99+ Productive Things To Do With No Money (& Have Fun)
Has your mind drawn a blank?
You’re desperate to be doing SOMETHING but you have no money.
Are you supposed to just sit there like a couch potato watching TV? Only you’ve just got rid of cable and Netflix and don’t have Amazon Prime so……
You’re stuck at home bored, with no money and what you really want is a list of fun things to do without spending money, that are fun, productive and give you a real sense of achievement.
Not too much to ask is it?
you can have fun without spending money
Having no money doesn’t mean you have to stop having fun or stop doing everything. Far from it.
You can start doing so many productive and useful things that will improve your happiness, your finances and can also be fun! All without spending any money.
These are all free things to do that don’t require money, they are all free activities, apart from spending your time and energy.
I’ve compiled this huge list of things to do that don’t cost money especially for you, and I will keep adding to it as I think of yet more free activities.
I want you to see how there are many things to do instead of spending money. Free activities that are productive, fun and that you can do without spending any money at all, you won’t have time to get bored at home.
To make your life easier, because it is a very long list, I’ve loosely sorted them into fun things and productive things to do when you have no money and are bored.
If you’re keen to work on one area, why not click on the links below and have a look for inspiration?
(This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. You can read more here)
Things to do without money – for your money
1. Choose A Savings Goal
Spend time talking to your partner or kids and think about something you’d like to save up for. Then set yourself a target of say 3 months or 12 months to achieve it.
Why not use the savings tracker in the Money Saving Mini Bundle? It’s FREE!
2. Create Your Survival Budget
This is your budget when the sh*t hits the fan. Like losing your job.
Not for the fainthearted but a great thing to have ready prepared in your back pocket to whip out if the worst happens.
Read my post on why you need a 2nd tight budget for detailed advice on what to include and how to create your survival budget. Includes a free budget template!
3. Develop your personal finance knowledge
The more you know about finance, the more you can make the most of your money by saving it, planning retirement and improving your financial situation.
There are probably a million and one books on personal finance and unfortunately most of them are pretty boring! These are my favorite books on money and finance that are both useful and interesting.
The Best Personal Finance Books
These are best personal finance books I recommend to anyone who wants to grow their knowledge and take control of their money. Try and buy a used copy - it's good money sense!
Clever Girl Finance: Ditch debt, save money and build real wealth
The perfect book for beginners focused on women. Women tend to earn less and live longer. We need to know how to manage our own money.
The Total Money Makeover: Classic Edition: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness
The 7 baby steps to a total makeover of your money and your ability to manage it. Get out of debt and build your savings.
Broke Millennial: Stop Scraping By and Get Your Financial Life Together (Broke Millennial Series)
Written by a millennial for the millennial. A beginners guide with a strong emphasis on the mental aspect of managing your finances.
Your Money or Your Life: 9 Steps to Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence
This book changed my relationship with money forever. Focused on achieving financial independence (work becomes optional).
4.. Have A Bill Lowering Session
Want ideas on productive things to do instead of spending money or leaving home?
Pull all your recurring bills out, such as utilities, car insurance and home insurance and shop around to see if you can get them lower.
Remember there is no existing customer loyalty these days, indeed you’ll likely pay more if you never switch.
5. Create Your Financial Goals
Financial goals are often the difference between being successful with your money and not.
Financial goals are your chance to sit down and think about what you want to achieve with and for your money.
Save more money, buying a house, retiring early, paying for your children’s college education. These are all goals that need writing down and focusing on.
With focus you can achieve them. Without focus you are making it doubly hard to get there.
5. Create Your Monthly Budget
If you don’t already have one (you really should!) then now is the time to face the task head on and get it done.
Your budget doesn’t limit you, it frees you. It tells you how much you can spend.
Related posts:
How To Budget Your Money When You Don’t Know How
How To Save Money WITHOUT A Budget
How To Live Fabulously On A Budget (And Save Money)
5a. cancel Unwanted and underused subscriptions
Make sure you are only paying for memberships or subscriptions for things you are actively using and can justify the expense to your self.
Ask yourself these 3 questions:
- Do I get value from this service (or product)?
- Can I find it cheaper?
- Do I need it or can I do without it for now?
Cancel any that fail these questions. An even better way is to get TRIM to do this for you. Trim is a virtual personal assistant that constantly works to save you money.
Need to cancel your old subscriptions? TRIM can do this for you. Need to set spending alerts to keep your spending on track? TRIM can do this for you.
6. Track What You Spent Last Month
Recording what your spend every month is extremely eye-opening. I spent how much on chocolate?!
Pull out all your receipts, your bank and credit card statements for the last calendar month and list everything you have spent into categories such as:
- Food
- Eating Out
- Fun
- Clothing
- Kids
- Haircuts and Beauty Treatments
- Don’t knows
Is everything as it should be? As you would want it to be? Are you happy with how much you spend on food? On eating out?
If you are overspending, here is your evidence of where your money is going.
Related posts:
30 Budgeting Mistakes I Have Made – And The Solutions You Should Use
How To Fix Budgeting Mistakes Right Now – 5 Simple Steps
7. Have A No Spend Day
When you’ve got no money, not spending is obvious. But we often still fritter a few dollars here and there. A no spend day is just that. For 24 hours don’t spend a single cent. Easily done. Or is it?
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