Your Money_ The Missing Manual - J. D. Roth [47]
Things changed when he and his wife had their first child. Instead of going out frequently, he was staying home with his family. This forced him to find other ways to spend his leisure time, and he learned that he didn't need money to have fun.
"I spent a lot of time walking around town, holding my son," Hamm says. "I began to notice things. Like, I was vaguely aware that my town had parks, but I had no idea the parks had free Ultimate Frisbee leagues. And I didn't know about all the hiking trails nearby."
Hamm recommends you look for the fun, not the price: "The mistake most people make is looking for the free stuff first. Look at the things you really enjoy doing. Once you know what you like to do, there's almost always ways to do these cheaply." For example, Hamm still goes golfing with his friends—but he's found cheaper ways to do it. He doesn't play as often, and when he does he uses public courses and cheap golf balls. "Why would I spend $30 on a ball?" he says. "I'm not Tiger Woods."
Here are some ways to have a good time without spending your last dime:
Play games. A deck of cards costs a couple of bucks. A fancy board game costs about $40—or less if you find it on Craigslist.org. Either one will provide hours of fun with friends and family. (You can still have poker nights with your buddies, just do away with the high-stakes jackpots.)
Take up a hobby. Some of the best times you'll ever have come from pursuing your favorite interests. Gardening and playing music are two great examples of hobbies that cost something up front, but which yield great rewards down the road. Things like knitting and woodworking can be expensive, but if you're knitting a scarf or building a table, those useful items mitigate some of the cost. And if you sell the things you make, you can even earn money.
Read. Don't overlook your public library, which has a wealth of entertainment options, including books, magazines, CDs, DVDs, audio books, lectures, Internet access, board games, story time, and more. Some libraries even give passes to zoos, museums, and other cultural institutions. The library is like a giant entertainment warehouse, and since you pay for it with your tax dollars, you might as well get some use out of it!
Take a class. Strictly speaking, this option isn't low cost. Community-ed classes usually run about $50, and classes at your local community college might be up to $200. Even though you have to shell out some money for these classes, you're not only having a good time while you learn about woodworking or French or computer programming, you're also picking up a skill you can use to improve your life.
Exercise. Physical fitness is some of the cheapest fun there is, and study after study shows that exercise improves both physical and mental well-being. If you're bored by walking, running, or biking, check into city league sports.
Use what you own. If you're like most Americans, you have stacks of CDs, DVDs, books, and magazines sitting around your house. When was the last time you watched your complete set of Star Trek tapes? That's weeks (or months) of fun right there. If you start using the Stuff you own, you might never run out of things to do.
Explore your community. Search out the cheapest deals in your town, like movie theaters or museums or Mexican restaurants. Spend a Saturday touring yard sales or browsing the local shops you've never bothered to visit before. Attend a high school musical or an open-mic night at the coffee shop. Stroll through nearby parks. Your city or town likely has tons of cheap entertainment, but most people are too busy to notice.
The key, as always, is to do what works for you. Choose activities that you enjoy and find ways to do them for less. No