Do you ever desperately need to get out of the house alone, but don’t know what to do once you’re out? I struggle with only getting out of the house by myself to do things that cost money, which makes me feel guilty for spending money on myself.
You don’t HAVE to spend money to get out of the house, but what can you do out of the house that’s free? Here’s my top list of things to do to get out of the house without spending any money.
1. Browse a craft store
Who doesn’t love browsing a craft store? Even if you end up browsing for craft ideas for you kids, you still get some time to yourself. I would extend this to simply window shopping, but that always traps me into thinking I need to buy something as a reward. If you have the willpower to go through your favorite store without buying anything, I applaud you. I am NOT the person and will avoid my favorite stores if my goal is to not spend any money.
2. Take a walk
Fresh air and exercise are a great combination. Get outside and take a walk around your neighborhood or somewhere new (safely). A walk is such a wonderful refresh, it’s the first thing I do when I’m feeling overwhelmed. When my son was a newborn, getting out for a walk was my saving grace some days.
3. Explore your own town
If your town has a downtown area, take some time to walk around and explore. You’ll be surprised of all the little things you’ve never taken the time to notice. I love looking at all the old architecture in my town. The uniqueness of each building is so breathtaking and I see something new every time I’m downtown. If you frequent your downtown area, try exploring a nearby town.
4. Take a long drive
I’m always up for a nice drive, jamming out to some music and exploring with nothing else to focus on but my own thoughts. If you don’t like to drive, even just sitting in your car people watching somewhere is great way to get some time alone with your thoughts.
5. Peruse a museum/exhibit
Where I live, I can quickly hit DC to find a number of museums but, there are plenty different museums and art exhibits within half an hour of me too. My hometown has an arts center with new exhibits every month. If you spend some time on Google, I’m sure you’ll find a few near you. Even if there is a fee to enter, they are usually only a few dollars.
6. Take your fur child out
Get some one-on-one time with your pup. Take him out to a trail, dog park, or just a nice long walk around your own neighborhood. He’ll love the time with you, especially if he was used to being the only child before your kids came along, and you’ll get some time to out to yourself. That’s a win-win!
My husband and I try to take our older pup out for a solo hike once a month. Having a puppy and toddler in the house has been a huge adjustment for him and he is estatic to have a little one-on-one time with us.
7. Visit a historic landmark
With not being far from Gettysburg or DC, there’s a lot of history in my area. Learn something new about where you live by visiting a historic site or landmark. If you’re a history buff, this is the perfect zero spend activity for you. This one will take a bit of research on your end if you aren’t aware of anything in your area, but it will add to the experience to search for the history of your town or county.
8. Find a free class/event
Plenty of community parks, recreation departments, and other businesses host free events. Even if you think there’s nothing interesting going on in your area, I’m sure a quick search would prove you wrong. I find the easiest way to find events like this are on Facebook. I feel like I find out about so many cool things going on in our town through Facebook that I never would have heard of otherwise.
9. Volunteer
Feel good about getting time to yourself by helping someone else! Find an organization that you can resonate with and spend an afternoon contributing to their cause. Do you love animals? Most shelters allow you to volunteer on your own schedule after going through their training course. Other organizations like Habitat for Humanity help your neighbors with necessary home renovations.
10. Find a quiet place to meditate
Meditating is that thing on my to-do list that I always put last. It’s one of my goals this year to start making this a priority. To me, finding a nice quiet park or garden to meditate, or just sit quietly sounds so peaceful.
11. Visit the library
Want to spend time scanning thousands of books, pretending you have the time to read them all? The library is a wonderful place to go for some time to yourself. It’s quiet, peaceful, and you can spend as much time as you want there. If you have the time, sit and read a book there! If not, check out some to take home and read at home.
I hope this list helps you find some time to take care of yourself and recharge. Don’t let your budget affect your ability to have some self care. You deserve the time for yourself and it is a necessity to take it. Leave the kids with Dad, drop them off with a family member, or get a babysitter and get out by yourself! What else do you do to take time for yourself? Let me know in the comments!
