Does the thought of a “no spend” weekend give you a funny feeling or does it pique your curiosity? We all live for our weekends. Some of us are weekend warriors while some of us are weekend snoozers. For weekend warriors it can become draining trying to fit everything possible into your weekends.
Weekend spending can really add up. Catching up with friends, kid activities, the impromptu night out, sporting events. What about the splurge you are still recovering from from the weekend before?
There are times when you just need to take a break to get yourself back on track. By taking advantage of a no spend weekend you can help yourself realign with your goals and save some money at the same time.
What is this no spend weekend?
Ok, a no spend weekend doesn’t mean a “no-fun” weekend. But it does mean that you aren’t allowed to spend any money on anything. NOTHING, not even groceries or wine. This is a great time for you to save money while finding free activities, that are fun, new, and even interesting-imagine that!
The key to being successful during your no spend weekend is planning. Do some research, check your local paper to see what is happening or look online at the chamber of commerce. Maybe you have a community Facebook page where people post community happenings.
Here is a list of new and different things for a no spend weekend
1. Neighborhood cleanup
Organize a group of friends or just do it on your own. Grab a bag and some gloves and do your part to spiff up your neighborhood. Not only will you feel good to have a cleaner common area but your neighbors may follow suit and do their own cleanup day.
2. Volunteer your time
Is there a local shelter you can volunteer to serve food? How about the community animal shelter; where you can try some dog walking. Volunteering your time may not seem all that exciting in the beginning but after you have given your time you will be happy you did. Volunteering makes people feel good knowing they are doing their part to make a change.
3. Check out the community calendar
Check your town’s chamber of commerce site to see what free events are happening. Often times you can find informational talks at the library, or free documentaries about someone’s recent travel experiences. You may even luck out and find a free learn how to knit session!
4. Start Running (or walking)
Ok there is no better time than now. Have you always said someday you will run that half or full marathon? Why not start training now? Pull up some free online training plans and plot your schedule.
5. Make a budget
By creating a budget you will have better control over your finances and where your money goes each month. I love keeping my budget in line by using Personal Capital.
6. Re-evaluate your phone plan
Since we are talking budgets and money. Take this time to look over your cell phone plan and consider making some changes if needed. We saved $1200 a year by switching carriers.
7. Make a thrift store run
Focus on one room and get rid of all your clutter that is taking up space. I find it so liberating to clear unnecessary things from my life. If you are looking to make some money by selling various electronics online we have had great experience with Decluttr. I have also used Gazelle several times for selling our old cell phones. I definitely recommend checking both companies out.
8. Host a potluck dinner party
Remember I said that just because we are having a no spend weekend it doesn’t mean that it has to be “no-fun” This a fun thing to do on a
9. Have a spa day
This is one of those girls day activities. Invite your friends over or just have some alone time. Paint your nails, do a face and hair mask, create a DIY body scrub from ingredients you already have on hand.
10. Go for a picnic
When you are looking for ideas on how to be thrifty why not go for a picnic? Pick an area like the ocean, the lake or just picnic at the park. Bring something fun like these to the park.
11. Redecorate or reorganize
Pick a room to redecorate or reorganize with things that you have on hand. Could you move the furniture to open up space? What about moving wall hangings from one room into another? Use Pinterest for some good inspiration.
12. Learn a new skill
What is it you have been wanting to learn but haven’t spent the time to do so? Have you been wanting to knit, do beadwork, paint, learn a new language, how about a good at home workout video? See what you can find on Youtube, the “how to” tutorials are endless. This is a great idea when you are looking for fun things to do on a weekend.
13. Start a blog
I happen to be one of the slowest writers that
I enjoy blogging because I’m able to make a good amount of passive income through affiliate marketing. If you are looking to start a blog click here to learn everything you need to know.
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14. Review your grocery budget
Looking for ways to be thrifty? Spend some time
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15. Go for a bike ride
If you aren’t into mountain biking just peddle around your town. You may be surprised by how you see things in a different perspective while on a bike.
