Hi, I'm Jen! I'm a personal finance expert and money coach aiming to help you take control of your money. I went from being broke to a six-figure net worth and am now on track to be financially independent at age 40. Discover Jen's story
Spending less on entertainment may sound like you have to lead a boring life devoid of fun.
Most activities we commonly tend to do are pricey and it is easy to confuse spending money with enjoying your leisure time.
In reality, there are many ways to reduce your spending on entertainment without compromising fun. In fact, you can even increase the fun and life enjoyment without breaking a leg.
How to Save Money on Entertainment With More Fun than Ever
You can save money on entertainment with some simple tips. Always keep an eye out for discounts and savings. You can also replace expensive hobbies with free ones.
People pursue different activities for entertainment.
The vast majority of these can be done for less. Below I am focusing on common ways of entertainment but that does not mean that everything else is too expensive.
1. Saving Money at the Cinema
If you enjoy going to the cinema, you will know that watching films can be a costly experience. However, you do not have to give up on cinemas.
There are a few things you can do to minimise the costs that will have little impact on your enjoyment:
- Visit the cinema on weekdays
- Get a membership card
- Refrain from buying snacks at the venue
- Look for vouchers online
Cinema membership cards offer unlimited visits. Usually, these cost around £20 a month which means they will pay off after two to three visits to the cinema.
The good news about this is that you can go as often as you like, even every day.
2. Saving Money when Going to Pubs and Eating out
Many people like to hang out with friends for entertainment. You may like spending your evenings in the pub after work, eating out in a nice restaurant or chatting at a cafe.
These activities are not inherently pricey unless you choose to spend a lot.
As for pub visits, do not be afraid to ask for tap water after a drink. Also, it is important to remind yourself that you do not have to buy rounds if you do not want to.
Real friends will understand if you choose to abstain from excessive drinking.
3. Spending Less When Partying
Partying does not have to mean blowing all your money on booze. Alcohol is probably the single most expensive part of any party. Therefore, reducing your intake will greatly reduce costs.
This does not mean converting to being a teetotaller, just having a couple of drinks less.
Some people argue they cannot have fun at a party without drinking. If you are one of them, you may have to re-learn to have fun without alcohol.
It is not impossible; you have just forgotten how it works.
4. Watching TV for Less
Watching TV is probably the most widespread form of entertainment. It can be really cheap when you use an old TV and watch free programmes.
However, not everyone is content with the limited choice of free TV.
But fear not: Spending less on entertainment is easy when watching TV. There are many cheap alternatives. You can find great content, especially documentaries, available for free on platforms such as YouTube.
If that is not for you, Netflix does not cost the world either. The important point is that you limit yourself to one paid subscription service at a time.
You can also ask for discounts. As for your TV, you may consider buying a projector instead. I have been using a cheap model which I bought new for roughly £70.
The experience is much better as the projection is about three metres wide, larger than any TV. You can also get paid to watch TV.
5. Saving Money on Books
Spending less on entertainment is easy with reading. Reading books is one of my favourite hobbies. But it does not have to be new books all the time.
The library is an amazing place to find free books. There is probably more than you can read in your entire life!
Plus, libraries are also a spot to use the internet for free, hang out with friends, and meet new people. Some libraries even organise free events such as reading nights.
If you are unable to go to the libraries or are just looking for something new, you can also read novels for free online legally.
6. Gaming Without Spending Money
There are many online games available that you can play for free. I can spend forever playing Solitaire but there are also many other fun games, from arcade games to sports games, and educational games.
There are also many free hobbies you could consider.
Free Alternatives to Costly Hobbies
When spending less on entertainment, finding fun alternatives to costly activities is crucial. There are many different ways to have fun and what you choose to do will depend on what you like doing.
1. Invite Your Friends to Your Home
If you enjoy spending time with friends, you may want to invite them over. You could have a movie night, games night, cook together, or simply have a chat over tea and cake.
Hosting your friends is much cheaper than going out and can be just as much fun. Plus, in return, they can host you on another day.
2. Connect with Nature
Visiting a park or a woodland is free. So is hiking in the countryside.
Spending time in nature is great to relax and reduce stress. It can be helpful to become more mindful of the environment and you will also have an enjoyable time.
If you do not want to go alone, you can ask a friend or family or join local hiking communities.
3. Attend Free Events
If you live in a city, you may be in luck as there are often free activities and events you can join. These may include:
- Free walking tours
- Free boot camps in the park during summer
- Free courses
- Free networking events
- Free plays
- And much more
You can find out about these events by joining local Facebook groups, checking meetup websites, keeping your eyes open for flyers and advertisements or just putting your city name plus “free events” into Google.
4. Monetise Your Hobby
You can make money from most hobbies. For example, if you enjoy being creative, you can sell handmade goods on Etsy. If you enjoy playing video games, you could become a YouTuber.
If you enjoy writing, you can start a blog. And so on.
You do not have to create a fully-fledged business that takes the fun out of your hobby. You might decide to make just enough money to cover the cost of your hobby.
This way, you do not feel pressure and can retain the enjoyment factor of your hobby when spending less on entertainment.
How to Save Money on Entertainment With More Fun than Ever Summary
Spending less on entertainment is much easier than it sounds as there are many ways to reduce the cost of existing entertainment activities.
Alternatively, you can consider replacing expensive entertainment with more budget-friendly but equally fun activities.
Free online games are another great way for spending less on entertainment.
Sorting out your entertainment costs will help you save money, especially if your income is low. You can also have a look at these 250 money-saving tips.
If you like this post, please help My Money Yard grow by sharing it with your friends.
