Today’s post is from our regular Tuesday contributor, Sally.
I’m going to be honest when I say that I really absolutely love all five of these free and inexpensive things to do. Love them. I suppose that’s why they easily popped into my head, but I also know that I tend to put some of them on the back burner. I’m hoping I’ll be able to enjoy more of them to the fullest this summer, if life ever decides to slow down
Library
Get away from everyone and everything for a little bit by escaping into a good book – even better, find a cozy corner at your local library and read your book there. Many libraries offer different spots to read in so go ahead, curl up and enjoy a good book or audiotape through your headphones in a spot that no one will bother you in. Not only does your library offer books, audiotapes, movies, CDs, etc to rent out, but don’t forget that they also offer passes to various other amazing and fun places to check out too such as zoos, museums, and history centers! The library can be a great way to save money, as DC pointed out in his post a while back.
Movie Theater
Typically your average movie theatre is not cheap to go to, but many towns now have a “cheap” theatre where the tickets are usually no more than $2 or $3 dollars. They might not get a movie right away when it comes out, but only spending $10 on the ticket, popcorn, and drink sure beats the $20+ you would spend at a full-price place. Plus, a lot of the ones I go to are vintage and have really awesome history! If your theatre allows you to bring in your own candy, going to the dollar store to get it might really save you some money too!
Art Gallery
There are some free art galleries still around as well as ones that just ask for donations. I personally really love and appreciate looking at people’s various creations, especially at a college or university – often their galleries are free and open to the public, and they tend to change quite frequently. The gallery at the university I work for just opened their exhibit featuring the senior’s art pieces, which is such a cool experience for them as artists. Many galleries have opening receptions that are, again, free and open to the public too, where you’ll typically get a chance to meet the artist(s)!
Concerts in the Park
Summer time is on its’ way and with it comes outdoor activities that don’t happen as well when snow is on the ground. Many cities and towns will put on various concerts and theatre productions through-out the summer that your whole family can enjoy. Bring a blanket, some cold beverages, and let yourself relax while enjoying some great music or share some laughs during a funny part in a play. Bonus! There might even be a playground nearby that the kids can play on while you wait for the concert or play to begin.
Festivals
Another great part of summer is the many festivals that towns and cities have, complete with parades and fireworks! They also often include activities such as scavenger hunts, cook-outs, craft fairs, kid’s days – something for everyone.
Even doing something as simple as going window shopping in a historic town or having a picnic on a riverfront can brighten up a week and allow you to do something a little out of the ordinary without spending a lot of money.
What are some other free or less expensive things you and your family do to enjoy yourselves?
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Photo by Dene Bola
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I have a post for either tomorrow or thursday about going to museums/art galleries for free. It’s a lot tougher now for me bc the free days are usually week nights which is challenging when you work. I agree with you though. I love checking out galleries!
As warmer weather heads our way, I look forward to warm summer evenings just sitting on the deck with friends enjoying a drink or two. Summer ROCKS!
Every weekend we do have a movie marathon with my daughter. During weekdays, I downloaded movies, especially cartoon movies that surely my little kiddo would enjoy.
I’m so glad i’s finally warming up. There are so many more free activities to enjoy in the spring and summer (like the concerts and festivals you mentioned).
All of the ideas on this list are fantastic. We love libraries and free concerts especially!
Having little ones, we’re big on the library and anything related to being outside. Both offer great things for us to do as a family. We have a cheap theatre in town as well and that’s usually the only one we go to.
We haven’t been to the library in forever, but we are going to start making it a goal of ours to go more often. It’s right down the street from us so I don’t know why we’ve been hesitating!
I go to the beach and play beach volleyball. I also do potlucks and game nights with friends.
I love community festivals…the new town we moved to has a ton of them! I can’t wait until it warms up so that we can enjoy all our town has to offer.
Street fairs are also nice. Oh and the beach is nice too.
I love going to the library, and I went there a lot during college to get work done. I also really love going for walks around the neighborhood. We moved here last June and are still finding roads to explore.
NYC is an expensive place to live…but there are a bunch of free things to do like the ones you mentioned. A lot of times, we just enjoy going out for a walk in the park (now with the baby…he loves going out). Can’t wait for the weather to get better so we can get out there and enjoy it.
I’m not much for the library, but I love wandering around Goodwill. They have great books, clothes, household items, and the like. You can really find a diamond in the rough there, and to me I enjoy the hunt. Concerts in the park are a great tip. Here in Nashville they do a Shakespeare in the park during the summer. It’s free, and it’s amazing. I think people sometimes forget there is more to do than just shopping.
I love going to the free summer concerts in my city.
Ive been signing praises for the library for a few years now. I kind of “re-discovered) it a couple years ago when I realized you can just reserve books online and pick them up at the frint desk when they’re ready. I then realized the library had a good selection of movies as well. Awesome.
thebrokeprof I discovered that a few years ago as well! I remember the days when there wasn’t that many DVDs and now there’s a ton. I love that I can manage all my requests online and get online notifications. Definitely a huge win and a big reason why I take advantage of the library.
ImpersonalFinanceWhat I don’t like about Goodwill is that the people that sort it typically find the really good stuff beforehand. I think after volunteering at a Goodwill-type store I realized that people can easily find really valuable things before they hit the floor and purchase it as soon as it’s put out. I suppose that doesn’t happen too often…perhaps my excuse for not going and looking?
Holly at ClubThrifty New cities are always fun in that respect. I used to love our local city festival. My sister won some pageant (the only one she was ever in, btw), and we went to lots of city festivals and it was a lot of fun. Lots of freebies and cheap entertainment in general.
How about blogging? How about just walking the dog? How about doing research on your next vacation and how to get it cheaper!