Frugal Entertainment Ideas: Live Simple, the New Revolution

Bev and I went to the movie theater a couple weeks ago, one of our rare “dates” where we actually spent money. Two tickets (matinee price), and a large popcorn and one shared drink……$26! Just shoot me!

Just because I ramble on about living simple does not mean there are not things I want to do; I’m only human and there are many entertainment events and activities I WANT to do. I would love to go out for a nice dinner at Gardner’s Restaurant here in Olympia. I would love to go to the State Historical Museum in Tacoma, and I would love to spend the day in Seattle at the Science Center. However, if living simple has taught me anything, it has taught me that there is a huge difference between wanting and needing, and the simple fact is that I don’t need to do any of those things.

Instead, Bev and I find things to do that cost nothing…..zero….nada! Well, okay, they sometimes cost us the price of the gasoline we use to drive our Honda Fit somewhere, but you get the point. Compared to two hours at the movie theater for $26, our frugal ideas appear like manna from heaven.

So now I’d like to share some of those ideas with you, and hopefully you can enjoy yourselves as much as Bev and I do every single time we are together. It’s all about love, folks! Love and saving money! That’s the Living Simple Way!

Yes, I said go for a walk! Practically every day Bev and I go for a walk, either around the neighborhood or at a local park. It’s great exercise and it doesn’t cost a penny.

What? That doesn’t sound like fun to you? Well then maybe you should find a better walking partner, because the two of us have a blast every single time we walk together. Take a camera and capture some memories, and if it’s a digital camera this doesn’t cost you a penny either.

I love sports! Unfortunately, I can’t afford to attend the local pro games. It is impossible to go to a Seattle Mariners or Seattle Seahawks game for less than $100 and that just won’t do on a frugal budget.

However, I can get my “sports fix” by attending local youth events. On any given weekend there is a Little League game or Youth Football game that is free and loads of fun to attend. You will be watching sports played for the love of the game rather than watching overpaid pro athletes. You will be amazed how quickly you become excited watching complete strangers playing their hearts out for the game they love.

I don’t know about where you live, but Olympia, my hometown, has free entertainment going on practically every weekend at a local park, or the Farmer’s Market. There are street fairs, artist fairs, musical concerts, and they all cost nothing. How cool is that?

Contact your local Chamber of Commerce and get a calendar of events. They are usually online and you just might be surprised how much entertainment is waiting for you at no cost.

This one is near and dear to my heart. Nothing is more entertaining than helping others. Our city has an endless array of opportunities to help the community. They are not only free, but they give you a chance to feel good about yourself, and that is a win-win situation for sure.

What if your community does not have any such opportunities? Well then why don’t you start one yourself? The power of one! Great ideas start with individuals who refuse to think that they cannot do something. Look for a need in your community and then be the spearhead that affects change. It beats the heck out of going to a movie any old day!

If you have a local bookstore, chances are they will have free readings by local authors. Hey, for those authors reading this, why not get in on the fun and offer to do a reading at your local bookstore? The same goes for the local library. Almost any weekend the library here in Olympia has free readings or workshops, and if your library doesn’t do it then approach them and give them the suggestion.

The bigger the city that you live in, the more opportunities you have, and they are almost always free. If you are an artist or musician, offer to play for free or have a showing for free. Living Simple is about improving the quality of life, for yourself and your community. Get involved and make things happen!

The economic reality of today’s world is that schools need money; they are constantly holding events to raise money for their needs. Drama clubs, band clubs, they are all there for you to enjoy, and they rarely cost much to attend. For $10 you and your significant other can enjoy a great play or concert held by local kids, and you will be helping them in the process.

If you are single, what have you always wanted to do? Play the guitar? Learn a craft? Whatever, now is the time! Take up a hobby and you have an activity that you can do at any time, and you will gain so much enjoyment from it.

If you are in a relationship, is there something the two of you would like to do together as a hobby? Let your imagination run wild, find common interests, and then go for it! Life isn’t getting any shorter, so why not start now?

Once a month? Once a week? Hold it at a new person’s house each time, and have a fun get-together. You can play board games, play Charades, have different theme meals, whatever; the point is community and spending time with people you enjoy, and the cost is very reasonable.

During the summer months have it on the patio, or build a bonfire and roast marshmallows. During the winter months have a card game….how about a bridge tournament or have teams for Trivial Pursuit? The point is to have fun with neighbors and friends, build community, and not spend money!

How much does it cost to go sledding? How much does it cost to go leaf peeping in the Fall? How about hiking or camping or swimming? What does a drive and picnic in the country cost? How about fishing?

There is so much to do; why aren’t you out doing it? Nature has given us this beautiful playground for our enjoyment; don’t you think you should get out there and take advantage of it all?

Berry picking is going on right now in our part of the country; just about anywhere you go blackberries are waiting for us and they are free! We are also collecting pine cones for decoration during the holidays, and the leaves will be changing colors shortly and they are craft projects just waiting to happen. Best part of it all….it’s all free entertainment!

What do you like to do? You could start a book club! You could start a crafts club! You could start any club that appeals to your interests, and meet once a month. You could have a movie club and show movies once a month. How about a gardening club? Use your imagination and get involved in an activity that costs nothing and gives you hours of entertainment.

What do all of these ideas have in common? For one, they cost next to nothing! Another commonality is that they exercise our imagination; the more we learn to find frugal entertainment, the more ideas we will come up with. Living Simple is about changing our ways of thinking! It is entirely possible to find entertainment that costs nothing or next to nothing. We just have to be willing to change our attitudes and do it!

2012 William D. Holland (aka billybuc)