18 Ways Not to Spend Money This Weekend

Here are 18 ways to have a money-free weekend. In order of importance:

  1. Don’t walk into any stores
  2. Get off Facebook/Amazon/THE INTERNET
  3. Hand someone your wallet. (Preferably someone you know)
  4. Throw yourself a 3 minute dance party. (Crank up your favorite song and dance the crap out of it!)
  5. Spend one hour brainstorming 10 ideas
  6. Only wear clothes that still have their tags on
  7. Write someone one of those “letters” you used to find in the mail
  8. Log onto MissingMoney.org and see if you have any, *ahem*, missing money
  9. Forgive someone, even though you were clearly right and they’re a dumb-ass
  10. Empty one drawer/cabinet/liquor shelf (but don’t forget to invite me over first! :))
  11. Learn something new. (I recommend the Zero Waste movement!)
  12. Go for a run in your undies. (The best way to beat your record!)
  13. Read this article on How To Make Doing What You Love More Lucrative from Fast Company :)
  14. Build a rock garden. (Step 1: go on a walk. Step 2: pick up rocks you like. Step 3: put them in your garden/yard/balcony in the shape of something fun (circle, star, $). This is less weird with kids.)
  15. Put all your financial log-ins in one place! (Paper, spreadsheet, app – doesn’t matter. Just make sure it’s secure and your sig. other has access to it in the unlikely chance you get hit by a comet.)
  16. Walk into a bank and “buy up” all the $2.00 bills on hand. (Instant savings! You won’t ever want to spend these bad boys, and if you do, they make for excellent tips/gift ideas)
  17. Start a blog about whatever you’re passionate about. (Chances are, others are too)
  18. And lastly, of course, practice baby-making! But make sure you’re actually “practicing” or else it becomes quite the opposite of saving money, fast.

Accomplish all 18 and win yourself this :)

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55 Comments

  1. Chris Muller August 21, 2015 at 5:33 AM

    Happy Friday sir!

    Awesome list, and I love #10 – de-clutter and make some extra buckage! And #18 of course never goes out of style haha.

    I’ll add a few if you don’t mind…

    19. Make a home-cooked meal using only the ingredients you have (check out supercook.com)
    20. Do the in-law hustle – this is a game I like to play where I go visit my in-laws, swim in their pool, and score a free dinner
    21. Netflix binge-watch – find a show to obsess over and don’t stop (my suggestions: The Office, Arrested Development, New Girl, or (if you haven’t seen them already all the way through) Sons of Anarchy and Breaking Bad
    22. Donate something – pack up some boxes of clothes or junk you don’t need and run it to Goodwill… I find that donating crap usually makes me feel good (and feel worse about spending money afterwards)
    23. Spend some time calling companies you have services through (cable, phone, etc.) and talk to them until they give you a lower rate

    That’s just off the top of my head here at 5am so hopefully it adds some value! Have a great weekend brother!

    Reply
    1. J. Money August 21, 2015 at 9:22 AM

      HAH! I’m doing the in-law hustle as I type this on their kitchen table! :)

      Great additions, sir.

      Reply
  2. Brian @ Debt Discipline August 21, 2015 at 6:52 AM

    Ha. Now #3 could be a problem, what if that person takes you cash and spends it? :) Happy Friday!

    Reply
    1. J. Money August 21, 2015 at 9:22 AM

      Better they keep the junk than you!

      Reply
  3. Dee @ Color Me Frugal August 21, 2015 at 7:15 AM

    This cracked me up! I throw a dance party often when I am trying to get my 13 month old daughter to stop fussing. For some reason when the tunes come out and mommy starts dancing, she’s more apt to stop fussing and smile! Or maybe she’s already learning how to have fun at mom’s expense…

    Reply
    1. J. Money August 21, 2015 at 9:24 AM

      GREAT IDEA!!! The only thing that’s seemed to work on this end is when we tell ours they “better not laugh!” And then we try and make faces and weird noises to get them to laugh and (eventually) their cries turn into laughs :)

      Reply
  4. Mrs. Crackin' the Whip August 21, 2015 at 7:30 AM

    I practice #1 and #2 regularly but I absolutely love Chris’s donate tip above. Get rid of that shit! J Money your list of importance is completely out of whack. Practicing baby making = the most fun and frugal tip to save money ever! That should be #1 =)

    Reply
    1. J. Money August 21, 2015 at 9:24 AM

      Haha… just wanted to make sure y’all were paying attention.

