By the author of What to Eat When You’re Broke
I don’t know if you are like me, but I prefer summer activities that are fun AND productive. It isn’t that I want to be constantly working, but non-productive activities that use up resources like time and money aren’t usually fun to me. Sure, I’ll binge-watch the latest series on Netflix. But, I’m generally doing something besides staring at the screen eating potato chips.
I think this mindset is a good thing because frugality isn’t just about money. It’s about the use of all your resources. Most of the hobbies I enjoy are productive in some way or another. They help me be more fit and healthy, I produce something, or I learn something. Here are some hobbies that you can best take up during the warm days of summer.
Get Growing
Gardening is one of my favorite summer activities that is fun and productive. Growing the food you eat in your backyard gives you a lot of satisfaction. You can spend many relaxing hours out there digging in the dirt. If you don’t have the space for a garden, you can still grow your own food. Check out this article and this one for ideas and suggestions to help you grow a garden in small spaces.
If gardening is an activity you like, check social media to find local gardening groups. I’ve found this is a great way to meet like-minded people. Another way to get your hands dirty if you don’t have space is through community gardens. Individuals or groups can rent plots of land for as little as $35 per year to grow gardens.
Go to Your Local Farmer’s Market
There are lots of fun and productive reasons to shop at the farmer’s market. Access to fresh, peak-season fruits and vegetables is one yummy reason! And, you are supporting local farmers and your community. Many Farmer’s Markets will have all your favorite produce and even some you have never had. Getting out and strolling through the market is a nice way to spend a Saturday or Sunday morning. If you have kids, take them with you and let them pick out a few things on their own! I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Learn to make homemade jam using your home-grown fruits or the fruits you find at the Farmer’s Market. Try making your own dehydrated fruit and veggie snacks too.
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Cook New Meals With Your Farmer’s Market Goodies
So, you brought home all those fresh, delicious fruits and veggies from the Farmer’s Market. Now what? Why not spend some time trying out new ingredients and recipes. Each week, pick one or two items from your fresh produce and find a recipe you have never tried. You’ll broaden your horizons and learn a new skill at the same time. Even better if the produce you choose is unfamiliar to you!
Tip: Ask the Farmer or Vendor at the Farmer’s Market for recipe ideas. They may just have the perfect one for you.
Check out your local U-Pick spots.
These don’t seem as abundant now as they did when my daughters were younger, but we used to love going berry picking, apple picking, and even green bean picking at one memorable place. It’s much less expensive to pick your own and then you get to bring all those goodies home to eat them. Here’s a directory that you may find helpful.
Hiking is Good For Your Sole and Your Soul
Hiking is an excellent exercise for the body AND the mind. Being out in the woods is peaceful and a great break from the buzz of electronics and everyday life. Not sure where to hike? Check out AllTrails to explore trails in your area. You can even narrow down your choices to match your capabilities!
Not only is hiking a free or inexpensive activity, according to WebMD, hiking offers these benefits:
- Lower your risk of heart disease
- Improve your blood pressure and blood sugar levels
- Boost bone density, since walking is a weight-bearing exercise
- Build strength in your glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and the muscles in your hips and lower legs
- Strengthen your core
- Improve balance
- Help control your weight
- Improve your mood
Get Wildcraft-y
I enjoy hiking to places where I can wildcraft herbs and forage for food to take home with me. Make sure you know EXACTLY what you are harvesting, lest you poison yourself and your family. It’s also good to practice sustainable harvesting. In other words, don’t take more than you need and consider whether or not the plants and herbs you gather are at risk of being over-harvested.
Learning Herbs offers these tips on Wildcrafting Responsibly:
- Know the Environment: know and understand what is abundant or what may be considered “at risk” in your particular area
- Have a Plan: never set off into the woods (or anywhere else) without a proper plan
- Harvest From “Clean” Areas: forage in pollution, spray, and litter-free areas
- Identify: learn to accurately identify your herbs and mushrooms
- Be Conservative in Your Harvest: only harvest what you truly need
- Leave Nature As Good As (or Better) Than You Found it: remove all your garbage and pick up any litter you see
- Prepare and Inform: have the necessary equipment, wear appropriate clothing and always let somebody know where you’re headed and how long you will be gone.
- Check Out the Legalities of Your Area: Check out the laws and regulations in your areas about where it is legal to gather and if permits are required. Never trespass.
