We all know the feeling. It’s the weekend, money is tight, but we’re super bored.
What to do?
Well, we have you covered.
Whether you want a low spend weekend, or a no spend weekend. We’ve listed over 100 options to stop you from getting crazy bored this weekend.
Stay at home
Sometimes when you don’t have any spare cash, you just want to stay at home. If that’s the case, you don’t need to be bored.
There’s plenty to do around the house.
Let’s start with the obvious: film, TV, music, podcasts and books. What media do you have at hand.
Try listening to podcasts
There really is something for everyone. A podcast is just a radio show you can listen to in your own time, at your own pace. I think of them like a TV series, but audio only.
Trust me, some of them can be just as gripping.
Some of my favorites are:
Serial
The story of Adnan, a high school kid accused of killing his girlfriend. Did he or didn’t he do it? Sarah Koenig investigates the stories, the evidence, and does all she can to get to the bottom of it.
This one is more for those dreaming of starting their own business. It follows Alex Blumberg as he looks to get his startup off the ground. It’s a behind the scenes view of what it’s really like to launch a business — the fear, the doubt, the sense of achievement and the dumb business names.
If you’re learning Spanish, these podcasts are ideal. You have to know a little bit first, but they tell stories of travellers in Spanish slow enough for learners to understand. The episodes are in a combination of Spanish and English making them easier to understand. Just make sure you have tissues on hand!
Other Podcasts
Host a Film Festival
Get your friends over and tell them to bring along their DVD collection. Or, fire up Netflix… whatever.
Anyway, get the people you love hanging out with around and watch some movies.
If you’re stuck for ideas:
- Revisit the films you loved as a kid (The Lion King, The Jungle Book)
- Watch every Pixar movie
- Choose your favorite actor and watch all of their films
- Watch the top 10 movies on IMDB
- Watch every movie from your favorite director
Binge Watch a TV Series
There’s nothing better than getting hooked on a TV series.
Whether it’s on Netflix or somewhere else, fire up your favorite series, or start on something new.
Some classics include:
Gangster, War and Crime Series
Family TV Series and Sitcoms
Documentaries
Drama
To name just a few.
Listen to Music
There’s a few ways to approach this one.
Sure, you can stick on Spotify or Apple Music, but why not look out your old record collection? Do you have CDs or mix tapes lying around?
What was your first record? Do you still have it? Do you still like it?
Going back to the likes of Spotify, why not explore new music? Listen to your discover weekly playlist, or even explore a friend’s discover weekly playlist/
Scroll through the browse tab and try things you wouldn’t normally listen to.
Even organizing your playlist so that you’re not listening to the same things over and over again can be a great exercise.
Re-Read Your Favorite Book or Listen to a New One
I’m one of those people who watches the same film over and over again.
It’s the same for books. There’s a handful I’ve read over and over (I’m looking at you Harry Potter!)
My favorite when I was a kid was The Silver Sword.
Some of my favorite books as an adult include:
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
About a Boy by Nick Hornby
If you want one of these, you can head to your local library, or even one of them for free as an audiobook with an Audible free trial.
You do need to put in credit card details for this, but you can cancel as soon as you get your free book, and you don’t need to worry about it again.
Look Out An Old Games Console
Old games are so much more fun. Admit it!
Ok, that’s maybe because I’m terrible at these fancy new games. But still, give me Sonic or Mario Kart over Fortnite any day.
So, whether it’s a Sega Mega Drive, a Gameboy Pocket, an N64, or a PS2, look out your old console and you’re set for hours of fun.
Get Lost Down a YouTube Wormhole
I can spend all day on YouTube.
Once you create a profile, start subscribing to some channels, and watch a good number of videos, the suggestions almost become scary.
So, if you’re looking for a few hours of entertainment, get yourself to YouTube.
Some of my favorite channels are:
Cut
Vox
Visual Politik
Crash Course
Will Smth
Yes Theory
Vagabrothers
Samuel and Audrey – Travel and Food Videos
Ted Talks
Play board games
Kick it old school.
You must have some lying around.
You could play:
Snakes and Ladders
Monopoly
Uno
Clue
Scrabble
Risk
Battleships
Jenga
Trivial Pursuit
Connect 4
Cards Against Humanity
Operation
And loads more.
Or…
You can even do a jigsaw puzzle.
Do Some Baking
Ok, this one isn’t exactly free if you don’t have the ingredients or equipment lying around the house.
But, if you do, there are a lot of option. Even with the most basic ingredients.
Here are some basic recipes:
Explore your community. Maybe even get involved?!
There’s a whole world out there.
There’s also a whole bunch of people right outside your front door.
