Apr 10th, 2008
The following is a guest post by Heather Johnson, a freelance writer and contributor to Credit Card Lowdown. Heather invites your comments and freelancing job opportunities at her email address: heatherjohnson2323@gmail.com. Want to write for Money Under 30? Let me know!
Being money-wise at a young age doesn’t mean you have to sit around and do nothing while you wait to retire. No, it isn’t shrewd to blow a week’s wages on Saturday night, but there are plenty of things to do when you are bored while trying to build your savings. Here are 15 recommended activities:
Photo by shoothead.
1. Enjoy a local public park. From disc golf to people watching, there are many of things to do there.
2. Read some interesting blogs, just like you’re doing now.
3. Pick up a good book that you’ve been meaning to get to.
4. Start your own writing, even if it’s just a private journal.
5. Invite some friends over to your house. Just make it clear that you won’t be providing many amenities. Your buddies will understand your tight money situation.
6. Cuddle up to your special somebody.
7. Clean your home from top to bottom. It may not sound like fun now, but you will be in a better state of mind when your place is spotless.
8. Kill some time on your social networking site of choice.
9. Put on some music and dance around the house. You might even inadvertently lose some weight this way, which is always a bonus.
10. Call your mom and/or dad back home. They’d love to hear from you.
11. For a change of pace, rearrange your living room furniture.
12. Go outside to enjoy the sunset / sunrise.
13. Play some free, online games.
14. Pull a jigsaw puzzle out of the closet and get to work.
15. The ultimate time waster: “veg out” in front of the television.
Saving money takes a lot of discipline, particularly when your peers are being foolhardy with their cash. However, you can learn to adapt to free activities in order to reach your goal of financial freedom. While other twenty-somethings are maxing out credit cards in the name of fun, you will truly be the one who gets the most enjoyment out of life. Don’t worry; it won’t always be like this.
I'm David, an ex- financial journalist and recovering debtaholic. I'll help you get out of debt, get saving, and get on with life. Sound good? Please subscribe (RSS or e-mail) or follow me on Twitter.
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I like the list. I’d like to add visit your local library. Its like shopping for books but you don’t have to pay! Also you can usually check other media like music and videos. I would suggest not watching t.v. unless you Tevo past the commercials. Madison Avenue will work on you to go buy something…
If you have the time to be vegging out, why not volunteer? Whether you join a committee for your local government or help out a shelter, it’s a great way to get out, get involved, meet new people, and forget about spending money! Most groups only take up one night a week and can be the perfect evening activity to help you avoid wallet-gouging past-times.
Why not look up free events in your hometown? Especially if you live in a city, there’s a good chance you’ll find something. During the summer, for example, free concerts in parks or shopping areas about. If you look, you can probably find a local event listing site for your city. Mom-specific sites are decent places to look, too, for event listings.