What do you do for pleasure now?

[peebles32]

Like everyone else our bills have gone up along with food etc.
This means we have no spare income for holidays, days out etc.
It feels like we are working just to exist so I am after some ideas on what little pleasures I can look forward to. Kids are teenagers so that's a difficult one as it normally involves money when going out.
I am lucky as always had a holiday every year but next year is a not a possibility. (Unless it goes on a credit card).
I feel like although we are in a good position been able to pay the bills the money for extras has gone. Paying for Xmas is worrying me and I feel so guilty that we can't go for days out anymore.
Throw me some ideas on what makes you happy that does not cost much! Please...

They are actually.

I was thinking "wow, you live cheaply" then realised you were talking about a cat!

Absolutely not cheap. Big financial commitment and responsibility.

Fostering, the costs are covered.

Open house. Letting teens have friends over more for movie night and making own pizzas is way cheaper than paying for them to go out to the cinema and Nando’s.

For Christmas. Teens still like eating. Make and decorate gingerbread, can package some up in gift bags for granny or whoever as gift from teens.

Hiking. We still go places all winter, unless it’s pouring with Rain. Take flasks with hot drinks.

Eat (mostly chocolate)
Read (community bookcases, as you can swap books in and out, it doesn't cost anything that way)
Walk, except my knee is killing me atm from bashing it at clip and climb
Foot treatments - I prefer Aveeno but Poundland do a Peppermint footmask for £1
Join friends where we all take a packed lunch to someone's house and sit and eat and chat

A game of Bingo. Can't beat it.

Audible subscription.

Studying. Open Learn website is free.

Woodland walks.

Playing an instrument.

Or a game of Monopoly.

Meeting friends for walks and at museums and galleries.

Drawing and simple art projects using lots of recycled materials. Often with friends.

Selling my unwanted stuff online to declutter the house.

Board games nights.

Cooking yummy food from scratch and batch cooking. Foraging.

Crochet, macrame and other crafts.

Lots of very interesting free talks on where I live.

Audio books and YouTube. Netflix with face packs. Sitting on the riverbank watching the boats go by and the wildlife.

Volunteering. Very heart warming to do and often has spin off benefits/way to make new friends

Side hustles.

Honestly, I feel like lockdown has made me an expert in enjoying low cost simple activities!

Don't get a pet, even small ones can be expensive and if you can't afford the vet and opt to have the animal pts that's another £100 and a lot of guilt

We pick up board games from charity shops and have a gaming afternoon. We have 2 teens and an upper primary aged dc and everyone enjoys playing. Occasionally I'll buy a cheap new game for the switch that we can play as a family. I am useless at all of them and the dc tease me. We might make some popcorn to eat while we play

We all read. I find Vinted good for books, better than Amazon a lot of the time

Tesco vouchers help a lot. I pay for everything with my credit card and pay it off the next day to build up points quickly

Look to see if you get an extras with the companies you're with. Sky give 2 cinema tickets per month. If you buy insurance for just a couple of pounds then Compare the Market give you 2-4-1 cinema tickets. For a while Octopus were giving away free child's tickets, they now have an offer on adult ones. They also provide me with a free coffee each week. We get free Disney+ with the Lloyds.

We might make some pizza and watch a film together. If I'm organised I'll get Krispy Kreme doughnuts the night before using the Too Good To Go app, so we get 6 for £4.65 (still overpriced but dc love them and so much cheaper than full price) and you get points towards free ones

Going for walks

Seeing friends, either for a walk or just inviting them over for tea and homemade cake

We sometimes set dc a challenge like learning to juggle which can be fun

Oldest one likes crafts and jigsaws.

