Frugal Hacks For A Fabulously Fun Weekend

Whether you’re flying solo, have a family, or just a partner in crime, these frugal hacks will help you have a fabulous weekend. In the last decade, I’ve been single, coupled, single with a child, and now married with a family. Thanks to my colorful experiences, I know just how to have frugal fun no matter what the situation may be. So if you’re looking for something you can do this weekend that isn’t going to break the bank, check out a few frugal hacks I’ve picked up along the way!Not spending any money is always ideal, but it’s not always practical if you want to get out and about and enjoy all your town has to offer. So without further ado, let’s dive into some free and frugal options for your fabulously fun weekend!

1. Hike Your Way Up A Mountain Or Through The Woods

Every town has a few hills (or mountains) and wooded trails you can use for free. Make it an event. Plan it in advance with the idea of packing snacks and even a full lunch. If you’re going to head out into the wilderness, you might as well make it count. Get as much exercise and make as many memories as possible.

Obviously, if you’re taking the kids along, you’ll need to adjust your outing to their skillset and tolerance levels to make it an enjoyable experience for all involved. In my opinion, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the win! Mmmmm.

Don’t forget to take pictures along the way. Being able to look back at the pictures will keep the memory alive and special. It won’t turn into some random Saturday you can’t remember. Instead, your pictures will turn it into… “Remeber this weekend when we hiked for hours through the woods and you were so tired that you thought you saw a bear and I laughed so hard I could barely stand up!” 

Never underestimate the power of pictures!

2. Break Out The Bike

If you prefer to be on two wheels as opposed to two feet, break out the bike and hit the trails. Depending on your situation and skill level, this could mean hitting a rigorous singletrack mountain trail or going for a 5-mile ride on a crushed stone rail trail.

Either way, you’re bound to get exercise, have fun, and make a few memories without spending a dime. And when you crave those carbs later in the day, you won’t feel so guilty having a second plate of spaghetti. At least, that’s how we do it in our house.

3. Take In A Movie

I’m not sure how or when it happened, but going to the movies has become a really expensive experience. Don’t get me wrong, we still do it when we think the movie is worth the price of the big screen. And, we definitely can’t resist movie theater popcorn. Extra butter, please.

So if we take in a movie by heading to the local cineplex, we plan our outing so that we’re able to keep as much money in our pockets as humanly possible. This often means going to an afternoon show as opposed to an evening show. Thankfully, most theaters sell discounted tickets before 5 PM.

It also means we’re really careful about how much we buy at the concession stand. After all, this can easily cost way more than the movie tickets themselves. Like I said, we can’t resist movie theater popcorn, so we always factor that into the cost, but we make sure to always get a small size (which is enormous) and share a small drink (also enormous).

I’m not sure who they’re targeting with the sizes of their servings because they’re truly ridiculous. To give you an idea how ridiculous it is, I can barely wrap my hand around a small-sized soda at our local theater. #crazy

Aside from sharing a small popcorn and soda, we also smuggle in a few packs of chocolatey goodness that we pick up from the grocery store on the way. I know, we probably shouldn’t do this. But, we do.

As a free alternative to the theater, we quite often just take in a movie at home on Netflix. With most TVs being 50″+ these days (ours being no exception), there is hardly ever a movie we absolutely need to see on an even bigger screen. The best part is being able to talk during an action scene and pause it for a snack run to the kitchen.

Movies at home are especially great when you have kids. Dimming the lights and throwing a few blankets on the floor with a bowl of microwaved popcorn is a great experience for the kids and your wallet!

4. Challenge Your Friends To A Board Game

Playing board games is free entertainment that can easily last for hours. If you’re making it a date night, have some friends over and break out a few drinks. Just make sure no one gets too tipsy or invested. Friendships have been known to fall apart over a seemingly innocent game of Pictionary. You’ve been warned.

If you’re making it a family affair, choose a game the kids can understand and really have fun with. It might not be a good idea to have them suffer through a 5-hour game of Monopoly right out of the gate. But, a game of charades might be right up their alley. Mandatory family game nights are a fabulous way to get older kids out of their rooms, off their phones and interacting. That is special in itself!

5. Make A Fort

When was the last time you made a fort? Unless you have young children, I’m guessing you can’t remember. So, why not make a fort this weekend? Depending on the weather, you can choose to make one indoors or out. The possibilities are endless and you can even have fun with forts as an adult.

Create a cozy nook to read or watch a movie on a tablet. Have dinner or your fort and even spend the night! Granted, you’re probably not going to do this without kids, so if you do have kids, this is a great way to have free fun without leaving the comfort of your own home. And, it’ll keep ’em occupied for hours so you can enjoy a little relaxation time.

Other articles you might enjoy:

• Frugal Eats For Our Workweek
• Frugal Alternatives To Your Pricey Gym Membership
• Inexpensive Family Staycations Are More Fun Than You Think
• Frugal Hacks To Live An Awesome Life
• 9 Money Hacks That Took Us From The Poorhouse To The Penthouse
• 5 Reasons You Need To Track Your Net Worth To Build Wealth
• How To Dig Your Way Out Of Debt When You Feel Hopeless

6. Give Up Tech And Elec. For The Night

Short of a fire or family emergency, go without the phones, tablets, laptops, and even (gasp!) the electricity. Maybe try a board game like we talked about above. It’s a lot more fun when you’re playing without the silly distractions of the outside world.

Break out the candles and the flashlights, tell ghost stories, play hide and seek, or just enjoy the great outdoors in your backyard until the sun sets.

7. Grab A Pizza!

We absolutely love pizza here in the Mad Money Monster household. What we love most about pizza is that it’s delicious and cheap. Did I mention we also love going out to eat and that it’s probably the single biggest thing I/we have wasted money on over the years? Well, it’s true.

So these days, whenever we have a desire to just get out of the house and go grab some lunch or dinner, we typically opt for pizza. For about $25 we can get a large pie with drinks and everyone walks out full and happy.

And there you have it, a few frugal hacks for a fabulously fun weekend. Whether you’re solo or have kids to entertain, these ideas should have you laughing, making memories, and be saving money!