16. Organize your phone
Not sure if this can be categorized as a super fun thing to do on a weekend but it has to be done at some point. Organize photos, delete unneeded emails, delete unused apps, sort through your contact list and weed out the contacts you no longer need.
17. Go to your local library
When is the last time you spent some time at the library? Libraries have so many free resources (audiobooks, magazines, music, movies, travel books). If nothing else just go to your library to activate your library card so that you can sign up for free audiobooks on your phone. I love using the OverDrive app to listen to free books that are sourced through my library.
18. Find a free concert
Look around, I bet you can find parks offering free music events. Many larger cities have venues who host free concert series in the summer. Check the internet to find their lineups.
Here is a great money saving tip from Bryan at Bucks & Cents
I keep all of my money (like 95% of my liquid assets) in a high yield savings account where I earn close to $200 a month!
If your are looking for a high yield savings account check out Cit Bank
19. Host a game night
We all love hanging out with friends, but sometimes planning a party can be a bit complicated. Hosting a game night is the perfect excuse for a casual laid back night with some good friends and laughter.
20. Go for a hike
Look for an area you have yet to explore and plan a hiking route. Have you been to your state park? What about a hike into some hidden hot springs you have heard about.
21. Go camping
If you are a city dweller and can’t get away to the woods. Why not set up a tent on your deck or in your backyard? It’s all about creating adventures, spice things up!
22. Call a friend
Reach out to a friend or family member who you haven’t spoken to in a while. We all get busy and forget to call our loved ones as often as we should. Take advantage of this time to call at least 3 people you haven’t spoken to in a while.
23. Find a free class in your area
For example, our local Home Depot hardware store offers some good hands-on DIY classes for people to learn some basics about woodworking and other DIY projects.
24. Try a free trial at a local gym or yoga studio
Sometimes you can find yoga studios who are offering free classes put on by their newer instructors who have just finished their training. You may even find a gym that is offering a new free class they have never offered before.
25. Meal plan for the week
Use this time to discover new recipes. I love exploring different things I’ve never tried before. You can also research and find healthy food plans to get your diet back on track.
26. Meditate
New to meditation? You can find all kinds of free meditations on the internet. Give it a shot, you may find that you need to do it more than one time to find your groove. Meditation takes practice so don’t give up if you think you don’t have what it takes on the first try.
27. Go sightseeing
Take yourself on a sightseeing adventure to see what others have been talking about. I always love driving into the mountains to see the colors of the leaves begin to change.
28. Yoga
I love using my free Alomoves App for doing 30-minute yoga sessions in the comfort of my home.
29. Paint or draw
Do something artistic. Most of us don’t exercise our creativity enough. Give yourself the freedom to explore and express your inner badassness! Every once in a while my girlfriends and I will do “girls day activities” where we go to our local craft store and participate in a Paint and Sip day. These are super fun- of
30. Read a book
When the weather outside is frightful, cozy reading is delightful! Ok, the weather doesn’t have to be frightful… Just grab your favorite book, a cup of coffee, or tea and enjoy.
31. Go to an indoor or outdoor market
Wander around a local market to see what’s new or at least enjoy some good people watching.
32. Take paid surveys
Take advantage of this no spend weekend to actually make some money. In fact, this simple task of taking surveys can make you money while standing in line at the post office, during commercial breaks of your favorite TV show, or while you are just wasting time. If you are consistent about doing surveys you can easily make an extra $100 or more a month by offering companies your opinion.
Here are the top survey sites that we recommend you checking out:
- Vindale Research (Free $2 bonus for signing up. Some surveys pay up to $50)
- Swagbucks (Free $5 bonus for signup up)
- Survey Junkie (Extremely easy to use, and you can use PayPal to cash out points)
- Pinecone (You are entered into a sweepstake drawing to win $500 every to weeks and $4500 every quarter)
33. Clean your car
I know, booorr-innng! But it has to be done sometime, use this weekend to shine it up spic and span!
34. Consider financial independence
Use this list to guide you with ideas of how you can make an extra $500 a week.
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Do you have more great ideas of what to do during a No Spend weekend we would love to hear what you got! Leave us a comment below!