How about getting involved in your community?
Check out events and festivals in your town
I can almost guarantee you that there will be something going on in your local or wider community this weekend.
Another guarantee, there will be a website that lists a whole bunch of events.
Sites like Things to do in Plymouth Ma or Downtown Cincinnati.
So, go and support local artists at a free event like “Music on the Lawn.”
Or, do Salsa on the Square at Fountain Square in Cincinnati.
These are just two examples of two great, free events from two locations chosen at random.
Whether it’s a fair, a carnival, a music concert, a high school basketball match, there will be something to do that’s cheap or free.
Find out what’s going on in your town.
Who knows? You might even meet some new friends!
Visit Your Local Library
We’ve already touched on books.
I find they’re a great way to spend time by myself, without looking at a screen, and to escape into my own imagination.
Not only that, but local libraries are under attack.
They need your support.
It’s a twofer.
Support your local library, and get your book for free.
Find out where your local library is thanks to the Digital Public Library of America.
Meet Your Neighbors
There’s a rumor that back in the olden days, people actually used to talk to their neighbors.
Shocking, I know!
Try striking up a conversation next time you see them. Whether that’s over the fence, or passing them in the hallway of your apartment building.
Help them carry their groceries in from the car, or up the stairs to their apartment.
Ask to borrow a cup of sugar.
Offer to trim their hedge if you are doing your own.
Try being neighbourly, and your home might become a much more pleasant place to live.
Visit a Museum or a Zoo
There are museums and zoos all around the country.
I love them as a way to pass some time, but also to learn some new and interesting stuff.
But, what’s best about them is that some of them are FREE!
Zoos like Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, or The National Zoo in DC.
Also, Museums such as The Baltimore Museum of Art, Cleveland Museum of Art and The Bronx Museum in NYC.
Do a Neighborhood Clean-Up
Trash is infuriating!
It’s an eyesore, but it’s also a matter of respect.
Have some respect for where you live.
While this might not be the most fun thing to do with your time, you can leave your neighborhood sparkling, and meet some great people in the process.
Give it a go, you might find you love it.
Volunteer
How about helping those less fortunate that you?
Have a think about causes you feel strongly about in your local community.
Are there homeless people you can help by working at a soup kitchen, or a food bank?
Are there elderly people you can visit and give them some company to stop them from feeling lonely?
Can you help refugees who are trying to settle in the area? Can you help them learn English?
Or can you help a local sports team by refereeing a game, or coaching the kids?
Or, maybe you can raise money for charity by setting up a text to donate service for a cause you care about.
Attend a Religious Service
Try attending a religious service to keep in touch with your faith.
Or, try attending a service or holy site of another religion. Meet people of other faiths that you might not normally have the opportunity to interact with.
This will give you the opportunity to open your horizons, and understand just how similar we all are.
Just make sure to drop the institution you intended on visiting a message on Facebook, a phone call or an email to understand if they accept visitors, and if there are any requirements for people of different faiths (i.e. attire.)
Read Your Free Local Newspaper
Ok, this one isn’t going to take you all day.
But, it’s a great way to get a better understanding about where you live and what’s going on there.
There’s so much focus in the national press at the moment, that it can be easy to forget about local issues.
Reading your local paper will keep you informed, let you know what events are coming up, what your local representatives are doing, and the ads will let you discover some local business you probably had no idea existed.
Start a Book Club
You might have noticed by now that I’m a fan of books.
Well, if you are too, then why not get some friends together (or even better, strangers) to start a book club.
Read a few chapters each week, or a book a month and get together to discuss it. You might find that someone else has picked up something within the book that you completely missed.
It might open your eyes to a whole new world, and help you understand the hidden intentions many authors secrete within the pages.
Join a Card Game
Just not one like in the Sopranos!
There are lots of clubs for games like bridge. Or, you can get something like a poker club going with your friends.
There’s also other non-card games like chess, dominoes or backgammon that can be a great way to meet new people.
Work for a Political Campaign
Politics are hard to avoid at the moment.
Regardless of what side of the divide you fall upon, engagement keeps democracy strong.
Whether you want to run for something yourself, or support a local candidate. Why not get involved?
You can hand out flyers, knock on doors, or put any other skills you have to good use.
Attend a Public Meeting
If you don’t want to actually run yourself, or even give up your time to the extent required to volunteer for a campaign, try attending a public meeting.
You can hold your local representatives to account by showing up to public meetings, asking the hard questions, and putting your points across.
Be a Tourist
Enjoy what your town or city has to offer.
Go to your local park, visit the tourist attractions, statues, squares, skyscrapers, petting zoos and anything else that you can do for free.
