If you’re financially wiped out from buying holiday gifts, going on a vacation or whatever you’ve been spending your money on lately, you may be looking for something fun to do in your free time that costs nothing.
“You don’t have to spend a fortune to have fun,” says Katie Ross, executive vice president of the national nonprofit American Consumer Credit Counseling. Ross is well versed in helping people budget better and stay out of debt.
So if you’re looking for activities that are fun and free, consider these 10 ways to entertain yourself.
1. See What Your Community Has to Offer
You never know what you might find going on in your neighborhood or community. Free events might include nature talks, county fairs, parades, film screenings and art shows.
“If you join local Facebook groups or check your city’s website, you should be able to find lots of information about free, fun things to do so that you don’t overspend or break the budget,” Ross says.
[Read: How to Make a Budget — and Stick to It.]
She adds: “In the summer, some parks have free events in the evenings, like concerts or plays performed by community theater groups.”
You may even be able to find local events through your credit or debit card issuer. Bank of America , for example, offers cardholders free general admission to more than 225 museums across the U.S. during the first full weekend of every month.
2. Work on Your Family Tree
Clémence Scouten, Philadelphia-based owner of Memoirs & More, helps people publish books about their family histories.
Even if you don’t go as far as writing a memoir, Scouten says there are a lot of fun things you can do alone or with your kids. “Work on a family tree together,” Scouten suggests. “Draw it. Do it in PowerPoint. Include photos of people. Draw countries of origin.”
She also suggests holding a storytelling hour during which you tell family stories. You could interview grandparents on the phone. “Record them if you can,” Scouten says. “There are free genealogy websites. A big one is FamilySearch.org.”
If you don’t have kids or they’re out of the house, Scouten says this is a good time to consider how you store and display family photos and documents. “You could create an e-collection to share with the whole family,” she says.
3. Do Some Good in the World
VolunteerMatch.org lists a lot of causes and organizations that adults and teenagers can work with. Simply type in your ZIP code to see a slew of volunteer opportunities. Depending on what’s available in your neighborhood, you could anything from volunteering for hospice to tutoring low-income students to driving seniors around in your community.
4. Work on Your Garden
Beautify your surroundings by pruning shrubs, pulling weeds and plotting a design for the future. Gardening can help manage stress and get you outdoors, and there are plenty of free resources online to find garden and landscape designs and ideas that showcase your green thumb. You also even be able to get free seeds somewhere by typing “free seeds near me” into your search engine.
[Related:Ways to Save Money on a Tight Budget]
5. Reconnect With a Friend or Family Member
It might be a good time to reach out to a pal or family member with whom you’ve lost touch. You could go the old-fashioned route with a phone call, or schedule a video chat or plan something in person. It’s always nice to visit an older relative who doesn’t get much company, or one you like a lot but rarely see.
6. Take a Nature Hike
Get out of your house and into the great outdoors. Although some parks have admission fees, there are plenty of places to hike for free. AllTrails.com is a good resource for finding trails near you.
“Putting one foot in front of the other on a hike is one of the least expensive and healthiest forms of recreation there is. You can find a recreation area just about anywhere, and after you acquire the essentials, the gear will last a long time,” says Jeff Alt, Cincinnati-based author of hiking books, including “A Walk for Sunshine” and “Get Your Kids Hiking.”
“Much research has emerged about the mental health benefits of walking and immersion in nature. A walk in the woods keeps my body fit, enhances my positive thoughts, inspires my creativity and helps to de-stress me from the daily grind,” Alt says.
And you could always take a leisurely or vigorous nature walk in a national park. Every year, the National Park Service offers free admission on certain days. For 2024, those days are:
— Jan. 15.
— April 20.
— June 19.
— Aug. 4.
— Sept. 28.
— Nov. 11.
7. Check Out Library Events
Libraries also often hold free workshops and presentations on everything from nature to genealogy. And you can often borrow other mediums aside from books, like music and movies. As long as you have a library card, you can even get free passes to state parks.
8. Go On a Picnic
Pack sandwiches or pull whatever you have out of your pantry and refrigerator then find a scenic picnic table at a park. It’s a great way to create fun memories with your family or friends.
[READ: How to Save Money: 14 Expert-Backed Ways]
9. Visit a Dog Park
It’s best to visit a dog park if you have a dog, but you also might just enjoy going without one. Find a bench and watch canines run and play — the people watching is a bonus.
10. Pull Out Board Games or a Jigsaw Puzzle
Surely you have a Monopoly board somewhere. Chess? Risk? It only sounds cheesy until you start playing and remember why board games became so popular in the first place. Bored with your own board games — or maybe you don’t own any? Some libraries let patrons check out free board games.
Doing a jigsaw puzzle is another way to pass the time and challenge yourself while doing it. If it’s your own puzzle, consider gluing and framing it after you’re finished to hang it in your home.
More from U.S. News
Why So Many Americans Delay Holiday Shopping — And Why You Shouldn’t
What to Know About Amazon’s ‘Buy With Prime’ for Holiday Shopping
10 Fun Things to Do in Your Free Time That Cost Nothing originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 12/19/23: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
