Recently, my husband and I were having a date at a large bookstore, reading and drinking coffee together, and I came across this book. I have not read the whole book, but skimmed through it and liked what I saw. In it, author Michelle Singletary talks of taking a 21-day fast from spending any money unnecessarily.
I shared the idea with my husband, and we decided to begin immediately (good thing we had already purchased a slice of cheesecake to split!). Now we’re on day 9. Here are a few things that have come up and had to be decided: Food is necessary; eating out is not. A new pair of jeans for a growing teenager is necessary; a new sweater for mom (who has several) is not. A new sheet to replace our torn one is necessary; new lamps for our bedroom are not (phooey). There are other facets to Michelle’s plan, but we’re just doing the Financial Fast for now. It’s going to show us, supposedly, where we are unecessarily spending, and how much we can save if we stop for awhile. I see it as a kind of challenge.
So here are my Top Ten Things to do for Fun Without Spending Money Unnecessarily:
1) Use those empty Starbucks coffee bags! If you drink Starbucks coffee at home, save the bag! Return it to Starbucks for a free tall hot or iced coffee. No need to say “no” to a friend who wants to meet at Starbucks to chat!
2) Pop popcorn and play a game with your family.
3) Get movies from the library instead of renting them.
4) Do something creative with all those pictures that are hiding in a box in your closet, or on your computer desktop! Use supplies you have on hand.
5) Have another family or two over for a potluck dinner.
6) Enjoy a cup of tea by the fireplace. Invite your teenager to sit down with you, and really listen to her.
7) Rearrange the furniture in one of your rooms, or move decor objects around from room to room. I even change my living room and dining room curtains around sometimes!
8) Do a household project you have been putting off… one you already have the supplies for.
9) Walk around your neighborhood, just a stroll to enjoy where you live.
10) One of our family’s favorites: Set up your own bookstore in your living room. Put out books and magazines from around your house for each age group in your family, some baked cookies or a simple sliced pound cake, a pot of coffee and tea, and some music. A fire is nice, too. Everyone helps themselves to the snacks and drinks, grabs a stack of books, and settles down for a good read.
~ by Kim, The Daisy Muse
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