Money: 5 Ideas to Spend Less on the Weekend for Under $10

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I feel like a broken record . . .

In order to travel, get out of debt, or free up cash for savings, you have to give your money the love it deserves.

You’re holding yourself back from that dream vacation or whatever dream you may have.

It may sound extreme.

I get it, but . . .

Here’s Why Low-Cost Weekends Are Super Important

Before we dive into the details, you’ll need to ask yourself:

Why am I doing this?

This is key to keep in mind because when you get tempted to splurge, you can remind yourself of why you are doing this in the first place.

My buddy, Patrice C. Washington, author of Real Money Answers said it best:

It’s about discipline, not deprivation.

In an effort to get you pumped up to save, I’m giving the idea of low-cost weekends a bolt of enthusiasm with my 5 unique tips to spend less.

So let’s say you spend a $100  each weekend. Instead of dropping 400 dollars a month or so on random acts of leisure, opt for spending less on the weekend in an effort to save for what you truly envision. Eat at home and then look forward to trying out less pricey weekend options. So instead of spending 100 dollars every week, spend ten or so per weekend. It sounds so dramatic but it’s not. You can now put that money away for a long-term goal.

How to Have an Awesome Weekend for Less

So I’ll get off my soap box and get on with the ideas already.

1. Reclaim your latte.

Oprah made me do it. It’s true! Just kidding. I did try her latte at Starbucks  for 3.45 plus tax today though. It comes complete with a cylindrical sleeve that tightly hold your coffee and has an inspiring quotes written on it by Lady O.  So be sure to read the java jacket for added inspiration on your next coffee break.

 

2. Splurge on a magazine.

Every now and again, I’ll get  a magazine I really like. I try not to subscribe to magazines because I easily fall behind and just end up with unread paper clutter in my house. So for a total of 1.99 plus tax, I got reacquainted with an old friend, Woman’s Day. I forgot how much I love that magazine. If you purchase it from Walmart, it comes with exclusive coupons. Oo-la-la. If you’re feeling the need to splurge a bit in the magazine category, I purchased my favorite baseball team’s addition of Sports Illustrated last year. Every once in awhile, I’ll surprise hubby with a copy like this.

 

 

3. Listen up.

Why not listen to a podcast? There are many free ones on itunes.  Search for an episodic series on a topic you want to know more about. This could turn into a new hobby and you won’t be able to wait to get your hands on your ipod, ipad, etc. fast enough. Check out apple.com/itunes/podcasts and let your ears digest the latest updates about a topic you love.

I like how you can listen at your own pace and maybe even save some for later if you can’t hear the whole episode. My daughter actually loves listening to one about MineCraft. You’d be surprised how niche the topics can get. Search by popularity or category to uncover a new interest totally gratis.

4. Have a farewell party for your clutter.

Get rid of old DVDS, CDS and whatever other items that are just collecting dust in your house. Have one last hurrah before you say good bye and listen to some of the music before you ditch it. Don’t trick yourself into keeping the item though, if you really like the music, listen to it on Pandora, Youtube, or make a list of itunes you will treat yourself to down the road.

 

5. Be a mix tape enthusiast.

Remember back in the day, a friend, relative, or special someone would make you a mixtape as an extra sweet thing to do? Basically, it was a labor of love in the form of a compilation of songs put together on one tape. The songs chosen reflected could either be casual or highly personal in order to reflect the musical tastes of the recipient. All of the song choices were a custom fit for your audio pleasure.

Back then, a person had to have a radio (boombox) with two cassettes players. You could either tape record the song from another cassette that way or record straight from the radio. Sorry to admit that out loud. Either way, I never met a person who didn’t love a mixtape. So the modern version of that would be a playlist on itunes. Now get going, enthusiasts!

 

 

 

 

 

The Bottom Line

If you are looking to cut back on spending, you can still have fun and do something on the weekend. Plot out your special “splurges” in advance to have a go-to default money-saving weekend plan (a.k.a spending less plan) so you can have fun without emptying your wallet.

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