We often find that budgeting and sticking to routines in the week is simple, but when it comes to the weekend, that’s a whole different story.
Most of the added extras we spend at the weekend are a result of not planning in advance, but luckily we have plenty of ideas for you here.
As well as regularly checking our freebies for ways to save money, we’ve listed our top ways below.
Top Tips for Saving Money
Free days out
If you’ve not planned something in advance, you can often end up looking at the most obvious days out to fill your time; the cinema, bowling, pubs etc. however all of these activities are quite costly.
If you have children, some of the best websites to look for ideas include Day Out With the Kids and Kids Days Out – despite their names, they have some great days out even if you don’t have kids too. Some of the activities listed can be quite expensive though, so if you can’t find something suitable your next best option is to simply Google “free days out” followed by the location you’re in.
Use your surroundings for ideas too – if for example you live near a beach, why not go and collect some of the nicest pebbles and shells and then make picture with them afterwards. Or place then in used jars (Yankee candles are particularly good) and place them in the bathroom for some low cost nautical decor.
If you live near forests or woodlands, why not make more of an activity on a walk by seeing how many different species you can find? And don’t forget, Geocaching is still very much a thing.
Take snacks
Once you’ve decided on your day out, the main way you’re going to ensure it stays low cost – or free if that’s the aim – is to take plenty of snacks with you, including a packed lunch if you’re out for most of the day.
If the weather isn’t that great, we’d also recommend taking a flask with either soup, hot chocolate or coffee in. We guarantee this will take a picnic from “meh” to “yeahhh” if it’s a gloomy day.
If you’re an adult and enjoy an afternoon drink at the pub, take a couple of beers on your walk, or add a bit of baileys to the hot chocolate in your flask.
Avoid the shops
Another sure way to avoid spending and keep your weekend cheap is to avoid shops. Going to a supermarket and stocking up doesn’t count, but any little extras, such as drinks if you don’t take them with you will add up.
It’s also best to avoid any sort of shops if you’re trying to save money with the children, as you can bet there’s something in there that they will want and you may just give in.
Keep a spreadsheet
This might be an extremely boring one, but whenever you find something new going on near you, saving it in a document will make sure you don’t forget about it. We live in times of information overload, so no matter how much you think you’ll remember something, chances are you’ll see something new and then that thing you wanted to do becomes forgotten.
Get creative
We get it, if the weathers awful you may not want to venture outside – although if you’re well prepared, rainy cold days out can allow you to enjoy the outdoors from a different perspective. As we say though, we get it – bad weather can be very off putting so here are some free, or incredibly cheap ideas to enjoy in the house:
1. Vegetable Carving
Carving pumpkins doesn’t just have to be for Halloween, and it’s also not the only vegetable you can use for carving. Why not switch things up and see what you can carve in to an aubergine, butternut squash or even a courgette!
2. Jigsaws
One of the best things about jigsaws is they are cheap and can be a solo activity, or they can be done as a group – and they will keep you entertained for hours!
If you’re playing as a group you can split in to teams, separating by edge pieces, colour and the amount of detail included on a piece. This part alone can take a good while to complete.
3. DIY Projects
The more you look around the house, the more you’ll see that can be improved or updated. It could be as simple as replacing a picture frame with cards or leaflets you’ve collected over the years, or giving the skirting boards a fresh coat of paint.
The aim here is to do something that doesn’t feel like a chore, but is something that will be rewarding and yet relaxing and enjoyable at the same time.
And finally we’ve listed our top ways to save money at the weekend, but what if you fancy making a little money? Browse our list of the top survey sites for making extra cash here.
