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Zero Dollar Fun Ideas

Nadiya Najib

Introduction

Most of us love planning fun days out as life is too short. However, the price attached to enjoyment seems to be the biggest challenge these days. Clearly we are not always in a position to spend too much. This article is about all the fun things you can do when you’re on a budget. 
In many cases, it seems like only money can buy us happiness. The following outings do cost money:
  • Bowling
  • Swimming
  • Coffee outing
  • Lunch out
  • Traveling
  • Theatre
  • Amusement parks
  • Dinner/Lunch out

However, there are many things you can plan which won’t cost you. I don’t know your stage in life but for a lot of years in my life, I have been financially struggling. So whenever I plan outings, my first priority is to think of fun days out without spending too much. In this article today, I will be giving you a list of 22 things you can do with your friends and family without spending much money.

I feel very strongly that we should plan get-togethers which don’t only revolve around food. We should make it a point to promote art, culture, creativity and conversation on our get-togethers. 

Importance of budget fun days

Sometimes it may be a bit of a hassle to arrange a fun day in or out. But let’s not let our laziness or procrastination keep us from these little most important things in life. Later on, when we look back, we only remember these precious quality moments we spent with our friends and family. Following are ideas you can do with your loved ones on a budget:

1. Drive to a beautiful location near your place

Search for beautiful locations near your house and drive there on a weekend with snacks and your loved ones. Check out UNESCO website for great places around you. Some of them may have an entry fee but its nothing compared to the amazing experience.

I think it’s important to explore the places around you in life. It broadens one’s view, makes you more aware of your surroundings and gives you something to talk about (great conversation starters).

Tip: Decide on a beautiful local place and ask your friends to bring a snack and have an outing there.

2. Picnic Party

Prepare a picnic basket:

  • Beach towel – to relax on without getting your clothes dirty. In case you don’t own one yet, its a must. Check this one out below:
  • Snacks
  • Drinks
  • Books
  • Cushions
  • Games to play

Spend the day at a local park under a tree.

3. Candlelit dinner in your backyard

Have a candlelit dinner in your backyard (or in your dining room/balcony) with your favorite music and company to light up the evening. Our childhood was full of candlelit dinners thanks to Mama who made them so special. Now we remember them as they were different, hence special!

4. A night under the sky

Spend a part of the night up in the terrace under the stars talking about the spookiest adventures you have had or heard? Or play a Rapid Fire question game where everyone asks each other questions.

If you are in an apartment, you could arrange to spend a night out on the balcony. Just drag your mattress and blanket out there and spend a night there with your family, cuddling and sharing funny life incidents with each other.

5. BBQ under the stars

Borrow BBQ equipment from a friend and have a blast on your rooftop.

6. Potluck celebration

Call your friends over to a potluck party. Everyone gets to bring one homemade dish. The laziest one gets to bring the drinks. The celebration can be on anything whether it was a great achievement or simply to celebrate a Friday night.

7. Game night

Call friends over for a game night. Have a match of cards, chess, carom board or board games.

Some recommended games are:

8. Move night

Watch your favorite movie at home on your (or your friends) home theater with some snacks.

9. Family trek

Wear your sports gear, check google maps for trails, parks, or lakes around your home/city, put some goodies, sunblock and cap in your bag pack and start trekking with your family.

The fresh air will take your breath away. Such outings will refresh your mind…. Guaranteed!  

Tip: Pre-plan a social media detox on that day and only take cameras on the trek. Ban social media usage on that day. The family spends quality time together without any cellphones or distractions.

10. Karaoke Night

Most songs have their karaoke version available on YouTube. Create a Playlist there with your favorite songs karaoke version. Call your friends over (potluck) for a Karaoke night.

11. The art of conversing

Spend really quality and fun time with your family by playing a game of questions. The idea is to ask one question and let everyone in the room answer the same question in 1-2 minutes each. Interesting questions can be printed off google (Try this list)or if you haveTable Topics, its perfect.

12. Visit your neighbors

When was the last time you visited your neighbors? It’s a great idea to push ourselves out of our comfort zone, get ready and start socializing with our neighbors. We can also take a little treat for them from the kitchen. A pack of strawberries, muffins or a box of biscuits should be good enough. Doesn’t have to be anything fancy.

13. Cooking/Baking mania

I like such get-togethers where you get together with a friend or two and cook/bake something fun. It’s a great way to exchange yummiest recipes, having a treat and spending time together while completing the usual chores. Baking brownies, pancakes,  homemade pizza, daal or biryani are some ideas.

Tip: If you live far away from your family, you can even plan a cooking date on Skype like we did. Check out the post below of my Daal date with my sister who lives away from me.

 

14. Paint party

I absolutely love this idea. Friends get together to paint something.

Read about the most fun party we had recently:

15. DIY party

Plan a DIY party where you can all bring your own ideas and make your creative drawings while sitting with each other. Following is a post on a DIY party I had arranged at my place. Just call up your creative friends and ask them to bring their latest projects and complete them together with music.

16. Puzzle party

It’s a great idea to invite friends over and make Puzzles together. It’s a great team activity too. Check out the following post of how we completed our last puzzle.

17. Book review meet-up

Why not arrange a reading time-out and ask your friends to bring their favorite books with them. You can host an evening where everyone talks about the books and read out excerpts from them.

18. Table Tennis competition

Find a club/friends place with ping pong and set up a competition with your friends.

19. Chores outing 

My friends and I have been doing friend meet-ups when we had chores and we decided to keep each other’s company while getting things done. This is a great and a very efficient way to meet friends when you have an extremely busy schedule and meeting up for coffee etc isn’t possible. Better to meet friends while getting chores done than not meeting at all right?

20. Gym get together

Why not ask your friends to accompany you to the gym and take some fun classes. Some ideas are below:

In case you don’t have a gym membership (guest membership), why not play them in your house and prepare a gym party in front of the TV. Everyone comes in gym gear, have great upbeat music and start exercising.

21. Community building through Meet Up 

Technology has really changed the dynamics of socializing now. If you want to be a part of communities and focus groups in your area, the best way is to sign up with Meet Up application. There are so many groups there, you will be surprised. I am already a part of their blogging, freelancing, painting, writing, board games, puzzles and genealogy groups. Sky is the limit. You just have to set up your interests on the app and can go to any meetup for free. This is honestly a revolutionary app. When my husband and I moved to Halifax, we didn’t know a single person there. We now have unlimited friends there all thanks to this remarkable Meetup app.

Gone the days when we could use the excuse that we don’t know anyone in our city. Meetup app has put the ball in our courts now. There are endless meetups around us where we can go and do what we love with other passionate souls. More power to communities. 

 

22. Host a Writers/Artists/Poet/Technology meet up

There is something so special about niche meet-ups. I love writers/poets meet-ups which my mom also hosts back home at Shireen’s Studio. So all the poets/writers get-together with their diaries and read out their favorite writing. It’s a great way to get support.

Conclusion

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