20 Things to Do Together When You Don’t Want to Spend Money

Some of my favorite days together are the ones that barely cost us anything. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that getting out of the house has to mean spending money. Dinner out turns into $50 or $60 before you know it. A quick trip somewhere with the kids somehow ends with snacks, drinks, admission prices, and something somebody absolutely needs from the gift shop. And sometimes that’s fun. There’s nothing wrong with spending money on experiences when it fits the budget.

But there are also seasons when you’re trying to save, pay something off, build up your emergency fund, or simply make it to payday without wondering where all your money went. That doesn’t mean everyone has to sit around the house bored. Honestly, some of the best family memories don’t require tickets, reservations, or a packed schedule. They usually happen when we slow down enough to actually enjoy being together. So if you’re trying to have a no spend weekend, save a little extra money, or just need something simple to do as a family, here are 20 ideas we come back to again and again.

1. Pack Up and Go on a Picnic

You don’t need to buy special picnic food. Grab whatever you would have eaten for lunch at home, pack it into a cooler or grocery bag, and take it outside. Sandwiches, fruit, chips, leftovers, it really doesn’t matter. Take a blanket to the backyard, park, playground, or somewhere near the water and suddenly an ordinary lunch feels like an outing. The kids usually don’t care what we’re eating. They just think eating somewhere different is exciting.

2. Take a Long Family Walk

We spend so much time rushing from one thing to another that simply walking together can feel surprisingly peaceful. Leave the phones at home and wander around the neighborhood, a local park, or a nearby trail. Let the kids stop to look at rocks, bugs, flowers, sticks, or whatever catches their attention. Sometimes we adults are so focused on getting somewhere that we forget little kids are perfectly happy taking 20 minutes to walk 100 yards.

3. Have a Movie Night at Home

Instead of paying for movie tickets, turn the living room into your own theater. Pile blankets and pillows on the floor, turn off the lights, make popcorn from whatever you already have, and let someone choose a movie. You can even make little paper “tickets” for younger kids. It sounds simple because it is but kids remember simple traditions.

4. Cook Dinner Together

We have to eat anyway, so sometimes dinner itself becomes the activity. Pick something everyone can help with. Homemade pizza is great because kids can add their own toppings. Tacos, pancakes, cookies, sandwiches, or breakfast for dinner all work too. Will the kitchen probably get messier? Yes. 

Will it take longer than doing it yourself? Almost definitely.

But some of the sweetest conversations happen when everybody is standing around the kitchen together.

5. Visit a Playground You’ve Never Been To

Most of us drive past parks all the time without ever stopping. Search around your area for a playground you haven’t visited and make an afternoon out of it. To a little kid, going to a different playground might as well be a vacation. Bring drinks and snacks from home and you’ve got an easy outing without spending anything.

6. Have a Backyard Campout

You don’t have to drive hours away or pay for a campground to give kids a camping experience. Set up a tent in the backyard or build one inside if the weather isn’t cooperating. Bring out sleeping bags, flashlights, pillows, and snacks. Tell stories, look at the stars, and let bedtime happen a little later than usual. And if everyone gets uncomfortable at 11 p.m., your real beds are about 20 feet away. That’s my kind of camping.

7. Go on a Nature Scavenger Hunt

This one is especially good when little kids are getting restless.

Give everyone a list of things to find:

• Something yellow

• A smooth rock

• A pinecone

• Three different leaves

• Something shaped like a heart

• A feather

• Something tiny

• Something that smells good

You can walk around your yard, neighborhood, park, or woods. It gives kids something to focus on and turns an ordinary walk into an adventure.

8. Pull Out Old Photos and Videos

One night, instead of watching something on TV, pull out old photo albums or scroll through family pictures together. Kids love seeing themselves as babies. Tell them stories about when they were born, funny things they used to do, trips you’ve taken, or relatives they may not remember. I think sometimes we’re so focused on creating the next memory that we forget how much fun it is to revisit the ones we already have.

9. Have a Family Game Night

Use whatever games are already sitting in your closet. Board games, cards, puzzles, charades, anything works. If your kids are too young for traditional games, make up something simple. Hide an object and give clues. Play freeze dance. Build the tallest block tower you can. It really isn’t about the game. It’s about everyone being in the same room doing something together.

10. Watch the Sunset

This may be one of the easiest things on the entire list. Find somewhere with a decent view, bring a blanket or sit on the porch, and watch the sun go down. No phones. No rushing. Just sit there. There’s something about watching the sky change that naturally slows everyone down for a few minutes. And it costs absolutely nothing.

