To ask what you do for fun when you're skint?

Not our one, quite a mixed bag. Quite a few elderly people who live alone. It’s advertised as more of a community meal, rather than as a substitute for a food bank. Obviously I don’t know about other areas ours is mixed, I’d say most that go don’t ‘need’ the meal more the company. Some are partners/kids/relatives of the volunteers

Countryside walks - lovey in the winter as long as it’s not raining! Back home for a home made hot chocolate (or stop at a cafe or pub if you prefer/ have the funds).

Immerse yourself in a good book - at home or in the local library.

Volunteer at a local care home keep some elderly people happy and there's always tea and biscuits on offer probably a free meal every now and then too.

Some fabulous ideas on here.

I like to sit in a cafe with a book, even better if it's a cafe with a view

Oh yeah and sex. All the sex. So much sex and all day long.
Oh for those early relationship, pre-kid days when you would just be in bed all day, snacking and watching crap on TV in between having all the sex. Seeing how many times a day you could do it and how many different ways, then trying to beat your own record.
Good times.

Library
Local history club
I’m part of a local church and Sundays and a once a week home group really help me feel sociable and connected

Also geocaching

We have an allotment - that’s fun but not in the cold
crafting
quilt making using old clothes / shirts
sketch pad and some watercolours
geocaching
we started ticking off all the castles in our county - must continue

If there is a Gail's near you, you can have a free hot drink when you download the app. I had a flat white and it was really nice!

Sex is the obvious answer to me too 🤣

I have the tesco credit card and tesco club card both get points. I use the cc to pay for everything I can then pay it off in full each month even got a separate bank account I transfer the money I spend on the card as I go as if spending from normal bank account. Mainly food and petrol shops. Now and again do tesco shop if they have stuff I want on offer. Had free meal yesterday at Ask. Look at hotukdeals they have a freebie page for free offers

Look at local independent cinemas, I found out recently that one a bus ride away from us does regular pay as you feel showings and it’s a behold cinema.

The other things I can think of OP, I’m also on a low income and only have £10 a week for myself for any treats. I’m interested in other suggestions. What’s your age, I’m 50 but I’ve been on a budget for a long time.

I don’t have a museum art gallery or theatre where I live so not even an option. So I occasionally go to the cinema daytime showing reduced price. Take a drink with me and the parking is free.

join the library. with mine I can access Libby online so can also read ebooks, audiobooks and all the monthly magazines. The magazines are such a treat as if I go in a shop I can’t afford one.

I also use a local little lending library so in the last couple of years all my books have been free ones. I read and return, I read a book a week to keep busy.

do you have a garden? I try to get outside in mine as much as I can I’ve been sitting out in it with a hot drink even on the cold days. I also do birdwatching, sunsets, sunrises, walls around the block to see trees I like.

I also do jigsaw puzzles. Not the most interesting but if I’m feeling low and lonely I can at least get a jigsaw out. Sadly there is a cost but I get them from a local cheaper charity shop (the ones closest to me is really expensive). But the one in the not so nice area the jigsaws are Approx £1.50 and BOGOF. So I get a handful once every six weeks or so when I’m passing that side of town as I have to drive to that shop.

new to me but I’ve also started scrapbooking. I had a whole ton of card making stuff that I got cheap off of eBay as someone was having a clear out. So I’ve bought a scrapbook (£3.50) and now I’m doing a couple of pages of that once a month. If you like photos Snapfish do free prints per month (just pay postage) so I’m started to get a few in to use for craft projects like this.

im finding the tv rubbish at the moment so I’m just selecting films that show up here and there abd listening to the radio a lot more. There’s operas on radio three regularly, not my sort of thing I thought, which I’ve enjoyed. I know to see them even at the cinema is really expensive and so I listen at home.

Buddy up. When me and exdp were broke, we took it in turns to have friends round for Sunday brunch. Baked beans, piles of buttery toast, scrambled eggs and sometimes bubble and squeaky, huge mugs of tea. Pop some music on, play a game

Then a few weeks later, your friends host.

Playdates. Playdates playdates, as many playdates as possible so you get as many invites back as possible.

Oh, no kids?

Then OMG so much. I would read and read and read. Read outdoors in the garden or in a park. Read in bed. Read on the sofa.
I'd try out new recipes
I'd practice new make up looks and hairstyles
I'd have a whole day where I did nothing but watch LOTR
Go on long, long dog walks across the countryside
Go up to London and walk around the natural history museum, the science museum, (free)Westminster Abbey, the tower of London (not free) or just stroll along Westminster bridge and tower bridge (free)
Walk on the beach, paddle in the sea
Go out at night to the woods and sit in a vehicle with a flask of hot chocolate, just wildlife spotting
Join a gym with a swim-only membership (cheaper than a full membership and many gyms with pools offer them) and just swim lengths and then use the sauna and steam rooms for ages.
Sit somewhere busy and just people watch
Chat random shit on internet forums
Stay up all night getting drunk and talking crap with friends and then sleep all day
Learn a new skill like knitting or something
Stalk old boyfriends on Facebook
Wonder round the laines in Brighton if you're anywhere near, or just find a street with amazing old charity shops and old bookshops and just browse all day
Get on a VR headset and play crazy games online with friends
Forage for mushrooms and nuts and fruits and wild herbs etc then go home and Google what you can cook with it all
Rescue some chickens and keep them in the back garden
See if your local tip has a shop where they sell crap people have thrown away, take it home and upcycle it then either keep it or sell it to make money for more books

That's all I've got for now but there is so much you can do. And before anyone starts yesterday I know you can do most of the above with kids, and I have!

The community centre I work at hosts weekly meals with foodcycle, they do a free meal and you get a pudding. Tends to get the same faces every week as well so people end up becoming quite friendly with each other and some end up volunteering for the charity as well.

foodcycle.org.uk/find-a-meal/

Bin off the frozen ready meals and go to Wetherspoons. Try Too Good To Go and Olio. Although word of warning - my DM is trying to use up a glut of lemons 😂

Look for birthday gifts for treats:
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/birthday-freebies-discounts/

Look for freebies and giveaways:
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/how-to-get-free-or-cheap-food/

Use cashback websites for purchases you're making anyway, like car insurance, changing electricity supplier, or even day to day / occasional things you buy online:
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/quidco/

Use things like the Airtime Rewards app - it's a passive way to make some money to pay towards your phone bill:
Download Airtime for free and earn a £2 bonus with my code: NRABEUHD
airtimerewards.app.link/QSADpg3 n4Qb

I was just about to recommend that to the OP as well. I’ve just joined as you also get a big discount off of plants etc. I was buying seeds to grow to feed us as I’m on a low income so I got £5 off my full purchase which included reduced food for a few days, and ten percent off of the seeds compost and a birthday gift etc.

ive not used the cafe yet but I thought a £7 saving off of one trolley was good. And if you are on a low income where you cant afford drinks out it’s nice to think that for a once a year cost you can pop out and have a hot drink without worrying about needing money. My store also always has reduced bread etc so I can pick up something for tea as well that day.

The John Lewis app gives lots of freebies - you need to check your rewards every month. I just had a free coffee and cake and I keep getting £20 vouchers off personal care with no minimum spend

Books from a phonebox library
Join a step challenge on Pacer app
The free tea/coffee refills from Wetherspoons as mentioned
Free music recitals in churches
Bands playing in pubs buy the cheapest drink

Yes - even solo it's still free 😁!!!

It’s 2 drinks a month so 24 drinks a year