Enjoy the views, or the scenery.
Who knows, you might just rediscover a love for where you live!
Join an Online Community
If you don’t want to mix in your local community, try getting involved in an online community.
Try reading a blog (like this one) about a topic you’re interested in. Maybe leave a few comments and interact with the other readers.
Or, you could even join a forum.
Again, there is one for just about every topic. It doesn’t matter if you want to learn about gardening, you’re interested in bicycles, or want to talk to other mothers and fathers about parenting.
There’s something out there for everyone.
Attend an Open Mike Night
Support local artist, comedians and performers.
There is likely to be a bar, or a venue that hosts an open mike night.
Go along and support the acts.
Or, if you’re feeling brave, perform yourself.
Whether you want to read a poem or short story, sing, or do some stand up comedy.
Why not give it a go?
Head Outdoors
There’s a lot to do indoors, but if the weather is good, why not head outside and enjoy the great outdoors.
Explore Your Neighborhood
Organize a walking tour with some of your friends.
Hook up with some friends that know and understand the history of your town or city. Allow them to be your tour guide on a walking tour.
Or, even better — be the tour guide yourself.
Plan a route of no more than one hour that encompasses up to five different locations.
Do some research on each location, and wow your friends with a top class walking tour around the place they thought they knew so well.
Trust me, there are stories to be told where you live.
Practise Yoga
Why not?
Yoga gives you increases flexibility, improves your posture, reduces risk of injury from other sports, improves cardio and circulatory health.
Sounds like the perfect exercise.
Get started with this yoga for complete beginners video:
If you don’t think yoga is for you…
Start a Workout Routine
If you’re anything like me, you’ve been talking about it for years.
Why not give it a go?
You’ve got the time to kill. Why not spend some time doing a little bit of research, then get outside and try a couple of things out.
See if you like it. If so, go deeper.
One of my favorite blogs in the whole wide world is Nerd Fitness.
They’ll give you a headstart on everything from hiking to the paleo diet. You can make it as intense, or as relaxed as you wish.
Remember, even the tiniest little bit of exercise is a step in the right direction.
But, if you don’t want to take it that far…
Go Swimming
Ok, this one probably isn’t free, but it won’t cost more than a few dollars.
Head down to the local pool and go for a swim.
Or, kidnap the nearest kid in the family (Disclaimer: please don’t literally kidnap anyone!!!) and take them down to the pool.
Not only will the kid love you forever, but so will the parents!
Ride a bike
Dig that old bike (and helmet) out of the garage.
Head out and explore the more remote parts of town you don’t usually get to see. Cycling is a great way to enjoy the spectacular natural beauty throughout this entire nation.
It’s also a heap of fun.
Plus, you get the same cardio exercise as something like running, but with less stress on the joints (note: swimming places the least stress of this type on the body.)
Just remember to be as visible as possible. Wear bright colors, and make sure you have lights and reflective clothing if you are riding when it’s dark.
Also, if you want to get competitive, you can record your times on Strava, or join a local cycling club.
You could even create some Strava GPS art:
Go for a Run
I like swimming, and I like going for a bike ride, but I love running.
Start off easy, set yourself a distance and try to complete it.
Whether it’s 1 mile, 5km or 10km, don’t focus on time, just try to complete the distance.
If your breathing is so heavy you cannot hold a conversation, you’re going too fast.
Try using an app (I use Runkeeper) that tracks your progress via GPS to tell you how far you have gone.
Or, if you want to plan out a route in advance, you can use Map My Run to develop a route.
Once you have your baseline time from just completing your first run, you can begin to either do that run faster, or increase the distance.
Think of it as a competition against yourself.
Just a quick warning, you may get addicted!
Go for a Walk
Running isn’t for everyone. Walking just about is.
Head for a walk with a friend and just enjoy their company.
Or, if you want to fly solo, try sticking on a podcast or an audiobook.
Exercise has profound mental health benefits. Whether it’s depression, anxiety, ADHD, or just a little bit of stress. Just doing a little bit of exercise is proven to boost mood, improve your ability to sleep and reduce stress.
And yes, walking counts as exercise!!!
Or…
Go Hiking
Hiking is just walking with a view.
Just like with events, a quick Google search will show you the best hiking trails in your area.
Go explore.
You’ll find websites like All Trails that let you know how difficult each route is, and how long it should take you.
This lets you make a judgment over how hard the walk will be.
If you’re more interested in the views than the walking…
Watch the Sunset
Get out and enjoy nature’s beauty.
Sunset is my favorite time of day.
