeping your costs LOW. Encourage guests to dress up too.
21-25
- D.I.Y.-Make something. Refinish a chair, sew a throw pillow, or make a simple aline skirt.
- D.I.Y. Products-This is on my list for the summer. I would love to learn how to make: lotion, soap, and lip balm. Because I just want to know how! Or, make my own cheese. There are so many things you can make.
- Create a Music Video-You know you’ve always thought about making a music video. Why not work on a concept, get some friends, some wine, and make a music video. Choreograph some dance moves and have an amazing time!
- Write a Romance Novel-For Amazon. This is actually a project that I’m working on this summer. I’m a huge fan of romance novels and I have a couple of concepts floating around my head. Time to write them out and maybe make a little money too.
- Hangout in a Different (adjacent) Town from yours-Are there towns next to yours that are nice to hangout in…but, you never do? Make a point of checking them out on occasion. Set a budget for the day and have fun.
Now you have 25 frugal activities that aren’t boring that you can add to your list of things to do. If you’re in debt repayment mode, extreme savings, or just enjoy spending less-hopefully this list was helpful to you!
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Great tips! Thanks for sharing
Thanks Amanda!
These are great tips. I had to chuckle at the first few tips. I absolutely love re reading books and writing letters, but I’ve had many people tell me that those things are both boring. I absolutely love the idea about checking out murals in town. I’ve never thought about that one before. And yes, $5 yoga definitely does exist! I’ve done it before and it’s great.
Each time I re-read a book I always discover something new! I love my $5 yoga. During the summer I take free yoga (and other fitness) classes outside that are sponsored by the City of Denver