I’m always interested in finding fun and inexpensive ways to entertain myself on the weekends. Sometimes I’ll invite everyone over for some Killer Bunnies and Mario Party on the Wii (if you haven’t played it, you’re missing out, it’s a blast!), which results in a night of hilarity and cheap fun. I also like to go out and just get some coffee and hang out at the local coffee place, which is about 3x cheaper than going out to eat.
But sometimes you want to go out and have some fun right? Here’s what I like to do for relatively cheap entertainment:
1. Bowling: There are 2 bowling alleys within 5 minutes of our apartment. For 2 games it costs me about $8.00. To keep spending down, don’t spring for the beers at the alley, you can always go home and have a cold one for much much cheaper!
2. Skiing: I’ll happily admit that I love to ski, and most of the time people associate skiing with expensive lift tickets and rental fees. A good pair of skis can last you a long time though, so if you go more than once or twice a year, your own skis may be a good investment. Not only is it cheaper in the long run, but you can show up, throw on your stuff and hit the slopes without all of the rental nonsense. I usually go night skiing, which is significantly cheaper than peak hours on the weekends, and less crowded. Don’t go buying food at the lodge, seriously, it’s expensive. Bring your own sandwiches or snacks if need be! Cost for lift ticket: 15$, plus another 10-20$ for gas.
3. Movie Night: I know, everyone always picks on going to the movies as a waste of money and so on and so forth. If you skip out on the drinks and popcorn though (smuggle if you have to!) it’s really not that bad as an occasional night out. At my local theater a ticket runs me about 9$, which is pricey but hardly breaking the bank if your spending money is properly budgeted.
As you can see, you can still go out, have fun, socialize with friends and get out of the house/apartment without going broke. What’s important is that you’re smart (note: not ultramega cheap guy) about what you do and how you do it. Don’t buy into the extras where these places make their money (a beer at the ski lodge, popcorn at the movies). If you plan ahead, it’s easy to keep costs under control and spending well within budget.
-Xias