You don't need money to have fun
By muggiekins
@joliefille (3690)
Philippines
September 15, 2012 1:41pm CST
I had been thinking about this lately. From my experience, it seems that to be able to go out and hang out with friends or go somewhere else to have fun, I would need to spend money. On the other hand, this could just be my perception, knowing that I shoulder expenses most of the time whenever I go eat out with my family and some friends. Everywhere I go to use some kind of service, I have to dish out money.
I wondered how people did it in ancient times. Don't they say the best things in life are free? 
If I wanted to stay at home and just cook up something out of boredom, of course I won't be dishing out money. But what if I get bored for staying at home for a long time and want to go have fun somewhere else? I'm sure it depends on what one's definition of fun is. I just feel like as the years progress, we are getting technologically advanced yet we form few quality relationships. It all seems to be quantity these days.
Have you ever had fun or went to a place you went to or did what you consider fun without ever having to spend money?
If I wanted to stay at home and just cook up something out of boredom, of course I won't be dishing out money. But what if I get bored for staying at home for a long time and want to go have fun somewhere else? I'm sure it depends on what one's definition of fun is. I just feel like as the years progress, we are getting technologically advanced yet we form few quality relationships. It all seems to be quantity these days.
Have you ever had fun or went to a place you went to or did what you consider fun without ever having to spend money?2 people like this
11 responses
@velvet53 (22528)
• Palisade, Colorado
17 Sep 12
Yes, I take my dogs for a walk so we all get exercise. We stop at the park at times and I toss a ball or a stick for them. It is fun to watch the kids playing on the swings and slides. My son and I have a lot of fun putting together different meals. The laughing and joking can't get any better. Who says we have to spend money to have fun :)
1 person likes this
@joliefille (3690)
• Philippines
15 Nov 12
I wished I wasn't always the breadwinner so I can also have fun without having to shell out money whenever I am out with friends or family.
@STOUTjodee (3572)
• United States
19 Sep 12
Just hanging out with friends/family can be fun and using what you have such as movies or music. I don't feel you have to have money to have fun.
1 person likes this
@joliefille (3690)
• Philippines
15 Nov 12
Yeah but I spend a lot of my days with family and friends and even with movies and music at home. If I have enough of those, I would feel like going out. Most of the time I am the one who shells out money. Next time I am not gonna show them I look like someone who has dollar signs on my forehead.
@lizzyt2007 (1312)
• Craig, Alaska
16 Sep 12
I have the most fun out when i am hanging with my friends at their home. I talk with the family members there. Lots of different conversations. My friend, here 2 sons , and 2 daughters talk to me and my son different times we visit. Its interesting to talk to them individually. Other than that I love taking walks with my son. For 8 yrs old he sure has a lot to say.
1 person likes this
@joliefille (3690)
• Philippines
15 Nov 12
That's sweet! I do have a 3-year-old niece and she is quite talkative too.
@Lucky12 (767)
• United States
18 Sep 12
Yes sometimes I see it as where you live at as well. I mean there are a lot of places where you stay that do not have anything for you to do except spend money. I use to live in a place where you actually had to spend money to do something, and i hated it very much. I live in a new area where I can do a lot of things for free and just enjoy myself without spending a lot of money. Yes the best things in life are indeed free as long as you can find them haha. Good Luck to you in all that you are doing.
1 person likes this
@joliefille (3690)
• Philippines
15 Nov 12
True. That is exactly my problem. Imagine when I was back in Australia there were a lot of things I could enjoy compared to a city life here in my hometown. Plus the fact that I am a breadwinner makes it cumbersome to go out sometimes. I do want to have fun and eat out but I don't want to eat out by myself as I don't want to be selfish. Here in my hometown the immediate places to go are malls and movie theatres and if we go to the beach we would have to spend money for fare and food etc. We don't have a car so that's why I have to spend when going out for the fare. I can have fun when I want to if I read a book, post on myLot, play with my niece, watch a movie on cable TV, etc. But if I get bored with repeatedly doing those I mentioned for fun, naturally I would want to go out and that means shelling out money.
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
17 Sep 12
There are all kinds of things that our family will do to have fun that don't cost us anything (except for the gas that we have to put in our car). One simple example of this is the fact that there are a lot of really nice parks that aren't that far away from our home where we are able to go and play. We also like to take family hikes and that doesn't cost us anything at all.
There is a public beach at a lake that isn't too far away from here and the children and myself love to go there and play.
During the summer there are free movies that are played at one of the parks on Friday evenings and that is always something that is a lot of fun.
