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If you’re like me, you’re always on the lookout for fun things to do while saving a buck! Having fun with friends doesn’t have to break the bank. There are loads of ways to create memories and have an amazing time with the people you love and save money. Here is a list of of fun things to do with friends for either free or cheap.
Whether you’re still in school or in your 30s trying to invest more into your savings, we all deserve to have fun! I’m a major finance girl and don’t believe you have to spend an entire bag of money to have a good time. Most of the best memories made are the small ones with the people we love. Let’s explore how to add to our memories with affordable or free activities.
Fun Things to do with Friends for free/cheap: Indoors
Practice Affirmations
I love to repeat affirmations whether I’m alone of have all my besties over. Affirmations are basically positive phrases that a great for manifestation and attracting success. Repeating words like “I am worthy” or “I’m smart enough to get a degree” are all forms of positive affirmations. Kick it up a notch by writing these on flash cards or even panting canvases with awesome colors!
Learn how to Dance- Fun Things to do with Friends for Free/Cheap
Get your rhythm on! This activity can easily be made free by searching up a dance style on YouTube and getting to work. Hip Hop, Traditional African, Caribbean, Latin, Spanish, you name it! Dancing is a fun and physical way to be introduced to another culture. Not to mention is free and entertaining exercise.
Make a Vision Board
Vision boards are basically visual (duh, right?) representation of the dreams you would like to manifest into reality. This one can be done free or super cheap by running to dollar tree and grabbing some poster board and markers.
Spa Day Sleepover- Fun Things to do with Friends for Free/Cheap
Who doesn’t love a good sleepover? Get the cucumber slices, avocado face masks, and turn the lights down low. For bonus points, turn on some relaxing meditation music and feel free to discuss deep convos with your friends.
Have a Scavenger Hunt
This one is SO fun and really helps to bring out your inner child. Not to mention its completely FREE! Make one person hide the objects and create riddles as to where to find them. Scavenger hunts can be done inside one’s house, backyard, or even in a parking lot!
Make a Pizza from Scratch- Fun Things to do with Friends for Free/Cheap
This one may require a bit of funds if you don’t already have the ingredients. However, its so fun and things always taste SO much better when homemade! If you’re vegan like me, make an affordable cashew cheese sauce to top on your homemade pizza. Trust me, its SO worth it!
Get my recipe to a delicious and soy free creamy Vegan cheese sauce!
Play Video Games
Everyone loves a good video game! Im less of a play-station girl and prefer the Wii! It was always one of my favorite games to play with friends or even by myself. Animal crossing and Just Dance would definitely see me frequently after school!
Movie Night- Fun Things to do with Friends for Free/Cheap
Netlix, Hulu, Disney Plus… you name it! Get a bucket of popcorn, build a blanket fort, pour up your favorite drinks, and watch movies all night. Bonus points if you have a projector and are able to set up outside!
Grab my healthy and delicious vegan Spirulina popcorn recipe here!
Practice Yoga
Yoga is a very fun activity to do alone or with friends. It’s also free! You can search yoga poses on different blog articles as well as YouTube video for free yoga classes.
Potluck- Fun Things to do with Friends for Free/Cheap
Have a cultural themed pot luck by encouraging everyone to bring a dish of the country or area they come from and watch the fun go down! If you’re all from the same area, consider picking different countries in the world and search popular recipes from there.
Need recipe inspiration? Check out my vegan Caribbean food blog for delicious cultural recipes.
Bingo Night
There are tons of free Bingo print outs that can turn your friend hang out up a notch! Simply search free bingo games, turn some music on to get a vibe, and think of some fun prizes to give to the winner!
Painting- Fun Things to do with Friends for Free/Cheap
This can be done for free or on a budget. Grab some paint and a canvas and let something inspire you! It could be the sunset or you can even your backyard. If you need a bit of a head start, search “painting ideas.
