Fun things to do on a student's budget (outside of drinking)

The problem with the world these days is that everyone seems to have forgotten how to have fun without money (or technology for that matter).

You don't need a fortune to have a good time. The amount of free activities (and cheap activities) available is actually quite astounding. All you need is an open mind and a willingness to try out new things.

Here are a few examples of such (free/cheap) activities.

(Free) Activities

1. Bird viewing in the park. Why not visit the park with a few of your friends and see how many different species of birds you can see and identify? Does this sound boring to you? Well you will be surprised how good the fresh air makes you feel and just how relaxing bird viewing can be. I liken this activity to a day at a health spa (almost the same effect at a free price).

2. Old fashioned games nights. Phone your mom and ask her to send you all your old board games (monopoly, pictionary, scrabble etc.) or even your old t.v game consoles. Then invite all your friends over and have a blast. This is really lots of fun, probably because it is so "old school" in nature (and it brings back fond childhood memories too). 

3. Craft evenings. Keep and collect old egg cartons, milk cartons, cold drink bottles, and cold drink can tabs (etcetera), and use these to host craft evenings with your friends. Each evening, you could pick an animal or object to be made/built out of the items and then have a little competition to see whose animal/object came out the best. You could also try doing crafts with bought items (such as beads, wool, glass, glitter, paint and wood, for example). These items can then be kept and sold at flea markets to earn extra cash (I don't advise you to try and sell the crafts made out of junk items though).

4. Reading. Since most movies are based on books, why not read the books that your favourite movies were based on? You will find that the original writings contain much more details and events than the movies do (because movies are hardly ever longer than an hour and a half). Try reading in a relaxing area (such as on your bed or in the bath tub).

(Cheap) Activities:

1. Have a picnic. Make a few sandwiches, boil a few eggs, buy a 2 litre soft drink, grab a blanket and head to a relaxing spot with your friends. You could even have the picnic on the floor of your apartment/house.

2. Rent/watch a few old movies. We all have a few old favourite movies. Why not make an evening out of watching a few of these with your friends? Just add popcorn and you're good to go.

3. Visit second hand stores or church bazaars. Who doesn't love "vintage" clothing and "bargain" furnishings for their dorm room/flat/house? Second hand stores and/or church bazaars are great places to find both these types of items and so much more. You will have a total ball rummaging through all the items and an even better time haggling prices.

4. Host a dinner party. You and your friends can each take turns playing host. If you plan smartly you can prepare the meals cheaply. The bonus of doing an activity like this, and getting your friends to follow suit, is that you only need to fork out money once (when you are the host). The rest of the parties will be hosted by your friends and so that means you get to have fun (and eat) for free.

Again, these are just a few activities you can do for free or cheaply. Be creative and use your brain to come up with some of your own ideas.

Remember, you don't need a lot of money to have a good time!

Have fun
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Edit: Tip - Be sure to check online if there aren't maybe any Groupon vouchers/discounts for any activities you are planning. This way you can save even more valuable dough.