The deep red, pinks, purples and oranges thrown up at that time of day are a joy to behold.
It truly makes you take a second to appreciate just how beautiful this planet is.
Google the best spot for sunset in your local area. Also Google the time of sunset.
Then all you need to do is head out to the best spot in your area and enjoy the view.
It’s so simple, but trust me, this is one you won’t forget.
Oh, and don’t forget the camera.
Go to the Park
I can almost guarantee you have a local park.
Maybe there is one slightly further afield that’s a bit nicer.
Either way, head down and enjoy the greenery.
Bring a ball or a frisbee and just have some fun.
Maybe even pack a picnic.
Again, this is one where you can bring your kids (or the kid of friends or family.)
Go Camping
Why not find a nice spot to go camping nearby.
If you don’t have your own tent, ask around. I’m sure there will be someone nearby that you can borrow one off.
Again, Google is your friend.
Check it the best spots for camping in your local area.
Why not pick up a disposable barbecue, or start a fire and cook some burgers, or have some smores.
Find a nice remote area to look up and enjoy the stars.
Pick Fruit
This is a fun one.
Again, another one to bring the kids (and the camera) along.
From June to September you can usually pick strawberries, raspberries or blueberries.
Top Tip: bring your own container and you will usually only pay for the fruit by the lb.
It’s a great way to have a fun family day out where all you are paying for is the price of the fruit. You can then take it home and make a great fruit salad or an Eton Mess.
Get Involved With a Local Sports Team
It doesn’t matter the sport is soccer, football, basketball, lacrosse, judo, or anything else.
Why not try something new?
Go down to an open day, or get in touch with the coach/ instructor to ask if it’s ok just to turn up.
Or, if you have experience, why not help coach a youth team, or even offer to referee/ officiate matches.
Head to the Beach
If the weather is good, why not head to your local beach?
Who doesn’t love the beach?
Ok, there might not be that many beaches in Kansas. But, there are lakes. Aren’t there?
Just go, chill out, enjoy the sun and the water.
What a great way to pass a day.
Make some extra cash. Save some cash
Why stop at not spending money? Go a bit further and make some spare cash!
Hold a Yard Sale
Get rid of all that crap you have lying around the house.
Clear out the garage, the attic, the basement and everywhere else you throw your junk.
If your kid is off to college it’s a perfect time to clear out their room. They’ll get over it eventually!
Make sure you advertise it with flyers on main streets. Also, advertise at community hotspots. Think community centers, schools and churches. Anywhere it makes sense to get the word out.
Let them know what types of things will be in the sale. Are the baby items? Kids toys? This will make sure the right crowd shows up.
If possible, try hooking up with neighbors and see if you can make it a multi-family yard sale. It will be more likely to attract a crowd.
Also, be sure to start early. Many shoppers like to get early to get the best stuff. That means there will be people out front from first thing in the morning.
Sell Things on Craigslist, Ebay or at a Pawn Shop
If you don’t want to go to the effort of a yard sale, get rid of your stuff online, or at a pawn shop.
The best places online are probably Craigslist or Ebay.
Make sure you take good pictures of the items, and correctly specify the size and condition of the items.
Finally, make sure to clearly state the price of postage and packaging. Whether you include that in the price or not, make sure you are not leaving yourself out of pocket for the price of mailing a shirt across the country.
Babysit for a Friend
Ask around.
Do any of your friends need a babysitter that weekend?
Ask for a few bucks, or just do it in exchange for some pizza for you and the kids.
Teach English Online
You can earn $10 – $23 per hour from the comfort of your own home with these five companies by teaching English online.
Although the hourly rate isn’t huge, it’s a decent way to top up your income from home.
All you need is a laptop and a solid internet connection.
However, in some cases, you’ll need a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) qualification.
And don’t worry, you don’t need to know how to speak any other language.
You’ll be teaching in English only.
AirBnb
I stay in AirBnb all the time.
Firstly, it’s cheaper than a hotel room. Secondly, you meet cool people who can give you tips about what to see on your trip, and where to eat.
So, why not be the host?
If you have a spare room, you can let it out for some cash.
You make some spare cash, and you get to meet cool people along the way that want to do fun things.
I used to have a spare room in my apartment that I would let out for a couple of months at a time. I had people from Germany, UK, Canada, out of state.
If you get along, you can hang out and show them around. If you don’t, you can just let them do their own thing.
The best thing, you can charge them more money because they are staying short-term. This way, you can cover your rent/ mortgage for doing almost no work.
All you need to do is help them check-in, and be around for any major issues.
Be a Lyft or Uber driver
As a Lyft or Uber driver you can choose your own hours.
