Are you feeling the strain of January already? Lots of people find that they are under a lot of pressure in January as their bank balances still haven’t fully recovered after Christmas and New Year. Their weak money situation coupled with the poor winter weather can make them feel very fed up with things. It’s certainly a big come down after all the Christmas festivities that have just been!
Because of the financial pressures that January puts on us, the majority of people try to save as much as they can so that they can get their finances on track as soon as possible. As a result, they often end up feeling glum for most of the month as they are on a very tight budget and can’t afford to spend money on fun activities and entertainment.
What would you think if I told you that it is still very much possible to have plenty of fun in January? Would you say I was crazy? Well, you might be surprised to hear that it is possible to have plenty of fun on a budget, no matter what time of year it is. Here are some tips and tricks that can help you do that. And yes – they will all work throughout the whole of January!
Stay Local
One of the main reasons why going on fun days out and taking part in fun activities can become so expensive is because of all the travel involved getting to them. So, it’s a good idea to stick to local events if you want to try to save some money. Places that you can walk to are the best as you won’t need to spend any cash at all in getting there. If you do need to travel somewhere, it’s best to try to stick to public transport as it will be cheaper than driving. If you do need to drive, why not think about carsharing with some friends or relatives? You can then share petrol costs, which should bring the overall price down.
Enjoy An Evening In
Of course, you don’t always have to leave the house to have fun. You will be able to enjoy a lot of cheaper entertainment in the comfort of your own home. If you find out more from Optimum, you can learn about their great deals that can offer you streaming services, an internet connection, and TV packages for very reasonable prices. So you will then be able to spend plenty of nights on the sofa catching up with your favorite TV shows and movies. Don’t forget that there are also plenty of games consoles that can provide you with plenty of entertainment at home as well. If you have a favorite pastime or hobby, such as running, reading, or knitting, you might want to join some online message boards where you can chat with like-minded people. That could be another fun way to spend your evenings in.
Take Cash, Leave Your Card At Home
Do you often end up overspending whenever you go for a meal at a restaurant or just a few quiet drinks at your local bar? If so, there is one way you can try to curb your spending. You just need to take the cash that you will need with you and leave all your bank cards and credit cards at home. Then once you run out of money, you will have to stop spending as there will be no way you can pay on the card or withdraw more cash out from an ATM.
Pay Your Own Way
One thing that can sometimes end up very expensive is splitting the bill in a restaurant or bar between friends. When splitting the bill equally, everyone pays the same amount and shares the cost evenly between them. This can be quite expensive for people who haven’t had as many courses or drinks during the meal, though. So, to make sure that you don’t end up paying more than your fair share, it’s always best to simply pay your own way and just pay for the food and drinks you ate. And then you don’t need to start panicking if one of your friends does decide to order a three-course meal!
Take A Look For Vouchers And Coupons
If you want to go on a day out to a museum, theme park, exhibition, or something similar that you would need to buy tickets for, it’s always worth taking a look online to see if you can find vouchers and coupons. Sometimes, local newspapers print coupons for local attractions too, so you might want to flick through yours before you go. These coupons and vouchers can often offer you quite big discounts that can help you save on the overall entrance fee.
Book Tickets Online
As well as looking for coupons and vouchers for money off, it’s also a good idea to book your tickets online. If you book direct with the venue themselves, then you might find that you can take advantage of a discount. Most venues offer small discounts of about 10% for all online bookings. Even though it might not be the biggest saving ever, every little count! Of course, not every venue will offer online discounts, so it’s always best to double check this before you buy.
Consider Vacation Alternatives
Are you dreaming of getting away from it all and yearning for a vacation? Worried that it will be too much for you to afford right now on your tight budget? Well, it could be possible as long as you look for some vacation alternatives. For instance, instead of booking an expensive hotel room, you might find that you can make significant savings by booking a room or holiday rental on a site like Airbnb. It could also be a good idea to look into booking flights with a budget airline. Even though you might need to transfer onto a different flight halfway along the journey, it could still be considerably cheaper.
Say No If You Need To
Don’t forget that it is always perfectly fine to say no to someone if you need to. For instance, if a friend invites you out for a meal at an expensive restaurant that you can’t really afford, you don’t have to go if you can’t afford to. After all, you aren’t obliged to go. You might even want to suggest a cheaper restaurant. But don’t feel guilty about saying no if you have to. We all go through periods of unsteady finances, so I’m sure that your friend will understand if you can’t join them at this moment in time.
Get Into Nature
If you are looking for some completely free to do, you just have to step outside and explore everything that nature has to offer. Even though most of the national parks and some other recreational areas require visitors to pay to enter, there are still lots of areas of outstanding natural beauty that are free to visit. So, why not step outside and enjoy some of that fresh country air? You could go for a hike or bike ride. You might even want to pack yourself a picnic to enjoy in the fresh air.
Look For Community Movie Nights
Do you think it’s time you got out there and started meeting some new people? If so, why not look for your nearest community movie night? There are lots of community centers and venues that put on movies on a biweekly or monthly basis. More often than not, these are free to watch. If there is an entrance fee, it will be very minimal and all profits raised will go back to help local community services. You’ll be able to meet with new people before and after the movie, and most of these nights often offer refreshments as well.
But Last-Minute Theater Tickets
Do you wish that you could afford the theater more often? Well, you might be able to afford tickets right now! You just need to look at buying them right at the last minute. Generally speaking, that will be the day before or the day of the show. Usually, theaters try to sell off all of the remaining tickets very cheaply just so they can fill the venue.
Invite Friends Round For A Games Night
Want something else to do when you are enjoying an evening in? Why not get into board games! There are hundreds of different board games so I’m sure you will be able to find one that you are interested in. It could also be fun to invite all of your friends around for a games night. It will be very low cost as you just need to provide a few drinks and nibbles. If anyone wants to drink alcohol, they will bring their own so you won’t have to front that cost.
So, there you have it. Fun and entertainment don’t always have to be expensive! How will you entertain yourself this season?
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