11. Have a “Yes” Hour With the Kids

Set aside one hour where the kids get to decide what everyone does, as long as it’s free, safe, and reasonable.

Maybe they want to build a blanket fort.

Maybe they want Dad to chase them around the yard.

Maybe they want everyone to color.

You might be surprised how simple their requests are.

We sometimes assume kids need elaborate entertainment when what they really want is our attention.

12. Build a Blanket Fort

I don’t know why putting blankets over furniture makes everything more exciting, but it does. Use chairs, couch cushions, blankets, and pillows to build the biggest fort you can. Then crawl inside with books, snacks, flashlights, or a movie. The living room might look ridiculous for a few hours, but that’s part of the fun.

13. Go Somewhere Just to Explore

You don’t always need a destination. Take a drive through roads you don’t usually travel. Walk through a downtown area nearby. Visit a public garden, riverfront, walking path, or historic neighborhood. We spend so much time thinking fun has to happen somewhere far away that we overlook what’s twenty minutes from home. Just make sure you’re not turning the “free drive” into a $37 gas-station-snack adventure. I’ve learned that lesson before.

14. Have a Family Cleaning Challenge

Okay, this may not sound fun at first. But hear me out. Set a timer for 20 minutes, turn the music up, and see how much everyone can get done before the timer goes off. Give everyone a job. Then when the house is picked up, stop. Don’t turn it into a four hour deep cleaning session. The reward is having a cleaner house and the rest of the evening free to enjoy it.

15. Read Together

Pick a chapter book and read a little every night. Even younger kids who normally choose picture books may enjoy sitting together while Mom or Dad reads a longer story. Make some blankets comfortable on the couch and turn it into part of your bedtime routine. Reading together is one of those activities that feels almost too ordinary to count as family time but that’s exactly why I love it.

16. Make Something With What You Already Have

Before buying craft supplies, look around the house. Paper plates, cardboard boxes, crayons, scrap paper, glue, empty toilet-paper rolls, old magazines, leaves from outside, you probably already have enough for kids to create something. Give them a loose idea and let them figure it out. The projects don't have to be beautiful. Sometimes the strange little things they invent on their own are much more fun anyway.

17. Have a Family Worship Morning

Put worship music on while everyone makes breakfast. Read a short Bible passage together and talk about it in a way the kids can understand. Ask everyone one thing they’re thankful for and one thing they want to pray about. It doesn’t have to feel formal. Faith doesn’t only have to happen inside a church building. Some of the most meaningful moments happen around the breakfast table in pajamas.

18. Sit Around a Fire

If you have a safe place for a backyard fire and local rules allow it, this is one of my favorite inexpensive evenings. Use firewood you already have, pull out some chairs, and just sit together. You don’t even need marshmallows. Kids love throwing sticks into the fire, adults actually get a chance to talk, and somehow everyone slows down. There’s something about sitting around a fire that makes an ordinary evening feel special.

19. Let Everyone Choose One Thing

When nobody can agree on what to do, let each person choose one free activity. Maybe one child chooses playing outside. Another chooses coloring. Mom chooses a walk. Dad chooses a movie. You don’t have to cram everything into one day. Write the ideas down and work through them during the weekend. Everybody gets a turn, and nobody has to spend money trying to keep everyone entertained.

20. Do Absolutely Nothing for a While

I saved this one for last because I think families need it more than we realize. Sometimes we don't need another activity. We need margin. Stay home. Wear comfortable clothes. Let the kids play. Drink your coffee while it’s still somewhat warm. Sit on the porch. Take a nap when the little ones nap. Eat leftovers. Talk to your husband. There is so much pressure to constantly be going somewhere, buying something, or giving our kids another experience. But home can be the experience too.

You Don't Have to Spend Money to Make Good Memories

I want my kids to experience things. I want to take trips, go places, eat good food, and occasionally spend money doing something special together. But I also don't want them to grow up believing that fun always has a price tag attached to it. There is something beautiful about learning to enjoy what we already have. Our backyard. Our kitchen table. A local park. A sunset. A stack of old blankets. A Saturday afternoon with nowhere we have to be. Some weekends we’ll spend money and make wonderful memories. Other weekends we’ll pack sandwiches, head to the park, and come home tired and happy without spending a dollar. Both can be good. 

If you’re trying to save money right now, don't look at a no spend weekend like you're missing out. Make breakfast together. Get everyone outside. Find somewhere new to walk. Build the ridiculous blanket fort. Put your phones down for a little while. The people we love are already here. Sometimes we just need to slow down enough to enjoy them.