How to have fun on a budget

Do you feel you don’t have enough money to properly enjoy yourself? It’s all well and good financial experts recommending that you need to spend ten per cent of your pay packet on ‘fun’, but that might seem a lot if you’ve got a tight family budget to balance. Yet, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to have a good time. There are plenty of cost-effective ways to enjoy yourself that don’t involve breaking the bank and can help you to avoid seeing fun as being something that is prohibitively expensive.rnHere’s some food for thought to help you to enjoy your free time on a budget…

Add some spice to sporting events

Sport can be an expensive hobby. It isn’t just the price of a ticket to a sporting event – everything from fuel to food and even accommodation can make being a fan a costly endeavour. But, there’s not a stark black and white choice between going and staying at home. There’s plenty of sport on the television – and not all of it is behind a paywall. You don’t just have to sit and watch – get your friends and family around, make an event of watching sports and have a flutter on events such as the Cheltenham Festival to help make the action that bit more special. rnDon’t go to the festival…bring the festival to you Can’t afford to go to the likes of Glastonbury? Bring the party to you. Get your friends around, whack a playlist on and embrace the festival vibe. You could camp in the garden – and issue wrist bands to your guests - to get a proper festival experience without needing to spend too much, or get too muddy in the process. If music isn’t your thing, why not get the popcorn in, dim the lights and create your own personal cinema vibe with a movie night – it’s bound to be cheaper than a ticket to a film screening and you can ensure you get to watch an old classic.

The old ones are the best

We can all overthink things from time to time. Sometimes it’s easy to overlook simple, traditional pastimes that are great fun and involve little or no cost. It’s time to dust off your deck of cards and brush up on the rules from your favourite board games to rediscover why we used to enjoy playing with them. They’re great ice breakers if you’re having a party and a good way to involve children in the fun too.

Thank you, Mother Nature

We’re lucky to live in a world in which Mother Nature has gifted us many ways to have fun – and more are completely free. A walk in the woods, a bike ride, a jog, a picnic, a trip to the beach or a nature reserve. Many of us are living right on top of a treasure trove of natural wonders – and how often do we overlook the beauty on our doorstep in favour of expensive activities elsewhere? Check out what’s available nearby and you’ll avoid overspending on travel too. With a bit of creative thinking and through making the most of what you already have – and what exists on your doorstep – you’ll be well placed to have plenty of fun on a budget.