When you are pinching pennies pretty tightly, it can feel like weekends are a long slow with little fun. For many of us, most weekend activities involve spending money on events or food. But when you need to cut back to better fit a small budget, life can feel drab.

Sitting at home along to skimp on spending is not the right option, so what do you do? You seek out free, frugal, and cheap weekend activities!

There are many ways to have fun without spending a ton. If you are looking for a low-cost way to spend a weekend, check out these ideas for enjoying a cheap weekend full of free and frugal activities!

Free & Cheap Things To Do On Weekends

Break out the board games. I love board games but rarely play them. If you can round up a group of friends for a board game night or weekend you’ll have a ton of fun for hardly any money.

Work on a project. Projects on your “want to do eventually list” will be put off forever and ever. Stop this from happening by finally tackling one over the weekend. Choose the project on your list that seems the most fun and use your weekend to finally take care of it.

Indulge in a home spa day. You most likely have all the things you need at home to create a facial mask, run a bubble bath, and do your nails. Do all of the items you’d normally indulge in at a spa day for a lot less money! Relax and try to tune out the outside world.

Read all weekend. How many books do you have piled up that you want to read? Take a weekend to read one or two full books. Gain knowledge or take an escape through a book and enjoy!

Take a free class online. There are tons of free online classes these days. Pick one where you want to improve your skills and sign up to learn more.

Go for a bike ride or two. Biking is hugely popular in my city and we have many bike lanes and trails and parks to explore. Taking a weekend to bike and explore your city is cheap and fun!

Go to the park. Speaking of parks, go visit one! You can play, walk, explore, or have a picnic. Most cities have great free parks you can visit.

Play a pickup game. Most weekends the parks have pickup games of football, basketball, soccer, and ultimate frisbee. Head over and ask to join. You’ll get some free playing time and possible a lot of future games to play.

Checkout a Meetup group. Go to meetup.com and find a group that interests you. There are usually hundreds of active groups in a major city so you’ll find people to spend time with who share your interests.

Throw a potluck party. Invite friends or family over for a party where everyone brings something to share. It keeps costs down but still let’s everyone get together for a fun time.

Host a movie marathon. Watching movies at home is a cheap and fun way to pass the time. Add in friends and some popcorn and you’ve got a great time.

Host a bonfire. Have a bonfire (or just a campfire) in your backyard and play games, tell stories, and eat campfire foods.

Organize a neighborhood cleanup. Helping your neighbors clean up and keep the neighborhood looking nice is a great way to spend time doing good and being social without spending money.

Volunteer with a charity. Spend your time doing good over the weekend. You’ll feel great helping others and you won’t have to spend anything to get those warm, fuzzy feelings.

Pick fruit. Since it’s fall, go pick some apples and use them to make a fun dish. Depending on the season there are always you-pick fruit options available within a short drive.

Put together a puzzle. When is the last time you put together a puzzle? It’s a fun, challenging way to spend your weekend without buying something new.

Clean out your closets. Go through your wardrobe and clear out anything you haven’t worn in a while. Donate it to a charity thrift store or even a consignment store if you want to try and make some money.

Visit garage sales. Scan your area for deals at garage sales. Give yourself a spending limit to keep it a cheap activity.

Write a letter or thank you note. Giving hand written notes is a way to reach out and touch the people that matter to you, so spend some weekend hours writing a letter to those you care about and send it the old fashioned way.

Take a nap. Chances are by the time the weekend roles around you are tired and need a refresher. Take a few hours and sleep during the day so you can wakeup refreshed and ready for another activity.

There are a ton of other free and cheap weekend activities but these are some of my favorites. This past weekend I spent very little money because I took a nap, cleaned out my closets, and went to the park.

Next weekend I’ll do some similar activities as I keep my weekend spending down until I have a full time income coming in!

What’s your favorite way to have a cheap weekend?