This way, you work as frequently, or infrequently as you like.
Don’t get me wrong, after insurance and gas, you don’t take home a whole load of money. But, it’s a side gig.
At this point, any money in your pocket is a bonus.
It’s just one of the options you have at your fingertips.
Notary Public Service
A notary is a qualified person who can sign legal documents such as contracts, loans, marriage certificates or depositions.
They basically act as a witness, or a trusted person who can verify the authenticity of the document.
Notaries can also work with digital documents, if they are trained to do so.
This means you can work as a notary from the comfort of your own home.
To become a notary, you need to undergo training. This fact also means you can charge high fees for a fairly simple task.
They can easily make $75 – $125 per appointment.
Proofreading
Whether it’s for a local business, high school or college, you can make money from proofreading proposals, college applications, papers or assignments.
Or, for marketing companies in the local area, you can charge to proofread and edit articles to be posted on company blogs.
You can charge anything in the range of $15 – $35 per hour, or you can charge by the word.
As long as your grammar is up to scratch, you can make good money by doing a few hours of work from home over the weekend.
Do gigs on Fiverr
If you’re the creative type, you can do gigs on Fiverr.
Whether you can do writing, translation, logo design, graphic design, market research, or voiceover, there is something for just about everyone.
Become a seller, create your selling page for the product of your choice and watch the requests come rolling in.
It can make sense to get some people you know in real life to order from you through Fiverr to begin with, so you can begin to build your reputation and credibility on the platform.
Pool cleaning service
Clean pools on weekends.
If you can put together 5 or 6 clients throughout the summer, the cash can really begin to add up.
You can easily charge up to $200 per month for a weekly clean. That’s an extra $1,000 per month in your back pocket with just five clients.
Spend two mornings per week cleaning the pool, and you’re boosting your salary by a good amount each month for not a great deal of work.
I mean, it’s not easy, but there are also more difficult tasks.
Dog Walking Service
If you’re a dog person, what better way to make a bit of extra cash than taking some dogs for a walk.
Expect to charge around $15 per dog for a 30 min walk.
This way, you can make $60 for 30 mins walk, if you can manage to find four people willing to pay you to walk their dog at the same time.
Either way, $15 isn’t bad for 30 mins work.
Pet Sitting
Following the pet theme, why not offer pet sitting services?
This is a great way of topping up your income if you work from home.
On top of what you’re earning (say for your notary work,) you can get paid twice for the same time by looking after other people’s dogs while they’re at work.
You can charge $50 – $100 per day per dog to look after them.
Multiply this by 4 or 5 dogs on top of your existing income, and things can really begin to add up.
Get Inspired
We all hit a funk at some point throughout the year. It doesn’t matter if you’re a CEO or a maintenance man.
Sometimes it makes sense to sit back, assess things, put them into perspective and make a plan for moving forward.
So, in that spirit, why not:
Create a bucket list
I’m sure there are things that you want to do in your life.
There are so many things spinning around my head that I want to do. But, I never quite get round to them.
In fact, I don’t always remember them because they’re not down on paper.
So…
Make a list!
I have you have a list, you can actually make a plan. This way you can actually start checking items off your list.
One thing to consider is paper is probably not the best option. You’ll lose it.
The best thing is to store it online – try Google Drive, Dropbox, or Evernote.
Plan your next vacation
Now that you have your bucket list, start putting your plan in place.
Whether it’s heading Latin America to dance salsa, or heading to NYC to climb the Empire State Building.
I like to use Skyscanner, Kayak, or Kiwi to book my flights. These tend to be the best possible price you’re likely to find for flights.
You can also book accommodation on AirBnB or Booking.com.
I prefer AirBnb. It tends to be cheaper than a hotel, and often more comfortable.
But, if you’re travelling alone, it can make sense to book a hostel. This is the best way to meet new people to hang out with on your travels.
For hostels, Hostelworld is always worth checking out.
Set some goals/ reassess your life
If you have a goal, it’s a lot easier to achieve something.
You can begin to take steps to make things happen, rather than waiting for things to fall in your lap.
Look at where you are in life. Are you happy in your job? Are you happy in where you live?
Do you want to move to LA or New York City?
Do you want a promotion?
You can set goals around:
- Academics – do you want to add a new qualification to boost your resume?
- Career – Do you want a promotion, or a change of career?
- Money – How much money do you want to earn?
- Personal Life – How do you want your personal life to look? Do you want to get married, or more kids?
Once you decide what you want to achieve, you can make a plan. For example, if you want to move to a new city, you can start saving money, and making contact with recruiters in the city.
Be Productive
Why not spend your time wisely and get some sh*t done?