I'm constantly searching out free things that we can do for family fun.
1 person likes this
@joliefille (3690)
• Philippines
15 Nov 12
I can't help but think of how lucky my sister would be if she gets her working visa for the US approved. She would be able to enjoy the things you mentioned and she would know what she was missing back home, though the only downside is she would miss her family for a while. 
@bdfreelancer (518)
•
18 Sep 12
I find fun without spending anything really most of the time. To have fun, I take a walk round my place, watch a nice programme on TV, watch sports, surf the Internet and engage in interesting chat over phone. It barely cost me anything.
@joliefille (3690)
• Philippines
15 Nov 12
In that sense the key word is being proactive . Initiate the activity and not wait for the activity to come to you. 
. Initiate the activity and not wait for the activity to come to you. 
@cher913 (25782)
• Canada
15 Sep 12
we think about that all the time as we often have no money to spend on entertainment. fortunately, we have a great library system which offers books and movies for free which we use quite a bit plus we have live near a lovely beach and have a lot of great walking trails around. sometimes we play board games or go on a picnic. there are tons of things to do that don't cost money.
1 person likes this
@joliefille (3690)
• Philippines
15 Nov 12
I would love the "near the beach" environment too. Unfortunately I only got to enjoy that back in Australia when I had my vacation in Sydney, which makes me think I should probably travel more often as a lot of the best things I want aren't in my home turf lol.
@Blondie2222 (28611)
• United States
15 Sep 12
Yes in the summer time I always go to our local park with friends or my boyfriend and we would just hang out there for the day and didn't have to pay anything to get in cuz we wait until they close that booth. And we would just hike, play on the playground, swim and we would bring our own food and cook out there as well. It's the little things you look forward to that doesn't cost money. You just have to serach for places in you're area that you know doesn't cost and get a bunch of people and go have some fun. We only spend money once a week to go out and have fun and other then that we just go to the park or walk around town etc. I'm not made of money that's for sure.
@joliefille (3690)
• Philippines
15 Nov 12
That's a nice idea. Would love to have a nice clean park here in my area, I'd have preferred nature parks but it's not so common here in my hometown.
@jugsjugs (12967)
•
15 Sep 12
The only places that I have had fun at that cost nothing to go, is a friends house or on a beach and take my own food and drink, that way costing nothing much at all if anything.
I like to save as much money as I can, as that way I can get ahead of all the bills and that way less to worry about.
Why dont you invite friends to your house and tell them to bring a bottle.
1 person likes this
@joliefille (3690)
• Philippines
15 Nov 12
I kinda don't feel comfortable inviting friends over as we only rent a small apartment and it's noisy in our house. 
So what would likely happen is I go to my friends' place but more often than not our friends would agree to meet up someplace else as most of them also don't like to hang out in their own homes hahha.
So what would likely happen is I go to my friends' place but more often than not our friends would agree to meet up someplace else as most of them also don't like to hang out in their own homes hahha.
@jaiho2009 (39142)
• Philippines
15 Sep 12
I agree that there are times that, we don't need money to have fun.
Whenever there is electric failure here in our place especially at night time I can say that, me and my 3 kids are having fun.
Sometimes I want to thank whenever there is blackout at night.
It give us longer time to bond.
My kids love music so,when there's no electricity all we have to do is sing, jamming together.
My eldest and only daughter plays the flute or piano while my second son plays the guitar and me and my youngest son sing together.
Those moments are precious and priceless- no single cents spent but full of fun and happiness.
@joliefille (3690)
• Philippines
15 Nov 12
Ah sometimes being third-world has its perks in that sense you described . I envy you have a musical family. If I ever get married I would love to train my kids into playing musical instruments.
. I envy you have a musical family. If I ever get married I would love to train my kids into playing musical instruments.
@namiya (1713)
• Philippines
16 Sep 12
I do my favorite craft and enjoy seeing my finished product, i go to my son's house to see his new born baby, read interesting books and also spend time in the internet surfing or writing comments here at mylot or whatever comes to mind in sites i usually hang out. If i want to get a doze of air outside of home i go to the mall and do some window shopping and eat at a fastfood while watching people. Everyone has his own type of fun and what's enjoyed by somebody may be a bore to someone. However having fun does not always translate to money, simple things or activities you enjoy could be a good alternative if money is running out.
1 person likes this
@joliefille (3690)
• Philippines
15 Nov 12
As long as there's something to occupy my mind with, why not. Those are good suggestions indeed. Sometimes I do need a break from myLotting or doing simple tasks online.
Sometimes I do need a break from myLotting or doing simple tasks online.