Winter Fun without Overspending

During the winter months, it’s common to overspend. The weather is colder and it gets dark earlier, so you’ll likely be tempted to spend more time indoors. That naturally leads to more spending as you look for ways to entertain yourself. The good news is you don’t have to break the bank just to have a good time this winter. Here are a few tips for enjoying yourself without going over budget.

It sounds simple, but you and your family can have a great time playing in the snow no matter how old you are. Build a snowman, make snow angels, put together forts, or do anything that’s fun. Whatever you decide to do, it will be a great time and it won’t cost you anything at all! Just make sure you bundle up before you go outside.

A cold winter day is a perfect time to stay indoors and cook up something warm or to bake a delightful treat. Why not do it as a family? Not only will it be more fun, but it’s also a great way to teach your children about cooking and baking, which are important skills to learn. Plus, since they had a hand in making the food, your kids will be much more likely to eat what you’ve cooked.

Cleaning up might not seem like a fun way to spend the day, but you can make it enjoyable. Turn on some music, split up the house amongst your family members, and start cleaning. When you’re done, your reward will be a clean home, a sense of accomplishment, and likely more than a few items you’ll be able to throw away or sell at a yard sale or online. You may even want to spend the day moving furniture around your home to see how it looks. You might get inspired and find a brand new layout for your living room, family room, or bedroom.

If you own your own skates, you can probably hit up a local rink for a small fee and potentially even free. Even if you don’t have skates, many arenas and rinks will rent them to you for a small amount. If you don’t know how to skate, don’t worry! This winter is your perfect opportunity to learn. Take it slow, go with an experienced skater who can help you, and have a good time.

There are a lot of ways that you can entertain yourself at the local library. Of course, there are books, and spending the day reading is always a good way to entertain yourself, but many libraries have much more to offer as well. Most will let those with a library card borrow magazines, DVDs and CDs, but many libraries now offer streaming services as well. Check out your local library online and see if they have a service where you can read magazines, watch movies, and listen to music for free online with your library card.

Plus, many libraries offer seminars, classes, and workshops which can be a great way to spend a cold winter day and learn something new.

Spending some time making a craft is a great idea, especially if you have young children. Gather up some supplies from around the house and reuse paper tubes, crumpled wrapping paper, plastic containers, and anything else you can think of to make fun crafts. There are plenty of ideas and tutorials available online, but it’s also a good idea to use your imagination and come up with some original ideas too. Get creative and enjoy yourself!

Depending on where you live, you might find that there are free local events taking place all winter. From winter markets to free public concerts to amateur sporting events, there’s a very good chance that you’ll find some great free events happening in your area.

Many cities and towns also offer free or discounted admission to museums and art galleries on certain days of the year, so keep an eye out for these opportunities.

In general, searching around for events and discounts is a good idea. You can find great activities to help you entertain yourself without breaking the bank.