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...

If you like dogs but don't want the expense, there are apps where you arrange to befriend and walk someone else's...called walk my dog, or something like that.

Op has said in a later post that she already has a dog

I didn't say they were cheap lifestyle accessories
I was responding specifically to the comment 'Having a cat or dog is a big commitment - cats live for about 18 years.', which I thought was abundantly clear seeing as I quoted that post when posting my own comment.

BorrowMyDoggy.com (may not be useful to the OP, but in case anyone else is interested).

EDITED to take out mysteriously appearing asterisks!

Not suggesting that was what you said or what you meant @markwithaC
But I'm a bit at the number of posters saying "why not get a dog?" when the OP says she has no spare income and wants ideas of things that don't cost much!
In any case, the OP already has a dog so this is all moot

I don't disagree about the cost.
By quoting someone like you did me, you imply that you're responding to their point, which is why it looked like you were replying to mine about getting an older pet.

Returning to the actual point of this thread, do you enjoy reading, OP? Local library/reading group?

• I go seek out local events that are free or very cheap

• Go for a nose around the retail parks a coffee might be included in this sometimes

• Play games at home

*Movie nights far cheaper then the cinema

• Meet up with friends weatherspoons does cheap refill coffee plus some cheaper meals

I do have pets x2 hamsters had them ages also had 5 others before they still aren't cheap initially because the set ups they need are pricey but monthly the 2 I have left only cost me around 10-15 bedding is bulk bought food is reasonable priced they don't tend to need insurance because no one really insures them least not in my area I have always got a pet/vet back up fund just Incase because even small pets cost a fortune at the vets I have been extremely fortunate and none of mine ever needed vets as yet

We now go to the cinema a lot more when in the past we would have gone out for a meal. Our local cinema do a 2 for 1 on a Wednesday so 2 of us costs £15 or family tickets are £28 (& we take our own cans of pop & packet of sweets 😏) whereas dinner out for 4 is hard pushed to find under £70/80 nowadays.

I also agree with taking up a hobby like an instrument or knitting plus we recently invited friends over for a poker night - £10 stake, everyone brings a bottle and we provides some beers, soft drinks & snacks. Great fun night for minimal outlay.

Encourage the teens to get jobs, that way they can pay for their own fun and you don't need to feel like they're missing out. Plus, that means they might be out of the house occasionally to allow for adult time. Or just freedom to go for a walk, cheap lunch, picnic, cinema. Basically life is much cheaper if you're just paying for 2.
I'm also financially irresponsible, and would book the holiday, and find ways to pay it off. Extra work, selling stuff, buying via cashback etc.

I love reading and read loads, especially free books on kindle. I have a dog. I just feel I need something be to look forward to. I work bloody hard and like a lot of others it just goes on bills.

Got some good ideas though!

Twiddling my Whippet’s ears while reading or watching a film on you tube.
It’s very relaxing.
Luckily she seems to like twiddled ears, too.

Being on here. Lol. Baking. Gardening. Lying on the couch doing fuck all....🤣

Oh my god 😍 QUEEN OF CUTENESS

Check out your local supermarket's ads for groups/clubs/classes/events. If I lived in Shropshire (which I don't) I could do Fly-Tying classes for just the cost of the materials! Bargain.

I totally get you OP, and I also get a bit stir-crazy if I just stay at home despite how much I like reading etc. I need the stimulation of other people and events.

Not sure where you live, but like PP, I am in London which is helpful in terms of free/low-cost activities. There are often talks on interesting topics at universities/centres/organisations that you can go on even if you are not associated with them. They sometimes have free drinks receptions etc too after.

I have signed up to a few websites that fill seats in theatres and other events - there are lots of kids things there and you usually pay a nominal fee (few pounds)

I keep an eye on local social media stuff for school/park/community events, although these seem to be better for younger kids

There are lots of freebies around but you do have to hunt for them. DH has a subscription to the Telegraph through work, and you get a free Vue cinema ticket once a month - we take in turns going. I get a weekly free coffee from Cafe Nero through Octopus, so I go and read in a cafe for a bit once a week with my free coffee. We have a few local museums which have a free entry day on a certain day (like first Sunday of the month etc) so I always check websites for any free dates/events.

