People are generally surprised by how little I spend to
entertain myself. I must admit
that it is partially due to my natural interests, but on the other hand it
is easy to find something interesting to do if you start looking for it, so if you're looking for cheap fun maybe it's time to broaden your horizons. What do I do for fun and how much does
it cost?
Reading
Probably my favorite activity in the world, thanks to a childhood
filled with frequent trips to the local library. I read so much that I rarely buy books (why’s that you ask?)
the reality is if I bought every book that I wanted to read I wouldn’t have an
inch of space left in my house; and as a result I would never be able to find
the book I want. A book has to be
really special to earn a place on my book shelf, either by one of my three
favorite authors or borrowed from the library a minimum of three times in two
years. All of my reading material
pretty much comes from the library.
Cost: Property
taxes, which I have to pay anyways.
Sewing/Cross Stitch/Embroidery/Quilting . . .
I know that the set up costs for these can be steep, but
most of my tools are hand me downs or presents. The materials to continue the work can also be pricy so I
have to watch what I’m spending.
That said the projects also last quite a while. For example the cross stitch that I’m
almost done I’ve been working on for 7 and a half years (or 90 months). If I had bought it myself (it was a
gift) it would have cost me about $40.
Cost: About $0.44 a week ($40 / 90 months = $0.44) depending
on the project.
Writing
I write a lot.
Recently a lot of it has been for my blog (fun and helpful for
others!) I also dabble in poetry
(in other words I scribble verses that some times rhyme, but hey as long as I’m amused and
no one else is suffering.) On top
of all that I’m working seriously on writing a young adult novel (other
stories are simmering in the back of my mind, my biggest challenge is working on one at a time.)
Cost: Ummmmm,
electricity for my computer . . . mostly I use scrap paper when I’m writing
with pen or pencil so the cost is negligible. The biggest expense for my writing so far will be a $44 conference
that I’m planning on attending in March, but this will be the first time I attend
a conference and they will probably be few and far between.
Festivals/Plays
When I lived in the big city I could go to one a week for
free if I wanted to. It was great
and definitely expanded my cultural horizons. Add to that the free out door plays and concerts put on
during the summer and I was out every weekend. This is a bit season specific but lots of cities in the
great white north do some sort of winter festival. I can’t wait to start discovering what there is to do in my
new town (it’s a tourist town so there should be a bit to do.)
Cost: Free (unless you decide to splurge on sweets or toss a
donation in when they hand around the hat.)
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