5 Simple Ways To Have Fun For Less
Most of us have been socialized that fun with friends and loved ones must involve spending some money and “going out” in one way or the other. When you need to catch up with a friend, the most instinctive thing to do is to meet at a coffee house, or a bar (and have fun over a game of football). Most of us don’t consider staying at home as fun.
However,If I asked you what the most memorable thing you have done in the last 5 years, or the experiences you treasure the most, chances are, it’s not the stuff you bought, or an expensive meal you ate, but the experience. I would like us to reconsider our definition of fun and find ways to still have fun lives without breaking the bank.
1. Focus on experiences not spend or popularity: One way of escaping the trap of spending money to “spoil” yourself is by realizing that it’s experiences, not stuff that truly make a difference in our lives. We meet friends to socialize and catch up, and most times no matter how much we spend on those meetings, what sticks is the experience, the fellowship, the relationships built as a result.
This extends even to dating, an area that has been greatly commoditized in my opinion. Why is having dinner at a five-star hotel, more memorable than a simple home cooked meal or even take out (if that’s what you like), if the object is to get to know the other person better? Once in a while it is good to do something different, but whenever you feel the temptation to equate experience with money, reconsider it.
2. Capitalize on free or almost free amenities for fun: If you look hard enough, every city has its treasure of free or almost free facilities that make for fun places to see or spend time at. In Nairobi for example, we have parks right in the middle of the city (Uhuru Park and Central Park), that are absolutely free. If the parks feel too public, try Ngong Hills, which have a lovely view and make a great picnic destination. We have a few other places whose cost is minimal, for example The Animal Orphanage, The Arboretum, The National Archives etc, all of which are open 7 days a week. Exploring these places could make for great bonding time, especially for nature lovers.
Consider alternative activities: Instead of meeting a group of friends at the bar to watch football, how about a fun football game at the park? It takes minimal organizing to get snacks and a football. Or even going for a hike together, or even a morning jog or walk.
3. Enjoy staying in and hosting: I recently read somewhere that in the 21st Century, the home has evolved from being a haven and a place of bonding, to a storage place of all the things we collect and don’t need. We spend over 10 hours at the office, maybe another 3 or 4 hours bonding with friends and only go home to sleep. How about reclaiming your home, and hosting friends and family, instead of going to restaurants? Sure, you still end up spending some money, but it is significantly cheaper to stay in than go out. Arrange house parties (BYOB and potluck), and invite people to your home more.
The other way to enjoy staying at home is to purpose to learn new skills. We all have projects we have kept on the back burner for years because we don’t have time, yet every Friday and Saturday, we spend loads of time in restaurants and bars. We have talents we currently aren’t exploiting because we don’t have the time for it. Focus on staying in more, and developing yourself.
4. Reduce on what you own: Did you know the more stuff you accumulate, the more trouble that stuff brings? It is no rocket science that stuff doesn’t bring lasting happiness. I am a big fan of the minimalist lifestyle, because it focuses on enjoying life, and reducing on baggage (tangible and intangible). Living with less has two advantages: One, you save money because you’re not buying things that will be junk in a year or two, and secondly, your sense of fulfillment no longer comes from what you own, which means you’re more content with what you have.
Whether its clothes, gadgets, or even home furnishing, carefully consider what you really need to survive, and give away everything else. In addition, consider the things you yearn after, and whether they are really critical or they will just bring short term fulfillment which is soon replaced by a yearning for the next bright and shinny thing. It takes practice to totally break free of the stuff-trap, but it can be done.
5. Spend less by adopting routines:Look at the areas of your life that you consider less important, and routinize them. Routines not only reduce decision fatigue, they also free up your mind to solve other more important problems in your day. Successful people don’t spend 30 minutes of their day deciding what to wear, or what to eat. President Obama is a fan of “routinizing the routine” and he says: You’ll see I wear only gray or blue suits. I’m trying to pare down decisions. I don’t want to make decisions about what I’m eating or wearing. Because I have too many other decisions to make.” Boring is productive!
Routines also save you money. For example, with a pre-set menu, you can cook all your food for the week at once, and all you need to do is warm it during the week. This ensures you don’t fall into the trap of getting home too tired to cook and just order take-out. The same thing when it comes to dressing, when you have a defined style, then you don’t buy clothes that you don’t need.