Check what benefits your workplace offers. My friend worked at her job for 2 years before she realised that her organisation had a corporate membership to the Tate, and she got 2 free tickets for every exhibition (something I benefited from too!)

I buy slightly posher tea and Hotel Chocolate hot chocolate powder and make one at home as a treat instead of buying hot drinks out now.

Over the winter my teens like to-
walk in the woods
go to free museums
we use our national trust for Scotland & historic Scotland memberships (young scot card gets the 16 & over teens in for a pound)
love a bat walk which is really easy this time of year!
boardgames
do jigsaws (charity shops & library)
read (library)
mooch about charity shops with their friends
roast marshmallows either on a fire at the beach or gel burners at home
They still enjoy feeding the ducks I started buying sacks of duck food when I had toddlers & never stopped
used to do poetry tea time when they were small (afternoon tea & poems) and they still enjoy occasionally but now they take turns reading
they look forward to decorating gingerbread houses for Christmas (some years they compete other years we design something big & they decorate together)
Christmas films with popcorn & chocolate (doesn't work the rest of the year unfortunately as they'll never agree on a film)

Instead of cafes, I make my own luxury tea in my special tea pot. Warm the pot, warm my hands on the warming pot and imagine my fingers are infusing it with magic. Add the loose leaf tea, brew for a couple of minutes and enjoy with a China cup and saucer and definitely no phone.

The whole thing feels like my own little ceremony. It seeps out into the rest of my day and makes it feel that little bit more special.

Tea always tastes better out of a China cup. Extra loveliness if I add a home made hob nob.

@LadyLucksalot That sounds lovely! Would you care to share your Hobnob recipe? 😋

Today I went on a bike ride and made my first ever smoothie. That was a treat.
I also relax with crochet or a jigsaw while watching youtube/Netflix.

With pleasure! I found it years ago on the moneysavingexpert website and it's a firm favourite with my children. It's not my recipe but I've tweaked it to use a little less sugar. Use the same amount of flour, oats and butter (or margarine):

200g self-raising flour
180g sugar
200g porridge oats
200g butter or margarine
1tbsp golden syrup
1tbsp hot water
half a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda - this makes all the difference.

Preheat the oven to a moderate heat and grease a large baking tray.
Mix the dry ingredients together.

Microwave the butter for about 45 seconds or so depending on how powerful your microwave is. You want it to be nice and melty. Or you can melt it over a low heat on the hob.

Put a tablespoon in recently boiled kettle and get the spoon nice and hot. Then use the hot spoon to measure out the syrup - the hot spoon makes it fall off the spoon much easier - and add this to the melted butter. Add the hot water and mix, before adding all the wet ingredients to the dry.
Mix everything well.

Using your hands, make walnut-sized balls with the mixture and place them on the baking tray. Squash them down a little bit to flatten them, and bear in mind they'll spread a little.

Bake for about 15 minutes, but watch them carefully towards the end as you don't want them to overbrown. Golden is better. They smell amazing.

Remove, then leave them to cool on the tray. This makes the bottoms nice and chewy.

Life is that little bit better after one (or two), especially with tea, and they keep really well for about a week. But they probably won't last that long!

Thanks so much! I’ll give them a go at the weekend and let you know how I get on 🫶

Movie night with popcorn and fizzy drink. Ask the kids to invite a friend each and watch something from Amazon or Netflix that you all like.

We've gotten into camping. The initial spend has been quite high to get all the equipment but now we have everything, we hope to go away every other weekend once the weather picks up again in spring. We eat at the tent and pay around £40pn which is a cheap weekend away, walk around the nearest town/ river / forest etc. The teenagers have surprisingly enjoyed it. A change of scenery does us all good. Play games in the evening. When we are home on Sunday afternoon, it feels like we've achieved something, even if it is building your own accommodation for the weekend.