10 ways to enjoy life on a budget

In times of economic turbulence, it can be prudent to live life on a budget. In fact, you might have a better time because you won’t be keeping up with ‘The Jones’ anymore; you will be more relaxed. If you are afraid of living life on a budget, take the fear out of it by jumping in without hesitation. The sooner you pay off your credit card debt, the better. Let’s face it, being in debt of $25,000 or more is not a way to live, it’s a heavy burden. Get out of debt by living life on a budget.

10 Full-Trial Ways to Enjoy Life on a Budget

Enjoy local sports. Instead of paying $250 or more for a night with the family at an MLB, NFL or NHL game; attend a college, high school or minor league event. Your local teams can not only use your support, but it can also save you a ton of money.

Take advantage of local arts. If watching a high school orchestra isn’t for you, find out where the nearest conservatory is located. Maybe the professional art school will open presentations to the public for free. Maybe you can find an ‘arts in the park’ festival.

Get organized. Believe it or not, organizing your home can help you organize your life. Clean out your basement, garage, storage room, great room, or home office. Throw away anything that has been lying around for a year or more: donate or sell it. When in doubt, throw it away!

Reduce cable bill. Do you really watch all those cable stations? If not, get rid of them. You may want to get rid of the cable altogether. If you have Internet, you can watch your favorite shows online. Plus, you can order DVDs online for as little as $10 per month and keep them for as long as you want. Isn’t it better to watch shows and movies that you want to watch instead of having them choose the programming for you?

keep reserves. Save money by cooking at home instead of eating out. Invite family and friends over for a home-cooked meal. It will be fun to catch up with friends you haven’t seen in a while. Cooking at home is healthier because you can use fresh, organic products and reduce fat. There’s nothing like getting a meal ‘exactly’ the way you want it. Who knows, you might like to cook and start a catering company. Could occur!

Say goodbye to gym membership. Gyms won’t like this one, but you can save money by taking advantage of parks and your neighborhood. Working out doesn’t have to be dull and boring. Run around the park and do pull-ups using the playground equipment. Go for a bike ride by the neighbor. Hike in the local mountain park. You may have to buy walking shoes, but you can always find them on sale. If you have kids, buy some chalk and do a hopscotch because jumping around will burn calories and improve your coordination. Buy a jump rope (it doesn’t cost that much) and jump rope with your kids. Become a kid again and let your imagination come up with ‘fun’ ways to exercise. You will not only lose weight, you will have fun doing it.

Volunteer. Charities can always use your time. Become a dog walker at your local animal shelter. Be a mentor to the children. Call your favorite charity and ask how you can help.

Do you have a dream? Life takes over and before you know it kiss your dreams bye bye. Rediscover your dreams and take steps to live them. If you get fired, it would be a good time to reconnect with your ‘inner’ painter. If you like to write, create a blog. You can use ‘free’ blogging platforms. It is never too late to pursue your dreams.

find old friends. Social media makes it easy to find old friends from high school and college; co-workers, neighbors and other people from yesteryear. Reconnect with these people, it could be a lot of fun! Who knows, they might end up becoming business partners or find out that their high school sweetheart has been looking for them. You never know!

Vacation in your own backyard. Did you know that the place where you live is a destination for tourists? Take advantage of trailer parks, campgrounds, and other tourist attractions. Sometimes a weekend trip is all you need to rejuvenate your mind, body, and soul. You can probably get a coupon book that has lots of money-saving deals on hotels, car rentals, and restaurants.