Let’s be productive this weekend. You can…
Do a deep clean
Get the house in ship shape.
Do a deep clean of the bathroom, kitchen and your bedroom.
Try throwing on a podcast, or some music.
It doesn’t sound like much fun, but trust me, you’ll feel a lot better about yourself and your house if you can have it clear and clean.
This is especially important if you’re spending a lot of time there.
Feng Shui or Re-arrange your home
Re-organize your home!
It’s unbelievable what rearranging your home can do for you.
Try furniture in different positions. Move your bed to a different position. Rearrange the couch, the coffee table, the bookshelf.
Just try different things out.
It can feel like a completely different home.
Above everything else, it can just give you a boost in morale.
Plan Your Meals
Typically, when you start to eat unhealthily, it’s when you’re in a rush and just grabbing something quick for dinner.
Also, you tend to spend a lot more money at the supermarket when you buy for single meals, rather than multiple meals.
Sit down with a pen and paper to plan out your meals for the next seven days. You can make a single trip to the supermarket and freeze anything you need for the week ahead.
This will take off some of the pressure.
You’ll be prepared, know what you’re going to have, and (having planned the meals out) the chances are the meals you’ll be eating will be a lot healthier than if you’re just grabbing something (read: pizza) on the way home.
Cook for the week
Or…
If you want to go all out, you can actually cook the meals in advance and freeze them.
Think of things like lasagne, spaghetti bolognese, soup, casserole or stuffed peppers.
There are plenty of dishes you can cook in advance. Then, when you get home from work, all you have to do is pop the meal in the microwave.
Then, you’re good to go!
Do some networking
When it comes to work, you can do some networking.
Get in touch with an old college you haven’t had contact for a while. Research networking events in your area.
Work out what trade bodies or conferences are in your field.
It makes sense to make contacts in your field. It can help you to learn so you become better at your job, it can help if you want to change jobs in the near future, or even if you just want to win new business.
Update your resume
Recruiters love candidates that keep their CVs up to date.
Be that person!
Just remember the basic rules of writing your resume:
- Keep it to two sides of A4
- Have a standardized CV, but leave space to customize it to the job you’re applying for
- Address any gaps in your career, especially recently
- Check for grammar and spelling mistakes
- Send it as a PDF
- Quantify as much as possible — list your achievements and use numbers where possible
- Tell a story — try to make it interesting
Write your will
This might not be the cheeriest of topics, but it makes sense to get your affairs in order.
The chances are your ‘estate’ will go to your spouse or children. But, it makes sense to get this down in writing to avoid any fighting or confusion.
Check out Legal Zoom for some advice on how to go about this.
Complete something you’ve been avoiding
We all have that one task we’ve been putting off for weeks or months because we just don’t want to do it.
Just get it done.
Trust me!
You’ll feel so much better about yourself. It will be a weight off your back.
If there is something that you’ve not done, but you’re still thinking about it, that means it must be important.
So, roll your sleeves up, take a deep breath, and get it done.
Iron your clothes for the week ahead
Along the same lines of cooking your meals for the week, try ironing your clothes for the week ahead of time. Also, you should shine your shoes.
If you do this, and get it out the way, it means you won’t be in a rush every morning trying to get out the house.
This will set the tone for your day.
If you find you have time in the morning, are prepared, everything is organized, and you’re composed leaving the house, your day will continue in this vain.
On the other hand, you’ll find if you are in a rush leaving the house in the morning, you have to run out to the car, and are racing through traffic, your day will continue to be frantic.
Get prepared in advance to put yourself in the best possible position for the week ahead.
Be Creative or Be Silly
Start a blog
Do you have a passion you want to share with the world?
Are you an expert cook? Do you know everything there is to know about bicycles? Are you a photographer that wants to show off their photographs? Or a traveller that wants to share tips and experiences about their best trips, restaurants and hotels?
Why not start a blog?
Start a website and write about your experiences. You’ll be amazed at how many people are interested in similar things to you!
The best part is: you can make money doing it!
There are blogs out there making $20k+ per month through ads, affiliate marketing and selling their own products.
A site like Authority Hacker is a good place to learn how to get started.
Or, if you don’t want to write…
Start a YouTube Channel
Why not record videos instead?
Instead of just telling people, why not show them?
A YouTube channel can just be the equivalent of a video blog (a vlog if you will.)
Why not create videos instead of writing a whole bunch of articles?
Both can work, it’s just whatever you prefer.
PewDiePie is probably the most popular YouTuber. He has an estimated net worth of over $60m.