Book early. There are some family rooms available at Travelodge for £35 during Easter school holidays. Book one and do the free stuff that local to it but new to you. If you travel by train get a Railcard with your Tesco points

Planet Offers is good depending on where you live for some good discounts. Reminds me of how Groupon uses to be when it started out

I have always loved walking in the countryside, that and video and board gaming have been the main hobbies plus reading that have lasted a lifetime. They are all quite cheap really after the initial outlay of decent walking boots and my games console. I buy books in charity shops, one sells three for a quid in my town. We have Netflix plus I kept all my DVD’s, all in folders now so they don’t take up much space. I am a member of two hiking groups, made a good friend and we share the cost of petrol when we meet up with one group. I have had an awful issue with my back lately and can't do big hikes.

Visible mending of clothing, patchwork, mosaic making, uses a lot of free / cheap materials. Games evenings with friends.

There's lots of dogs and cats needing foster homes.
Everything is provided and paid for....food, bedding, vets bills. All you provide is a loving home.

Think I will brush up my Dutch with Duo Lingo.

That's not a cheap thing to do.

Cheap things I enjoy are:

• Creative hobbies like drawing/ journalling/ crafts/ knitting/ crochet (pencils, paper and yarn are inexpensive and there are lots of tutorials and ideas on YouTube)
• Board games - see if there's a club or cafe nearby that have interesting Eurogames like Ticket to Ride, Carcassonne etc rather than just Monopoly!
• Having friends over for a pot luck lunch/ dinner
• Baking, cooking (find recipes online that don't cost the earth - sometimes saves money compared to buying ready made stuff anyway!)
• Going for a walk
• Fitness and exercise at home - lots of stuff on YouTube
• Going to a free art gallery/ museum
• Finding free or cheap local events - depending where you live of course
• Meeting a friend for a coffee or walk round the park etc

There are plenty of things to do that don't cost a lot - most of the things I enjoy in life are pretty cheap really!

Also - make use of your local library.

I recently realised I can get access to so many digital magazines and books completely free through mine on apps like Libby and BorrowBox.

Libraries are really amazing.

Books from the library.

Gardening frugally (propagating so you get loads of free plants).

Sewing using the fabric from old clothes or charity shops.

Foraging.

Cooking and baking.

At a minimum, my pampered boy costs around £130-£150 per month, he's only 3 so I expect there will be increases. This is an average of costs across the year including insurance, vet plan/boosters etc plus litter and all the food he eats. That doesn't include one off purchases of toys, beds (he ignores 🙄), scratching stuff, bowls/timers, litter box etc. Cats are expensive too.

Someone mentioned about cats living around 18 years, I've never really done the sums before now but they are expensive. The diva is still worth it 😂

If you live near a university it's worth investigating what they offer. I go to a free exercise class that is part of their "local engagement" and there are often free talks or art exhibitions.

This.

Brilliant advice.

I'm on and off with running, but when I get into it, it's amazing. After some runs, I actually have the thought 'I can't believe this is free'. 😁

One could get an older pet. They're often slow to find new homes because most people want young ones.

Buying second hand books online and actually reading them!

Waiting for films to come out on streaming platforms rather than going to the cinema.

I'm fortunate to live in London and many museums & galleries are free. The parks are pretty impressive too.

I don't go to the pub much anymore and I rarely drink at all now, not by design but by cost!

DD is now veggie so I'm paying a good wedge on fresh veg, pulses & grains now, but I'm not buying as much meat (rarely fish) now. Most veggie meals can be made on the stove so not paying out to use the oven. I'm going to invest in an air fryer and try out some Cranks recipes in it.

I don't order takeaway much nowadays. If I do it's Dominos as it works out the cheapest if you figure out their deals. I used to order Thai, Indian, Japanese... Alas, no longer. Even some burger places are £££ with all the fees on top.

I have booked a holiday for 2025, my only one, but I'm debating whether or not to cancel it and go on a better holiday in '26. I might take a city break next year instead. I'm finding accommodation in Europe very very expensive.

This is awful, awful advice to someone clearly struggling with the CoL. Pets are expensive luxuries

But they still need to be fed and cared for?... They're sentient beings, not cheap lifestyle accessories