It’s that dead week between Christmas and New Years. You’ve been to all the holiday parties and ate all the food. Maybe you spent more money than you wanted on travel or gifts. It’s a little to early to put New Year’s resolutions in motion, but you’ve probably started to think about setting some intentions for the new year. If you’re like most people, spending or savings goals are probably on your list somewhere.
Here are some free and cheap ways to entertain yourself for the next week so you can give your wallet a rest. Get out and enjoy the last few days of 2015 and save some money at the same time.
Get outside!
Sure, it’s cold. But there’s bound to be one sunny day this week. Take a walk and get some sun on your face during your lunch break. Or, if you have some time on your hands, get out to a nearby hiking trail. This time of year is my favorite for finding quiet places outdoors to seek some solace. Check out alltrails.com to find a hike near you.
Check out your neighborhood listserv
If you aren’t plugged in to your neighborhood blog or listserv, sign up! Your neighbors have likely posted info on events happening nearby that could spur on some great ideas for fun things to do. Some cool events I’ve found on my neighborhood listserv that were recently announced include a women’s clothing swap, a historic home tour, and a free music performance at a local museum. Meetup groups are also a great way to find things to do, especially if you have a specific thing in mind and just want to find others with the same interests.
Get a new book at the library
Libraries are such an awesome and underutilized resource. They are a great space to use for teleworking if you’re starting a fledgling business, and you can always check out books for business and for leisure reading. But did you know they also have E-books!? Yeah! You don’t even have to go to the library to pick up a free copy of the latest fiction release you’ve been eyeing. I use this all the time to cue up reading material when I go on trips and need entertainment for the plane.
See something new in your city
Seeing something new doesn’t necessarily mean shelling out lots of money. There’s lots of places to explore that may be new to you which don’t cost a thing. Did a new museum open up recently? Is there a neighborhood you haven’t been to in a while? I like to go on urban hikes sometimes to check out new buildings and development.
Set some intentions for the new year
You know the saying “energy flows where intention goes?” I’ve found it to be true in my life. If you want something you need to let your brain know you’ve committed to it. Now is a great time to think about some of the goals you want to achieve in the next year and write them in a journal so that you can refer to them later. Here are some questions to ask yourself to get you started. How do you want to improve your own personal prosperity? What does financial freedom mean to you? What’s a huge stretch goal you’d like to achieve in your work or personal life?
But first, write down your successes from the year. Celebrating successful milestones is a great way to anchor your brain in a positive way and get you excited about the next thing you can achieve. I bet you have some great financial successes from the last year — write them down and commend yourself for a job well done.
I hope you can get out and do something fun this week! And if one of your goals for 2016 is to sort out your finances I’m happy to help! Schedule a free consultation with me for January!