      Reply
  5. Penny @ She Picks Up Pennies August 21, 2015 at 8:07 AM

    Taking inventory of what you already own is really helpful, too. Love the idea of practicing forgiveness. Costs nothing but pays huge returns. And thanks for the early-morning laughs at work!

    Reply
    1. J. Money August 21, 2015 at 9:26 AM

      Yes – agreed! Great for insurance purposes as well in the case of fires/etc.

      I always love reading lists from minimalists too who lists every thing they own – usually with pics – and it hovers under 100 items. So extreme but so intriguing!

      Reply
  6. Hannah August 21, 2015 at 8:20 AM

    My college cross country team always did an underwear run around this time of the year. We did run very fast, and very, very early in the morning.

    This weekend, my son will probably make a dirt/acorn garden which is like a rock garden, but involves removing all the dirt from potted plants and putting it on the deck. And then throwing acorns at the dirt pile. It is still unclear why this is his favorite activity.

    Reply
    1. J. Money August 21, 2015 at 9:29 AM

      haha… I would get along with your son very well.

      Reply
  7. Emily August 21, 2015 at 9:05 AM

    Great list! I’ll add
    24. Go for a walk with someone you love.
    25. Call your Mom (or Dad, grandparent, sibling, or favorite aunt/uncle. You get the idea).
    26. Play a board game. Or cards. Or hangman. Just make it something other than a video game.

    Reply
    1. J. Money August 21, 2015 at 9:30 AM

      Amen on that last part.

      #27: Hide your smart phone for 48 hours

      Reply
  8. Chris @ Flipping A Dollar August 21, 2015 at 9:26 AM

    LOL #18 is hysterical. Those babies definitely cost more than the tax credit. At least we always plan to have a baby at the end of the year so we get the credit for only a few months of baby expenses!

    Reply
    1. J. Money August 21, 2015 at 9:31 AM

      The best first gift ever! :)

      Reply
  9. Kati August 21, 2015 at 9:56 AM

    We are trying to have a low-spend weekend in the midst of a high-spend activity: buying our first house! We are set to close on FRIDAY! One week countdown!!!! So this weekend is all about packing, cleaning, de-junking and donating… but it’s so easy to say “Let’s buy a new rug” “let’s get new sheets” etc etc etc. BUT WE WILL DE-CLUTTER!!! And maybe some stuff will show up that we can sell that needs a lovely home. ;)

    Reply
    1. J. Money August 21, 2015 at 10:46 AM

      YES! De-clutter time all the way! I hope the closing goes smoothly!

      Reply
  10. Tawcan August 21, 2015 at 10:10 AM

    I was nodding my head until #12 lol. #18 is always good to practice. :D

    Reply
    1. J. Money August 21, 2015 at 10:47 AM

      #12 is much more fun to watch than to participate in :)

      Reply
  11. Mr. Utopia @ Personal Finance Utopia August 21, 2015 at 10:13 AM

    “3. Hand someone your wallet. (Preferably someone you know)”

    The only one I’d trust to hold my wallet is my wife. If I do that, we most definitely would NOT be saving money this weekend!

    Reply
  12. Danell August 21, 2015 at 10:30 AM

    Too funny! I’ll add
    *Go for a bike ride.
    *Pick up the last craft or hobby you bought stuff for and haven’t worked on in awhile and DO IT or if it doesn’t excite you anymore, sell it!
    Of course these aren’t as fun as #18, but may have to substitute when the person you practice with is not available. :-(

    Reply
    1. J. Money August 21, 2015 at 10:54 AM

      Haha…

      or, get *crafty* with #18 – boom!

