The promise of the weekend brings infinite joy, eager anticipation, and more often than I would like, a sizeable dent in my bank account. Too often when we think about "fun" things, we think of the expensive options like traveling, shopping, or fancy dinners. But I'm learning to appreciate the little things in life and enjoy living in the moment more. So this weekend I’m vowing to have a fun frugal weekend, and I’ve rounded up a list of 10 activities, that are (almost) free:
- Go for a breezy bike ride: Ride at a pace that feels easy and good and notice what’s happening around you.
- Kid around: Go to the playground with your kids, nieces/nephews, or younger siblings and unleash your inner child. Swing on the swings, jump, romp, play, run, laugh, climb. If the weather is nice go outdoors, and if not we have a few lovely in-door options in Kuwait.
- Listen to your favorite music: Take the time to make a playlist of all your favorite music, don’t overthink it, and include all the ‘embarrassing songs’. My favorite playlist would go something like this, paul simon, jewel, R kelly, a little country, some dance, and some old school rap. Then sing along… University of Manchester researchers discovered that a tiny organ in the inner ear (called the sacculus) is connected to a part of your brain that registers pleasure. The sacculus registers frequency notes that are associated with singing almost instantly, giving you a warm and fuzzy feeling. So go ahead and sing in the shower, belt it out in your car, or get up on that karaoke stage.
- Re-read a favorite book: We are always on the search of new worlds and characters to immerse ourselves in. But sometimes visiting an old favorite, is just what you need.
- Get Ice-cream: And enjoy it outdoors, preferably over a good view.
- Play board games: Rally up a medium sized group, breakout and dust off the box Monopoly or Scrabble, or even Pictionary. Have my word, its going to be a blast.
- Do something competitively active: Like playing basketball, badminton, tennis, or even a swim off. Race like a kid, be humorously competitive and come up with silly prizes for the winner. A good old game of D.O.N.K.E.Y works wonders.
- Take photographs: This can simply be the family portrait you’ve been meaning to take, or part of an adventure. Such as exploring a forgotten part of town.
- Bake: preferably something easy, that you can do with the kids in the family.
- Dream big: Sit outside with your love ones and take turns writing down your bucket lists.