Who better to get advice from on how to start your own channel:
Start A Diary/ Journal
Or, if you don’t want to go public…
You can start a diary or a journal.
It’s a great way to practice writing without any of the pressure of letting people see it.
There are proven mental health benefits to writing a journal. It also helps you remember events better further down the line.
You can either save this online, or write it down in a notebook with pen and paper.
There’s something romantic about the notion of writing it down in a notebook, but it’s down to personal preference.
Top Tip: Your first few attempts will be terrible. You’ll be awkward and self conscious. Persevere. You’ll get better with time.
Try Writing Something Else
Whether it’s poetry or a short story…
Just try writing something.
Why not?
You don’t need to share it with anyone, but you might just enjoy it.
It could be a haiku or a limerick.
It could be a serious or a funny short story.
It doesn’t matter. Have some fun.
Just don’t take yourself too seriously. It’s all about enjoying it.
Start Collecting Something
What are you interested in?
You could start collecting something that would be cool to pass onto your kids further down the line.
It could be stamps, paper money from different countries, postcards, shells, baseball cards, beanie babies, wine, scotch whiskey, keychains, maps.
Whatever it is, you can make the display a centrepiece on your house.
It’s amazing how good you can make it look. Think about the best way to display your collection to maximise its impact.
Paint Something
Or, break out the paintbrushes.
Paint a self portrait. Or, paint something around the house — be it a bowl of fruit, some plates, or some flowers.
Just have some fun!
Take Some Time for Yourself
If you don’t love yourself, who else will.
In this house we preach self love. Please look after yourself.
How do you do this…
Take a nap
Are you sleeping enough during the week?
Well, you should be. But, that’s another story.
Make up for it this weekend. Get some sleep. Relax. Look after yourself.
It’s ok to have a lazy day now and again.
Meditate
I have to be honest, I was a bit skeptical about meditation.
But, I’ve met a whole bunch of people that swear by it.
In fact, one friend went to Bali and was meditating in silence for an entire week. She insists it was one of the hardest things she has ever done, and she’s grown stronger mentally as a result.
Get started with some basic meditation techniques to help improve inner calm and resilience.
Have a long, relaxing soak in a bathtub
Take loving yourself to the next level.
Find some petals, a bath bomb, some bubble bath, a few candles, and just chill out.
Put some beautiful music on (maybe some whale noises.)
The most important thing is to take some time to think, and don’t have any screen time.
Have a spa day
Or…
Go one step further.
Have a full on spa day at home.
Put on a face mask, exfoliate your skin, put on some moisturizer, give yourself a manicure and a pedicure.
Just make yourself feel good.
Spend time with family and friends
You friends and family are the most important people in your life. They sustain you.
Make time from them!
Or, if you can’t, at least engage with them online.
How can you do this…
Call a family member you haven’t spoken to in a while
This is an easy one.
We all have people we love that we just don’t get around to calling.
Do it! Just do it!
Trust me, they’ll love to hear from you.
And, you’ll feel great afterwards.
Just talk about life.
But…
More importantly, listen!
Scan and share your old photos
Look out your old boxes of photographs and preserve them for the digital age.
All you need to do is scan them into your computer.
From here, you can save them to Google Drive or Dropbox.
And, with the best ones…
Upload them to Facebook.
Don’t forget to get tagging! Everyone loves embarrassing old photos.
Investigate your family tree
Where are you really from?
Do you even know?
Why not investigate your family tree? You might be surprised by what you find out.
You might even have great people in your family history.
To get started you can use government records to investigate. Or, if you want to go to extremes, you can get your DNA tested with companies like Ancestry.com to find where your DNA originates.
Happy hunting!
Find your crest, tartan or whatever your family has
Are your family of European descent?
If so, your family might have a crest, or some kind of royal house or title. Try investigating and see what you can turn up.
If you have some Scottish or Irish in you, you might have a clan tartan.
Go dancing
Grab your partner and go dancing.
It doesn’t matter what the type of dancing is, just go and have some fun.
It could be salsa, it could be ballroom, it could be hip hop.
Just let go of your inhibitions and do some dancing.
Hang out with your kids
What is better than quality time with your kids?
Head into the backyard and play catch. Take them to the soft play area. Help them with their homework.
The most important thing is to talk with them. Hang out with them. Have fun.
Have a family dinner where you all sit round the table without the TV on.
Learn a new skill
Why not put your time to good use, and learn something new?
It doesn’t matter if you’re learning to do something all by yourself, or if you want to learn something online via a course, or YouTube tutorials.
But, what should you learn?
Learn a Foreign Language
Learning a foreign language actually makes you think differently.
But, it also makes a vacation a lot more fun.