Go House Gazing
Sometimes my friends and I love to go downtown to fancy neighbourhoods/areas and check out all the mansions. It helps me to recogniser what I would want in a house when it comes time to buy a house later down the line or a certain design I might want to have for myself.
Play Board Games- Fun Things to do with Friends for Free/Cheap
Who doesn’t love a good board game? Monopoly, dominoes, snakes and ladders UNO. Coming from a Caribbean household, we can play card or board games for hours on end.
Have a Cooking Show
As a person who also has a food blog, I LOVE to cook! You are your friends can try a challenge to cook creative meals with whatever you have in the kitchen/fridge. OR for a cultural twist, choose one country in the world and attempt to make a dish from there. The friend with the best tasting meal wins!
Fun Things to do with Friends for free/cheap: Outdoors
Have a picnic at the park- Fun Things to do with Friends for Free/Cheap
Grab your picnic blankets, stock up your food baskets, and get your close friends for a fun filled picnic to the park! Spend some time to make homemade foods like pasta salad, energy balls, or even yummy freshly pressed juices.
Get delicious vegan recipes for picnics here!
Walk around the Mall
Window shopping is always a fun thing to do when you’re bored, but its even better with friends! I love going to my local mall and grabbing a boba tea. Or getting inspiration for clothing designs I can try to make on my own some day.
Go on a Hike- Fun Things to do with Friends for Free/Cheap
My friends call me a granola girl which basically means I love nature. Hiking is such a fantastic way to clear the mind and get in an authentic exercise as well.
Volunteer
When I was in high school, I commonly volunteered at a dog shelter with one of my close friends at the time. We went there at least once a month and got to walk the dogs and play with them! Search for any animal shelters near you and how you can volunteer your time to help. You can do the same with soup kitchens and other shelters as well.
Have a BBQ- Fun Things to do with Friends for Free/Cheap
If you have a grill then hosting a party/barbeque at your house is the way to go! Gather some affordable produce like vegetables, kebab sticks, drinks, and invite your closest friends.
Have a Photo Shoot
You don’t need a fancy camera to take nice pictures! Use the best setting on your phone and take funny pictures that will have the best memories behind them.
Go to the Lake- Fun Things to do with Friends for Free/Cheap
If you have a lake nearby your house, I definitely recommend visiting it. There’s a local lake 30 minutes form my house and I love going here to have a meal and mediate by the water.
Go Biking
This one will require bikes (obviously). If you don’t have any of your own, go to a local park and see if they offer any to ride. Lots of places offer free bikes for a certain period of time, as long as you
Visit a Free Museum/Garden – Fun Things to do with Friends for Free/Cheap
Many don’t know this but museums and community gardens typically tend to be free! Of course before going, be sure to call or research there is no entrance//ticket fee. If there is one, students may be able to get in for free.
Hang out at the pool
Pool days with pizza and drinks never fail to put a smile on my face. Make it even more fun by bringing water guns, tubes, and floats. You can even have a photoshoot! The possibilities are ENDLES!
Stargaze- Fun Things to do with Friends for Free/Cheap
If you want fun things to do with friends, you’ve got to go star gazing. If you live in a high populated/polluted city, you may need to drive out a bit. But gazing up at the stars at night always reminds me of how grateful I am to live on this gorgeous earth!
Go Camping
If you’re too afraid to go in the forest, this can even be done in your backyard! Sometimes a change of scenery is just what you need to bring the fun back into things.
Go for a Drive- Fun Things to do with Friends for Free/Cheap
Sometimes when I’m in the mood, I get in my car, drive down a scenic road with ym favorite playlist and just vibe. This is especially awesome if you live in a tropical area or somewhere with a a lot of trees or flowers.
Go to the Beach
Beach days are always fun days! Bring a cooler with cool drinks, sandwiches, and snacks, and kick back. Whether you want to jump straight into the water or take a minute to meditate, beaches are typically free and loads of fun.
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