How to Have Fun on a Budget

If you are living on a tight budget, chances are very good that you do not have a whole lot of money set aside each month for entertainment. This does not mean, however, that you still cannot have a lot of fun. There are plenty of things to do right in your neighbourhood that are either free, or low cost, you just need to know where to look. Below is a look at some great idea for way to have fun on a budget.

Head to Your Local Library
Your local library is a great resource for fun activities that is often overlooked. Your library offers more than just free books to rent and read, they also offer other entertainment options, such as videos and music CDs. In addition, many libraries offer events through the week, such as story time for young children and book clubs for teenagers and adults. This is provides a great way to have some fun and meet new people in your community.

Check Out Local Events
Many communities throughout Australia hold various festivals, fairs, and other community events that are free to attend. You can check out your local newspaper, or see if your town has an online website where they list upcoming events. Keep checking back on a regular basis to find out all the free events happening in and around your neighbourhood.

Plan a Dinner Night with Your Friends
If you enjoy having friends over to your house, but cannot afford to feed everyone, consider having a potluck dinner where everyone brings a dish to share. Not only will you all be able to enjoy each other’s cooking, but is will significantly reduce the amount of money you need to spend on the party.

 
A progressive dinner party can also be a lot of fun. This is where you go to different people’s house to have a different part of the meal. For example, one person would have everyone over for appetizers, then everyone would go to the next house for soup, and then the next house for the main course, before heading to the last house for dessert.

Another solution is to just invite everyone over after the dinner hour and only offer some light refreshments. In this case, you may want to encourage everyone to bring their own bottle of alcohol to help reduce the costs of buying drinks.

Have a Game or Movie Night at Home
Having a night in can also be a lot of fun. Pick a board game, or two, to play with your friends or family members, or even start up a poker game using chips instead of real money. If board games are not for you, then rent a movie and invite everyone over to watch it at your house. This is a lot cheaper than heading out to the movie theatre.

Make Use of the Outdoors
There are plenty of free, or low-cost, things to do right in the opened outdoors. You can have a fun day hiking or bicycling through any open area or public park. You can also enjoy a nature walk, spending a few hours bird watching, or head out to the waters and go fishing. If there is a public park in your area, plan to have a picnic there or let the kids play on the playground.

As you can see, there are plenty of things to do that cost little, or no, money to do. You just need to keep looking for free events and ask around to see what other people are doing for fun in your area. These ideas can help you keep within your entertainment limit and stick to your household budget. Learn about other great ways to control and save money here.

 
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