With the beautiful summer weather preparing to go into hibernation you might find that your entertainment budget is about to make a pretty decent leap upwards. When it comes to entertainment most people don’t want to sacrifice their favorite pass times because of their budget. However, as time progresses entertainment becomes incredibly expensive and will leave you hurting for cash if you don’t know how to budget well. There are a few simple tips that you can use to make your budget meet your entertainment needs though. So don’t feel about that the easy days of summer entertainment are over, instead embrace your needs and try to find a way to keep entertained with these tips.
1. Sports
Although baseball season might be over there are still a whole lot of sports to keep you entertained throughout the cooler months. You might be wondering how sports can save you some money! Well, if you try to score tickets for a game earlier in the season you can grab a spot on the balcony for only $5 in many locations. This will give you ample leftover money to grab your favorite snack. Of course, if the major leagues are too hard to get into, or just not your thing then the minor leagues are always selling tickets to their exciting games. You could also join a league so you can enjoy spending time on the field while burning off the winter calories and having hours of fun with friends. Sports are also a great way to keep the kids entertained throughout this period of time. Most schools will run sports teams, but if they don’t try enrolling in a boys and girls club!
2. Movies
It doesn’t matter what the season is, movies are always a go to choice when it comes to entertainment. The only problem is most people don’t have $100 to spend on two people catching a movie and having a snack at the theater. So, if you plan on going out to watch a movie make sure you eat before hand. Usually afternoon movies are a whole lot cheaper than the more popular evening showings, so catch a matinee and save a few dollars per ticket. If you still don’t like the price of the theater then try to scout out a dollar movie theater. These places usually show movies that are about to come out on DVD, but they still make an awesome place to hang out and catch a great show on the big screen. You could always buy some popcorn for the home and check out a rental box for something that will appease the household. There is also the option of purchasing used DVDs or rummaging through the $5 bin at your favorite department store. Whatever means you choose you’ll be able to keep everyone happy while spending some time together.
3. Read
There’s nothing like snuggling up in bed with a nice book on a cold and rainy afternoon. Reading can be one of the cheapest entertainment sources for your home. If you are having problems with your budget then try cutting some of your expensive entertainment needs and plan a trip to the local library instead. This will allow you to get your children on the right track while catching up on some of your favorite literary adventures. Most libraries will even schedule special events for kids so you won’t have to worry about spending excess money on kids. If you like to own your own books then there are an abundance of cheap used books online and in thrift stores, so make sure to look around before you buy a new copy. To save more money you can download a kindle of edition of newly released books at a lower price than buying the tangible copy. Anyone interested in classic books might want to check out the numerous sited dedicated to offering free digital editions of these books to the public! If you want to make your hobby social then start up a reading club and invite people from the community.
4. Walk
Nothing clears the mind quite like a good walk, so grab a coat and get to walking. There are numerous places you can walk for absolutely no money at all. For example, you could start walking in your own neighborhood and then move on to parks or hiking trails to add a little interest to the task. You might even consider walking around the mall once a week to satisfy your need for window shopping. This will not only keep you occupied during your spare time but will also allow you to keep fit without having to pay for the massive gym membership. To make things more interesting for the kids you can always come up with scavenger hunts which will make them want to get out and walk as much as possible. You can even customize the task list based on what the weather looks like.
5. Community
Believe it or not, working for your community can be a whole lot of fun and can really cut down on your budget. For starters, helping out in the community means you’re one of the first people to find out about some of the most awesome events going on in your area. If you have a local university or community college then there will be a ton of events that most people won’t even know about. So, by spending time helping out you’ll get your family up front and center for plays, concerts and interesting workshops that everyone will love. You might also get to be a part of parades, fairs and other events that need a lot of planning. If you volunteer you might end up getting free admission to shows that need a few extra hands on deck. So, stop paying full price to go to places you’re not all that interested in and jump into your own local community for an awesome way to help and have fun all at once.
6. Music
For most people music is a way of life. Unfortunately, it is also a way to lose a lot of the entertainment budget. With new songs constantly being released it seems a lot of us might just live on our favorite digital music store. There are ways around spending a lot of money on the music we love though. To begin with there is internet radio. Recently many online radios have made an appearance on phones, tablets and laptops. These stations not only provide you with tons of stations from different genres, but also lets you listen to full albums and create your own playlist without purchasing a thing. Sure, some of these stations offer a premium service that is also at a low rate, but for most people the free edition is plenty enough music. You might also want to start skipping out on the high cost concerts. We’re all guilty of wanting to spend that $100 on a huge star, but there is equal or greater talent hanging out in local bars. Instead of opting for the big name, try spending a weekend night catching a local gig.
7. Discount Days
When it comes to budgeting your income you might want to look at your cities local schedule. A lot of areas have days in which many attractions will let in members of the local community for free or a discounted price. If you live in a city with museums, zoos and other cool things to see then check out the city’s website or bookmark the attractions to see if they are offering anything for free or a discounted price during the week. This is one of the best way to see your city and let your kids enjoy some awesome and educational attractions in the area. Sometimes, a lot of restaurants will do the same thing or will offer free dinners for children, so make sure you know when to journey out into the city!
8. Cut the Cable
Sure, we all love having the 900 channels of cable at our fingertips, but how often do we get a chance to actually enjoy it? Or, more importantly, how often are there shows on that we actually enjoy? It might seem strange to cut your cable, but once you save the hundreds of dollars each year you’ll see how well you can do without it. Besides, there are a lot of cool ways to watch shows now thanks to companies like Netflix and Hulu Plus. All you have to do is connect your T.V. to a video game console and you can enjoy your favorite blockbusters, television series or new original online series with the click of a button. You can also get these shows on your computer, phone or tablet so you’ll be set for entertainment whenever or wherever you’re bored. The best thing is these programs will cost you about $10 a month!
9. Join a Club
A lot of people have specific interests like swimming, rock climbing or knitting. It doesn’t matter what type of hobbies you have as the chances are you’ll be able to find a club to keep you busy. A lot of people begin their search for a club on the internet, but you could also check out communities buildings or ask around the neighborhood. If you can’t find the right club for you then start your own! You will be amazed as to how many people might share your interest that have also been looking for an outlet. The best thing about clubs is you usually only pay a membership or yearly fee and you’re set to go for various social events. You may even meet a group of friends that will help you find new interests while spending less money on expensive things you like to do.
10. Potluck Parties
We all love to have get togethers with our friends, but spending money on parties often can really drain the entertainment budget. Rather than inviting everyone over and feeding a lot of people frequently you might consider having parties that are potluck themed. People love sharing food with others so your parties might be even more fun than they were when you were footing the bill to everyone. So, instead of buying lots of food and drink you’ll have more money to spend on board games and other ways to entertain your guests. You might even try to plan out themed parties so your guest can bring various international, colored, textured and themed foods. This will make the party more like a puzzle which will entice people to show up boasting their addition to the party.
Keeping an entertainment budget can really transform your quality of life. We spend so much of our time cleaning and working that when it is time to have some fun we don’t want to worry about how much money we have to spend. With these simple tips you can have a bit more fun exploring your interests so you can learn new ways to keep yourself busy and happy without having to foot the big entertainment budget.
Author: Chelsey McQuitty