      Reply
  13. Ali @ Anything You Want August 21, 2015 at 10:38 AM

    Haha the last one made me laugh out loud. A fun, free thing that I plan to do this weekend is work on some crafts using the supplies that I have left over from other projects. Productive and thrifty!

    Reply
    1. J. Money August 21, 2015 at 11:18 AM

      Do it!!! Literally – on #18 and on the crafting ;)

      Reply
  14. Justin @ Root of Good August 21, 2015 at 10:51 AM

    All sound advice. Except #12. You might have to fork over a few hundred $ for bail money. And/or face a short visit to the nearest mental health hospital. ;)

    Have a great weekend, J $!!

    Reply
  15. Tonya@Budget and the Beach August 21, 2015 at 10:58 AM

    ha I love #18. It’s true that one inexpensive activity could get rather expensive rather quick. I think I’ll take you up on brainstorming ideas. Also catch up on some of my free online classes that I’m taking! Have a great weekend!

    Reply
    1. J. Money August 21, 2015 at 11:23 AM

      I did it for 4-5 days straight (coming up with 10 ideas and not stopping until I do) and it really did change the way I thought that week. It was SUPER hard to do at times, and then also frustrating because when you came up with good ideas you wanted to *work on them* right away and couldn’t! haha… i mean, you could, but you know – life and bills. Still, a great way to spend an hour :)

      Reply
  16. Steve Miller August 21, 2015 at 11:52 AM

    Great list. Some comments:

    1. If you’re gonna hand your wallet to someone, I’ll keep it for you!
    2. My wife just screamed at me because I was running in my undies
    3. Organize your passwords and logins using this app (iPhone app is free):
    iPhone: http://apple.co/1HZXIXj
    Web based: http://www.aMemoryJog.com

    All the best!

    Reply
    1. J. Money August 24, 2015 at 12:09 PM

      thx for the rec!

      Reply
  17. Catina Marie August 21, 2015 at 12:23 PM

    Loving this list and you have perfect timing! I just dropped the equivalent of a few car payments on back-to-school shopping for my “basketball shoe addict of a child”. Why-oh-why can I budget so well in every area but this???

    Reply
    1. J. Money August 24, 2015 at 12:09 PM

      oh wow, haha… he’s one lucky boy!

      Reply
  18. James August 21, 2015 at 12:51 PM

    Here’s hoping getting off the Internet and building a rock garden will help me accomplish #18 with my wife. Thanks for the list and have a fabulous #18 filled weekend!

    Reply
    1. J. Money August 24, 2015 at 12:10 PM

      If rock gardens don’t do it, I don’t know what will ;)

      Reply
  19. Mrs. Frugalwoods August 21, 2015 at 1:02 PM

    Haha, love it! Since Mr. FW and I succeeded at #18 over 6.5 months ago, we’re going to conduct the free activity of setting up Babywoods’ nursery with all of our free baby hand-me-downs this weekend. Can’t wait to get that room all organized and squared away. Bonus here is that I’ve been getting rid of a ton of stuff to make space for the baby paraphernalia (I even finally sold something on Craigslist–you should be so proud!).

    Reply
    1. J. Money August 24, 2015 at 12:11 PM

      You guys have such an incredible adventure ahead of you!!!

      Reply
  20. Mr. SSC August 21, 2015 at 9:47 PM

    Haha! Yeah #18 gets pretty expensive pretty quickly in so many ways, money is just one them. Great list though! Have a good weekend!

    Reply
  21. Kayla @ Femme Frugality August 21, 2015 at 10:19 PM

    I plan to do some of these and I really need to catch up on work and things around the house, so that won’t cost money either. :)

    Reply
  22. Michelle August 22, 2015 at 3:01 PM

    These are all great ideas! :) Sharing this on Facebook!

