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

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I'm living month to month atm but hoping this will change eventually.
There are only so many free museums, galleries and parks you can do, especially in this weather and they're not open during the evenings.
In terms of eating out as well, I'm not looking to go to fancy restaurants every time and id be happy with a Wetherspoons tbh or just going for a hot chocolate. I don't drink alcohol either.
It gets tedious having to constantly clean dishes, I do a mixture of fresh cooking, frozen ready meals and very basic meals.

Honestly it's hard sometimes. Looking for any suggestions or advice.

Is There a Dobbies near to you? They do a yearly membership….around £15 I think but you get two free hot drinks a year and then on your birthday they give you a voucher for 2 pieces of cake if I remember rightly

That's a lovely gesture.

I know you said you're skint but I pay 12.99 for Premium YouTube and learn so much from it, including history , cooking, sewing, DIY, black & white films. It's endless.

If it's something that interests you, you could investigate your family tree for free at most Libraries, you have to join the Library but that's free too! It can pass a couple of hours and you may find the skeleton in your family cupboard!

I wouldn't join Dobbies, they're closing a lot of them!

If you like music festivals, volunteer at them for Oxfam or similar. You have to pay for the ticket upfront but get it back once you've completed the festival. You camp there and usually get a free meal per shift so if you take your own food and drink you can do it really cheaply

I use a tesco cc and use my points for a nearly free dinner every now and again at Ask have to pay for drinks but like me you don't drink alceso will be cheap.

Is it just me or is £15 for 2 drinks and 2 bits of cake not exactly the bargain of the century

When I.bought my first house, I was skint.. I took a couple of shifts at the local pub. It was a little bit extra cash but it was a way of spending a sociable evening talking to people without spending any money. Gave it up as my day job became more demanding but it was fun

It's a while since I was in this position,.and when I was I had young children, but things that worked for me

• saving points on things like Tesco vouchers - we had quite a few meals out /trips out and even holidays thanks to these!
• selling bits on facebook market place (I expect vinted has replaced this now?) and using the money from that for new clothes /activities
• doing bits and pieces of extra work on top of my day job and using the funds to pay for day trips /holidays. I used to work in a polling station every May and that made enough for a flight somewhere., for instance.
• working overtime whenever I got the chance.
• going on little "adventures" - even a walk can be nice if it is somewhere different
• volunteering for events like fun runs etc, it added interest to my life and meant it felt like I was living not just getting by
• going to the library and getting out books/dvds

One of my favourite books is called "How I Lived a Year on Just a Pound a Day" by Kath Kelly. It's not a recent book so the 'pound a day' is probably no longer possible. She ended up having a great year by seeking out unusual free experiences that often included food. I re-read it every year for inspiration. Your local library might have a copy - I found mine in a charity shop for £1! 😊

I've never owned a Tesco club clubcard but maybe it'd be worth me getting one?

Some of the ideas on here are great and I shall be using them. Mine are

a lot of libraries are warm hubs now and have hot drinks available. Get a good book, relax with a hot drink for free

i volunteer at a charity, any expenses are paid (but it doesn’t cost me anything anyway) it gets my brain working and is social

update your home using freecycle, regular scrolling can help you do up your home for free!

a lot of universities do free courses. Could you join one and learn a new skill?

could you use your free time to earn more to stop living month to month? But something that’s fun…

perhaps dog or house sitting? Babysitting? Respite caring if you have a spare room or are interested in care work

Get every loyalty card there is. Even if they are slow to grow, it eventually adds up and many give freebies every now and then

i have Tesco, Waitrose, Morrisons, Costa, cafe nero, Sainsbury’s just off the top of my head!

I saved £31 (on a bill of £101) on my Tesco clubcard yesterday! Admittedly, I was buying expensive booze birthday presents for DH, but normally you can expect to save 10% on each shop.

It's not, in its own right - but you get 10% off plants & possibly other stuff. So it's not bad if you're into gardening!

Library!

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

Yes - even solo it's still free 😁!!!

I've got an evening tutoring job now luckily which should help me, I will definitely get a clubcard now

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

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

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.

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

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/