Many people seek respite from the stresses and humdrum of daily life. But it is tough when you have no idea what to do when you have no money and are bored.
If you are searching the internet for “cheap fun things to do near me,” look no further because this article will provide you with a vast list of fun things you can do that cost nothing.
What To Do When You Have No Money and Are Bored
When boredom hits you, you will likely be at a loss for ideas to while away the time. With these simple but pleasing no-spend activities, you can chase the doldrums away without spending anything.
1. Enjoy An Outdoor Picnic: Pack a basket and set up a picnic area in your backyard or under a shade in your local park.
2. Volunteer: Join an organization or non-profit you like and sign up to participate in their events.
3. Learn A New Skill: Teach yourself a new skill. Choose one different from your usual preferences and turn it into a hobby.
4. Find Freelance Work: Go online to find freelancing gigs or any side hustle that will earn you money.
5. Attend A Meetup: Check out social media networks. Connect with locals who have similar hobbies and activities and join their meetups.
6. Call A Friend: Boost your mood by calling a friend. It does not only relieve stress but also strengthens your friendship.
7. Cook A Meal: Create a meal with the ingredients you currently have at home. Resist spending money and running to the grocery for items you do not have.
8. Swap Items: Host a swap party with neighbours and friends for different items. These can be anything from clothing, jewelry, books, home decor to tools.
9. Go To The Library: The library is one of the best places to go without spending money. Find a vast library to read books, watch movies, use the internet, and meet people.
10. Borrow Books: Scoop up new reading materials from the library, such as books, magazines, or any new arrivals.
11. Visit A Public Market: Explore and check out the shops selling local products, seasonal produce, handcrafted items, and food items.
12. Attend A Local Event: Check for local events in your community, such as festivals, and celebrate with them.
13. Create A Goals List: Take time for yourself and list your short-term and long-term goals and other things you want out of life.
14. Binge-Watch TV Shows: Schedule an evening just for watching your beloved shows. Throw in some nostalgia by watching old shows.
15. Rearrange A Room: Use a free evening to rearrange a room. Reorganize the entire setup to give it a fresh new look.
16. Attend a Free Concert: Go to open musical concerts to enjoy performances and for relaxing evenings.
17. Plant a Garden: Collect some seeds and make a plot in your backyard. Invite friends to help and have them over when harvest time comes.
18. Take Photos: Bring your camera and go outside. Take photos of busy streets, tall buildings, landscapes and anything you find fascinating.
19. Walk Around the City: Walking helps you de-stress while burning calories. Take in the sights of the metropolis and observe what the people do and how they behave.
20. Start A Club: Hang out with people with similar interests. You can start a cooking club, reading club, or badminton club.
21. Visit A Friend or Family: Call a friend or family member you have not seen in a long time. Ask to visit and catch up with them.
22. Gather Your Friends: You can also have fun things to do with no money at night. Have your friends over for games and activities. Ask them to bring food and drinks from their house.
23. Exchange Bad Gifts: Host a party where everyone brings the funniest or strangest gift they received. Have fun with the presents by holding a white elephant gift exchange.
24. Try Out Free Trials: Visit stores and sample items or services offered on a free trial. You can sample new products and services without spending anything.
25. Start a Workout Schedule: Plan to exercise five days a week. Choose routines that you love doing. Assign days for hard training and others for light workouts.
26. Play With Your Pet: If you have a dog, play chase and retrieve, tug of war, or hide and search.
27. Make A Family Book: Collect pictures of each member. Create a family tree and pick suitable photos. Write the information about each and fun descriptions on the album.
28. Rearrange Your Furniture: Change the position of your furniture to give your place a new perspective. Move artwork and other decor to make the overall layout suitable.
29. Take a Shelter Dog for a Day Out: If you have volunteered for an animal shelter, borrow a dog for the day and take it for a walk or hike.
30. Tour Your Own Town: Use a list of “top things to do in the city” when touring your own hometown. Check out places you have never been to before.
31. Offer to Babysit: Spend some time watching a baby for a friend to keep yourself busy.
32. Make a Memories Scrapbook: Create a scrapbook from your previous travels. Include tickets, passes, and souvenirs from the trip.
33. Start a Journal: Record memorable moments of your life and have something to reminisce about in later years.
34. Upload Videos: Take videos of anything you are interested in, provide suitable content, and upload them to YouTube.
35. Play an Instrument: Pick up and learn an instrument to ward off boredom, improve patience and memory, and develop creativity.
