In today’s guest post, Jake and Gina from The Wicked Wallet are going to show you that you can have fun this summer without breaking your budget with a list of 5 frugal weekend trip ideas.
5 FRUGAL WEEKEND TRIP IDEAS
It can feel so much harder to stay disciplined and save money on the weekends.
Believe me I get it, after a long week of work who doesn’t want to relax and have fun on the weekends.
But what if you can’t afford to go out with friends every Friday and Saturday, or would rather save money than go on that expensive vacation?
Well, what if you could have a super awesome weekend with spending little to no money?
In this post, I’m going to share with you 5 frugal weekend trip ideas that you have to try.
1. Nature Is Your Friend
If you love to have fun in the sun then get your calendar out and pencil this in for your next weekend trip. The great outdoors is home to some of the best free experiences.
If your looking for a little exercise then I would recommend hiking.
Just do a quick google search of your local area and you’ll be sure to find some awesome trails; you may even be surprised by some of the views you discover. If you are an inexperienced hiker be sure to get some decent hiking boots, bring lots of water and start on trails that have a difficulty of easy or moderate.
If you want to spend the weekend hiking then find trails that have camp sites. Pack a tent and some extra food/water and be one with the wild!
The best part of hiking is that its almost always free. Some trails will charge you for parking, and you may have to buy some groceries to bring, but the cost is close to $0!
Not into spending time in the woods? How about the beach?
Most beaches only charge for parking. I’ve seen prices range from $5-$20, so invite some friends, pack a lunch, and boom – you’ve got an awesome day.
P.S. The trick to keep the beach trip cheap is to pack everything you’ll need, avoid the restaurants and bars.
2. The Extrovert Extraordinaire
For the extroverts out there, you already know that being social and meeting new people can be expensive, but there are ways to do this for less.
Since it’s currently Summer the classic cookout comes to mind. Instead of night out on town why not host a cookout?
The trick to a frugal cookout is to make it a potluck and a BYOB. This will allow everyone who comes to contribute so that you don’t have to cover the entire cost… and with everyone bringing their own drinks you won’t have to worry about running out, so it’s a win-win!
P.S. Don’t worry about being “cheap” and not supplying everything, you are providing a fun & affordable event for all your visitors to partake in. They’ll be just as happy as you when they don’t have to pay the normal restaurant tab.
3. The Introvert Special
Instead of ordering takeout and going to the movies how about the opposite?
Cook up that recipe you’ve been wanting to try at home and then settle in and find a good movie on TV. If you don’t have cable or have already watched everything on Netflix try finding a local Red Box.
With Red Box you can rent a movie for just $1.00! Now that sounds like a frugal night to me.
4. The Local Traveler
This has to be one of my favorite weekend trip ideas.
Too often people overlook what surrounds them, sometimes we feel like we need to catch a plane to see something new.
My question to you is how well do you know your town/city? How about the surrounding towns?
This idea is simple.
Hop in your car, jump on a bike, or start walking. Open your eyes and explore, look for things that you may have missed before.
Find some new trails to hike, local swimming holes, cool shops and restaurants (careful with this one).
Instead of booking that expensive flight explore what’s already around you.
5. Fitness Is Fun
Health and wellness are so important and most of us skip out during the work week. Planning a weekend around fitness is a great way to save money and improve your well being.
Plan a fitness weekend where you challenge yourself to exercise on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Focus on what you are eating as well, perhaps challenge yourself in the kitchen and prepare some nutritious meals.
You may even be inspired to meal prep for the following week.
Use these Frugal Weekend Trip Ideas
Almost everyone agrees that the weekends are awesome but they can be very expensive. Summer is one of those seasons where everyone wants to do something and your weekends can fill up quickly. Be sure to take care of yourself first, be disciplined with your finances, and find cheap weekend alternatives.
Jake & Gina are the founders of The Wicked Wallet, a personal finance blog for all. They both hold degrees in Finance and have worked in the financial industry for several years. Their goal is to make personal finance more accessible to the masses by sharing knowledge and insight on this topic.
Related Posts about Frugal Living:
- How to Recover from Summer Spending
- 5 Summer Savings Tips to Financially Survive the Season
- How to Save Money on Air Conditioning
Let us know your frugal weekend trip ideas in the comments below.
Leave a Reply