    Reply
  23. diane @smartmoneysimplelife August 22, 2015 at 6:35 PM

    Great list! There’s a few there I’ll be giving a go this weekend. I especially like the idea of zero waste so I’m off to check that out now. Cheers!

    Reply
    1. J. Money August 24, 2015 at 12:13 PM

      Oh, good! I hope you did and will tell me what you think! I’m obsessed right now..

      Reply
  24. M/M Kash August 22, 2015 at 8:25 PM

    Loved the list…. #12 is my fav…hilarious. I don’t think I’d want to participate, but watching would be hilarious and free.

    Couple adds….
    #28…. Meet/visit with your neighbors…. We’ve just met some new neighbors and they are awesome…we let them borrow our chop saw and they gave us some 2x6x14 salt treated boards that we are going to use to make some deck repairs…they were going to take to the recycling center and pitch. Huge score on new friends and bonus we all can help each other out.
    #29… Go to the beach….playing in the waves is so fun…just be sure all bathing suit parts are adjusted before popping out of water. Can cause quite a scene.
    #30… Enjoy a sunrise or sunset…they are always different and spectacular.
    #31… Help someone start a business… Helped Kash,Jr. start his grass cutting business. He has 3 clients just from talking to people today and they are walking distance from the house. Smart 12 year old.

    Have a great weekend.

    Reply
    1. J. Money August 24, 2015 at 12:13 PM

      Nice!!! Love young hustlers like that!

      Reply
  25. Jayson @ Monster Piggy Bank August 22, 2015 at 8:34 PM

    These are really cool ideas not to spend money this weekend. #32 is to stay at home to spend quality time with your children or play with your dogs.

    Reply
  26. Claudia @ Two Cup House August 23, 2015 at 8:57 AM

    Letters–I don’t know why, but #7 made me laugh out loud. I don’t think I’ve written a letter since elementary school. Maybe I could start again. Awesome list! :)

    Reply
    1. J. Money August 24, 2015 at 12:14 PM

      It’ll probably take you an hour to do it, haha…. Try it and report back! :)

      Reply
  27. Generations Thrift Store August 23, 2015 at 2:59 PM

    Adding to #10…when you clean out that drawer, shelf, etc, considering selling unused items to bring in some extra cash (when you can get back on the internet #2).

    Reply
  28. DP @ Someday Extraordinary August 26, 2015 at 10:24 AM

    Funny thing, we just had our first child two and a half weeks ago. While I know kids are expensive, the first few months seem like they may result in a little money saving! We used to go out for a nice dinner or a happy hour over the weekend – nothing extravagant, but just get out of the house after making our own meals and eating in all week. Well, over the last couple of weekends, we’ve obviously stayed in. While our night out was not a huge expense, it’s amazing how much you end up saving by making it difficult to go out!

    -DP

    Reply
    1. J. Money August 26, 2015 at 11:43 AM

      Haha yup!

      And those savings there will continue to happen for THE REST OF YOUR LIFE! Haha… j/k. But def. for the first few years :) If only it didn’t evaporate from the extra costs they bring…

      Congrats on the new little guy/girl though! Such an amazing experience, isn’t it? Gotta coach them early to take over your online empire ;)

      Reply
  29. Caroline September 3, 2015 at 3:40 AM

    Loved this although I probably won’t be trying number 12! I actually did number 15 last week and really felt I had achieved.

    Reply
  30. Revanche January 16, 2016 at 3:14 PM

    Wait but if we get off the internet first then how do we finish the list? :D (Says the person looking for something we need on Amazon, but I betcha I won’t buy it even though I’ve been looking for weeks!)

    Also, we purchased a membership at 2 museums for this year so we might just scrap today’s work and go over there for a couple hours.

    Reply
    1. J. Money January 20, 2016 at 11:26 AM

      Great use of money!! Love that type of stuff!

      Reply

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