36. Create Playlists: If you have a music-sharing app, make personalized playlists and share them with your friends.
Fun Family Things To Do With No Money
Below are lots of fun family things to do with no money that everyone at home will enjoy doing.
37. Go on a Picnic: Check for an enchanting picnic spot near your home. Pack a basket of items from your pantry.
38. Visit a Museum: If you have a museum in your area, check if they offer days with no admission fees. Bring your family and explore the exhibits.
39. Play Board Games: Board games can enhance children’s skills and teach the value of teamwork while having fun.
40. Go Stargazing: Looking up at the stars on a clear night and watching for shooting stars is an incredible no-cost activity for the whole family.
41. Look at Old Photos: Scan old photo albums with your family and recall the stories behind each picture.
42. Have an Indoor Dance Party: Get your family moving to their favourite songs. Make it a family dance contest to get everyone in a competitive mood.
43. Go Camping: Set up a tent in your backyard in the summer and sleep out with the family.
44. Visit a Petting Zoo: Train your kids to care for animals and develop a caring spirit. It will teach them to be gentle with animals.
45. Play Charades: Come up with ideas on paper and collect them into a jar. Divide the family into teams or let each one compete on their own.
46. Play Dress Up: Have a fancy or funny dress-up night, or you can get ridiculous with your costumes.
47. Learn About Knots: Teach your kids about tying knots. It will be a skill they can use their entire lives.
48. Do a Photography Challenge: Find things to take photos of for a given period and upload them to the family’s Instagram account.
49. Take a Historical City Tour: Find out through your local historical society if your city offers historical tours.
50. Play Sports: Find public sports facilities in your neighbourhood, such as tennis or volleyball courts and play with your family.
51. Exercise As a Family: Walk around your garden or house, then jog around and do some jumping jacks and leg lifts. Perform cooling down exercises after.
52. Go to a Public Beach: Bring your family and picnic basket to the nearest public beach to swim, play volleyball and take photos.
53. Watch a Movie in your Backyard: If you have a portable projector and a sound system, set up a backyard movie theatre and prepare lots of popcorn.
54. Have a Bonfire: Sit by a fire together with your family under a starry sky and in comfortable weather. Roast s’mores and hotdogs.
55. Play the Fortunately/Unfortunately Game: Start with “Once upon a time…” The next storyteller will continue by starting the sentence with “Fortunately.” The next one will alternate it with “Unfortunately” until the story ends.
56. Hold a Game Night: Get together with friends and family for a game night. Play board games, cards, and Monopoly all night.
57. Have a Pillow Fight: Round up some pillows, have one-on-one battles, then segue into a free-for-all.
58. Play Balloon Volleyball: Inflate a balloon, toss it, and play balloon volleyball with your kids.
59. Have a Scavenger Hunt: Write a list of clues to find around your house. Divide the household into teams and start the search.
60. Go to the Arcade: Bring the entire family to the arcade for a night of pinball, skeeball, video games, and some classics.
61. Grow Plants: Teach your kids how to grow plants. Use plants that grow fast and have distinct scents and colours.
62. Play Target Practice: Line up empty water bottles and plastic toys. Have your kids knock them over by throwing rolled-up socks.
63. Sing Karaoke: Belt out your favourite songs in your living room together with your family. Performing karaoke is enjoyable and also stimulates the brain.
64. Play Tongue Twisters: Take turns saying tongue twisters and repeating them several times. Give a funny punishment for those who trip, such as tickling their feet.
65. Create A Den: Let your children make a camp or den. Help them set it up using old blankets, sheets, cushions, and chairs.
66. Wash the Car: Playing bubble wars, passing the sponge, scrubbing games, and having fun with the water hose makes cleaning the car a delightful chore for everyone.
67. Make Home Movies: Take videos of each family member doing everyday tasks. Create movies or keep them as souvenirs you can watch again a few years after.
68. Swap Toys: Gather old, unused toys. Invite friends and neighbours for a toy swap and get your kids newer items to play with.
69. Decorate the Children’s Room: Decide on a theme and transform it with the kids’ help. Add items with bright colours and different shapes to spark their imaginations.
70. Find Things to Give Away: Sort through old stuff, books, household goods, and toys. Donate them to charity.
71. Write a Book of Jokes: Ask everyone what their favourite jokes are and compile them into a book.
Things To Do By Yourself With No Money
Here is a list of things to do by yourself with no money involved. Explore each one and have fun even when you are on your own.