Nothing makes me happier than putting together a meal from ingredients I found in the wild. One year, I found white mulberries, morels, and fiddlehead ferns to add to the menu.
Yard Saling
Yes, I just used a form of “sale” as a verb. Always have in this context. Always will in this context.
Another of my favorite summer activities is grabbing my list and heading out to the local yard sales. One year, I got my daughter’s entire school wardrobe from a yard sale for only $50. I didn’t go there looking for it, but suddenly, we stumbled upon a yard sale with jeans, t-shirts, boots, and a winter coat from my daughter’s favorite store. I made an offer and bought the entire inventory. We only needed to grab a pair of new sneakers before school started. (Even better, the homeowner and I exchanged numbers and I bought her daughter’s used wardrobe seasonally for the next three years.
Not sure how to find yard sales? Social media platforms are often useful to find garage and yard sales in your area. There are also a few websites that can help you in your search. (Most of those require sign up and some might charge a few.) Of course there’s the old-school way, newspaper classifieds or just look for the sign.
The Great Outdoors
Camping is a great, inexpensive getaway you can do with the entire family. Not only are you relaxing and spending quality family time, you’re also improving your self-reliance skills. Most people don’t have to go far to find a campground, but, make sure you plan. Campgrounds fill up fast during the Summer months. You may have to reserve ahead to secure that spot.
Camping doesn’t have to be expensive. You can choose to “Cheap-Camp.” Here’s an article on TheDyrt.com with 17 tips on how to camp on a budget. There’s also this article by Fabian about outdoor overnighters.
While you are out there camping, if there’s a pond or a lake nearby, grab your rod and reel and go fishing. Going fishing is two-fold. You get to go out and enjoy a peaceful day on the water, AND, if you’re lucky, you’ll also bring home dinner. (And maybe even some extras for more meals.) Never been fishing? This article offers great information for beginners.
Not big on fishing? Go swimming, play in the water! It’s a fun way to get fit and stay cool.
Backyard Camping & Cooking
If camping away from home is not an option, take it out back: your back yard, a neighbor’s back yard, a family member’s back yard. You can easily pitch a tent, or even a make-shift one and fall asleep under the stars. What’s really great about camping in the backyard is it’s FREE. Also, it’s a nice ending to the day to go out back, light a fire, and roast your dinner over that fire.
A backyard campfire, just like camping, is an excellent way to practice your fire building skills. And, cooking an inexpensive meal over that fire is productive, satisfying and fun. (You won’t heat up the inside of your house either!)
Make Ice Cream
This summer activity is fun, productive and delicious! Nothing is tastier than homemade ice cream, and if you make it yourself, it will be healthier, too. (No HFCS!) Use your farmer’s market fruit finds to make organic homemade ice cream. Enjoy the cool, yummy goodness for a fraction of the price you’d pay for high-quality store-bought. And you do NOT need an ice cream maker! Here are instructions for making ice cream without an ice cream maker.
Expand Your Mind
Is there something that you’ve been dying to learn? Maybe now is the time. Some colleges offer summer school courses. Many community centers also offer classes at very reasonable prices. There are even websites that offer online courses in specialty things like Wildcrafting and Foraging you can take from the comfort of your own home. There is a monetary investment in these, however, it’s also an investment in you, and you are well worth it!
Get Organized
An excellent, productive activity to do indoors on a hot day is organization. Put your loose photos into a scrapbook, organize your paperwork, or tackle that linen closet! What about that pantry you started building? Take this time to make sure it’s all labeled and organized correctly.
Need a few more ideas? Go through your closets. Sort out anything that doesn’t fit or never gets worn and get it ready to donate. Tackle the fridge and freezer. Sort and organize all those “junk drawers.” Clean and reorganize your kitchen cabinets. You might even end up with enough stuff to have your own yard sale.
Go Someplace With Air Conditioning
And, last but not least…
This is is only as productive as you make it. But if you’re trying to keep your household bills moderate, consider spending the hottest part of the day at a library or bookstore. Doing this can be a real life saver if you don’t have air conditioning of your own. Do some reading and enjoy their air conditioning without sacrificing your budget.
What fun, frugal things do you do in the summer?
What are your favorite productive summer activities that don’t cost a lot of money? Share them in the comments section.