Imagine you can head down to Mexico to sip margaritas and party with the locals.
Or fly over to Germany for steins of beer.
Duolingo is a great place to get started. It’s a free app for Android and iPhone.
Currently, there are 32 language courses available to English speakers. These range from popular languages like French and Spanish, to less common languages like Hungarian, Welsh, Esperanto or Klingon.
Once you’ve learned the basics, you can move onto online Skype lessons via a service like Lingoci.
Or, if you want to take a less conventional approach, you can try The Mimic Method.
Learn to Code
Computer programming is a highly paid profession.
But, more than that, it also allows you to make pretty cool, or useful things.
Now, there are hundreds of programming languages, each with different uses.
What’s more important than learning the languages themselves, it’s more important to learn the fundamentals of programming.
A good place to get started is Code Academy.
To get started, you can answer a few quick questions. Based upon your answers, they’ll recommend the most appropriate course to get started.
Then, you can get started for free.
Learn How to Knit/ Sew
Coding can be profitable, but it can also be fun.
Perhaps surprisingly, knitting/ sewing can also be profitable. Even more surprising, it can even be fun!!!
All joking aside, you can create some pretty cool things.
One of my favorite blogs on the whole internet is Suzy Quilts.
I mean, those quilts are beautiful.
But, it’s not only quilts. You can make hats, mittens, scarves, a pillow, or a head wrap.
So, yeah. Get creative with knitting.
Practise Origami
The other day I saw an origami giraffe.
It was pretty damn cool.
If you don’t know, origami comes from Japan. It’s the art of folding paper into elaborate shapes and designs.Origami.me is probably the best place to get started. Here you learn the basic folds and bases.
From here, you can get started making just about anything.
Learn a Magic Trick
Repeat after me: “magic is cool!”
If you repeat that to yourself enough times, then you might just believe it.
Learn a Musical Instrument
There is nothing better than being able to pull a musical instrument out at a party, and being able to show off.
Why not spending your weekend learning an instrument?
You can get a guitar on Craigslist for $40. Or, you can borrow an instrument that a friend doesn’t use anymore.
If you want to start from the very basics, you can find hundreds of videos on YouTube. The same can be said for a trumpet, or a violin.
So, why not get started this weekend.
In my opinion, some of the most fun instruments are:
- Piano/ keyboard
- Trumpet
- Guitar
- Banjo
- Ukulele
Learn Excel Skills
Ok, this one isn’t as fun as a musical instrument. However, it can be pretty damn useful when it comes to managing your own finances, launching a business, doing your taxes, or just get stuff done at work.
For the most part, spreadsheets are pretty straightforward. But, once you learn the formulas you can start doing some pretty powerful things.
Again, YouTube is an option, but you can also head to something like Udemy.
Teach Yourself Photography
Talking great photographs is an art.
Or, so you would think.
But, it seems like there’s more science to it than you’d think.
There are certain things you can do every time to make your photos turn out better. To begin with, it makes sense to understand the settings of your camera.
I’m a big fan of the Expert Photography blog.
Start off with the Photography for Beginners post, and work your way through the rest of the site from there.
Learn to Cook
Cooking is a lot easier than you think it is.
Also, there are very few things as rewarding as cooking up your own great tasting meal.
First things first, learn the use for different knives, and how to chop safely.
Once you’ve got that down, start off with a few basic recipes. From there, you can start to get more complex.
Learn to Use Photoshop
Whether you want to touch up your photos to look a little bit better, or you want to get into design.
You can use Photoshop or Illustrator to create infographics, blog images, company logos, or just make your pictures look better for Instagram.
Either way, it’s a fun thing to be able to do.
Learn How to Draw
I would love to be able to draw.
It’s just a shame I don’t have an artistic bone in my body.
But, it turns out anyone can learn to draw. It’s not something you’re born with. It’s another instance of practice makes perfect.
That is…
As long as you are using the correct technique.Try these basic exercises on Tuts Plus.
These will get you started with the basics and the theory of drawing. From there you can start drawing more complicated stuff (like dragons!)
Learn Martial Arts
Or…
Go for something completely different.
Why not learn martial arts?
This is a great way to add some definition to your body, get a great workout, meet new people, and learn how to defend yourself.
You can start off by yourself at home. Or, you can go and join a class.
Again, this probably isn’t free, but you can join in with a lesson for a few bucks. Generally, you don’t need any equipment beyond sportswear for your first few lessons.
Conclusion
So, that’s it.
If there isn’t something on this list you can do, then I’m afraid you’re on your own!!!
Just remember this, there’s no reason to be bored this weekend.