72. Read a Book: Get engrossed in books you have wanted to read. Access free libraries and find good ebooks to get lost in.
73. Watch a Movie: The internet recommends many classic and contemporary movies that are good to watch alone. You can either rent DVDs or watch them on Netflix.
74. Go For a Walk: Visit a park or playground on a sunny day, stretch out, and enjoy the sunshine.
75. Go For a Morning Run: Grab your shoes and head outdoors for a morning run to clear your head and enjoy the fresh air.
76. Make Crafts: If you are skillful with your hands, creating crafts will be an excellent way to spend your time and be productive.
77. Learn a New Hobby: Dive into a new hobby, such as calligraphy, meditation, needlework, or painting.
78. Exercise: Download workout apps to keep yourself healthy and fit. You might want to check out apps that pay you to lose weight.
79. Go Hiking: Find a local hiking trail to go hiking in. Bring water, sunscreen, and energy bars, just in case.
80. Make a Bucket List: List down the things you want to do in your life. Include a timeframe, whether it’s one month, six months, two years, or 10 years.
81. Set Goals: Make a list of short-term and long-term goals you want to achieve in your lifetime. It can be finding a side hustle, starting a business, or buying a property.
82. Listen to a Podcast: Podcasts help increase your knowledge around a certain topic. You can listen to a podcast while doing household chores.
83. Complete a Puzzle: Work a jigsaw puzzle and unwind without spending anything. It exercises the brain and slows down aging.
84. Go for a Bike Ride: This is an excellent way to exercise for hours without paying for a gym membership.
85. Find a Free Gym Class: Check out your local gym and see if they offer free yoga, CrossFit, or pilates classes.
86. Go Bird-Watching: If you have a pair of binoculars, set out for a bird-watching activity. Bring a bird book or download an app.
87. Take a Hike: Combine nature and exercise. Find a good trail near you, get a detailed trail map and enjoy the scenery.
88. Develop Your Photography Skills: Master the art of taking pictures using your iPhone. Learn how to use it to the best of your ability by attending a free class at the Apple store.
89. Head to an Art Gallery: Find out if museums in your area are offering complimentary admissions. Spend time viewing works by great artists.
90. Watch People: Head to a park or any local place and start people-watching. Create stories in your head about what you’re seeing.
91. Visit a Nursing Home: Spend time and interact with the residents. Listen to their stories and the lessons that they teach.
92. Do Some Decluttering: Get rid of all the items you do not use. Arrange them according to stuff to throw away, items to sell, and things to donate.
93. Figure Out Your Net Worth: To calculate, subtract the total amount of your liabilities from the total amount of your assets. Set goals to grow your assets.
94. Try a Budgeting App: Learn to use a budgeting app to determine where your money goes and to help you save where you can.
95. Write a Letter: Think of someone you want to make a handwritten letter for. Make it more interesting by setting a future date when the recipient should open it.
96. Declutter Your Phone: Delete unused apps and hide the less frequently used ones. Create folders and organize the apps by task. For your files, use cloud storage.
97. Create Videos from Photos: If you have tons of photos, turn them into a slideshow or create videos using them.
98. Go Sightseeing: Pack up your camera, head outdoors, and act like a tourist. Head up to the mountains, go to the beach or lake, and take pictures.
99. Post Skills and Earn Money: If you have a specialized skill or service, post it on sites like TaskRabbit or Fiverr and earn money.
100. Meditate: Find a quiet place, stay still and meditate. Clear your thoughts and pay attention to your breath as it goes in and out.
101. Learn Another Language: Teach yourself a new language using apps and websites. Consider learning one that can land you good-paying translator gigs.
102. Spend Time in an Animal Shelter: Help out in your local animal shelter and support the community with their pet rescue and care efforts.
103. Enroll in a Free Class: Inquire from a local community college if they offer free classes and enlist in one you like.
104. Make a To-Do List: Create a list of things you do for the day, week, and month. It will help you maintain an orderly schedule and not miss a chore.
105. Keep Your Brain Sharp: Download brain-boosting apps that help maintain, retain, and sharpen your mental skills and knowledge.
106. Count Your Blessings: Keep a journal of all the people and things you are thankful for. Update it as regularly as possible.
Conclusion
Having no money does not mean you cannot do fun things. Use this huge list of fun things to do, and never run out of ideas on having a good time with family or alone.
With imagination and creativity, it is possible to have exciting and enjoyable moments without spending money.
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