Having fun with (almost) no money

[anthrogirl]

Right now I'm poor- well, reasonably poor. That's the fun of being a co-op owner. Still, I manage, just barely at times. Right now I'm planning a quiet 'vacation' weekend at home because I need some rest (when I get busy I get hyper and stressed, and then I can't relax or sleep), and I'm thinking of making some tea sandwiches, buying some desserts, and spending at least one day in bed with a book or two and a good movie.

How do you enjoy your leisure time when money is tight?

[Craft Forums]

[elixirbeth]

movies starring daniel day-lewis or william hurt... a box of licorice... a cocktail... scribbling in my doodle pad.

i never get tired of vegging out when im alone.

then again, my boyfriend and i have been saving TONS of money by inviting friends over, rather than meeting at bars. we've become obsessive spades players with another couple-- its SO FUN and SO CHEAP! 30 - 40$ buys the booze, the snacks, and the cigs... the cards become infinitely more fun with each drink.

-- eli

[DJules]

I love the library! All the books I can read!

[mrs_stroozi]

Library, Netflix (or DVD rental), walks to the ice cream parlor for a single scoop. Trip downtown to the five buck parking lot and a browse through the fabric stores there without buying anything. We're members of the County and Modern Art Museums, and that's a nice afternoon outing whenever we want.

[missmedicinal]

Museums w. student discounts! Also, my fiance loves the weird nj magazines & books (and now they have weird <insert state name here> for much of the u.s.); we just refer to our stack o' weird njs, and go driving around looking for them. We had to take a little break from our hunts when the gas prices went up, but now we're good to go again. Oh, and since the advent of 'puters and video games, board game prices are usually pretty low! (side note: this is my first post here since 2002, I think...I've missed it!)

[Spoilt Rotten]

Excellent! This kinda relates to the topic I started! I'm moving out of home and need to save money so some of these ideas are great! I agree with missmedicinal on the boardgames, I LOVE them but I can never find anyone to play with me, sob. One of my favourite free things to do is to go to the library and inspect a new aisle. Yeah it's kinda geeky, but it can be fun to pull down big books on art or something, that you know you could never afford and look through those big glossy pages... Okay I'll stop!

[happyhats]

My boyfriend and I have a huge movie collection, so there's nothing better than vegging in front of a good movie in my pjs. I love to eat in bed, work on crafts, take a nice long shower or bubble bath and actually pamper myself by painting my nails, using a face mask, etc. Of course there's reading. I guess a perfect day would be then to lie in bed with the boy or by my lonesome, then take a hot shower and read a great book until I fell asleep. Oh, and there would have to be my incense in the background, and possibly my lava lamp.

[anthrogirl]

There are a lot of ethnic restaurants in New York City, and many of them are inexpensive. It's a great way to 'travel' around the world without leaving home.

Actually, you can afford artbooks- go to alibris.com or any of the used books websites. There are a lot of affordable art books out there.

In Manhattan, some of the museums have free days or evenings, and many of them have suggested donations, which means you can just give what you want. Museum meberships are also a great way of saving money, if you go a lot. I go to the Met more often now, because I have a membership.

My cheapest way of having fun is cooking- which is also very healthy. I get the joy three ways- from saving on eating out, enjoying the pleasure that cooking brings, and feeling better about myself because I've eaten a decent meal.

[art_skoolgirl]

the library is great for books, dvds, and audio tapes.

a walk bike ride or nature trail at a nearby park.

rearranging the house can be kind of fun sometimes.

pot luck dinners

invite a few artsy friends over as each to bring a small bottle of wine, paint or do crafts and sample each others wines.

plan a garage sale or go garage sale shopping for future craft products, etc.

a friendly game of cards using coins for wagers.

soothing music and a bubble bath with a hot glass of tea, wine, or refreshing drink.

Board Games! Puzzles!

pinic at the lake, ocean, or nearest oasis from your place.

create your own sketch book or journal, or draw in your sketchbook or write in your journal each day.

[CraftinFool]

A lot of cheap stuff I like to do has already been said, but here's my list:

netflix;
go to the library for dvds, books on cd, books, magazines (and raid the free magazine table);
take walks;
take a bath;
do yoga;
meditate;
play cards or board games - we like scrabble;
hang out at the local coffee shop and read;
write letters;
blog;
go to the goodwill store;
bake;
reorganize - yes, I enjoy this;
email friends and family;
do puzzle books - crosswords, brainteasers, etc.