Autumn may be fast approaching but there’s still some weeks of summer left and I often think September can be one of the loveliest months. It can run to a very expensive time though, whether entertaining children, attending lots of weddings (I still don’t think I’ve recovered from 2012 when we went to 6 weddings in one summer) or catching up with friends and family and making the most of the longer evenings. If you’re looking for entertaining ideas on a budget, here is just the post for you!
Go on a bike ride
Going on a bike ride is a great way to stay fit, and explore your local area. If you are new to cycling or want to try and be more social, there are many groups online that you could join and meet up with for rides. Not only is cycling good for your physical health, but (as with all sorts of exercise) it can also have a positive impact on your mental health and helps us to feel less stressed and overwhelmed with day-to-day life.
Have a picnic outside
We’ve had the most incredible weather this summer and spending time in nature is the best way to take advantage of it. Having a picnic can be a fun way to see family and friends especially if you have dogs too to combine a lovely walk and if you all agree to bring something it helps keeps costs low.
Organise a garden BYO with your friends
Why not organise a garden party with your friends? Known stateside as “pot luck”, this is where everyone brings a dish or drinks to share the load and therefore helps to spread the cost. Make sure that you are organised and plan everything in advance – it is often easy to forget about outdoor lighting, however, this is essential when it begins to get dark.
Go on a road trip with a twist – use public transport
Road trips are often some of the best days out, but it doesn’t have to be expensive. With the cost of fuel reaching an unprecedented high, opting to use public transport is a great way to keep your costs down, and help to reduce your carbon footprint too. If you can plan in advance and be flexible there are some great train fares down to the seaside available, I spotted a return from London to Whitstable for just £14 which is an absolute bargain.
Go camping
There is an initial outlay for camping equipment but once you have it, it’s one of the cheapest ways to have a holiday. Pack up your tent, your sleeping bag and most importantly take a little stove to make tea and away you go. There are some absolutely stunning locations across the UK and it’s so much more budget-friendly than staying in a hotel or B&B.
Try geocaching
Geocaching may not be as popular as it once was but everyone I know who has tried it absolutely loves it. It’s a fun thing to do with friends and also gets you out and about. Participants use a GPS device to navigate and find containers containing hidden treasures. There are now millions of geocaches in over 190 countries waiting to be discovered.
Host a movie night
With costs of just about everything increasing including the cinema, take it old school and host a movie night or sleepover. A cinema trip for 4 would likely cost around £40 by the time you factor in snacks and drinks so it could definitely be done cheaper from home and you can even theme it. This is a great activity for the inevitable summer rainy evenings we typically get, nothing like being all cosy indoors.
Hopefully this has given you some ideas – one of the things I loved most about lockdown was discovering so many new local walks that I never would have found otherwise and it cost me absolutely nothing.
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