Enjoy a Spend Free Weekend

In an effort to stay on top of trends, I’m writing my version of a post I’ve seen all over Pinterest. The ‘Spend-Free’ weekend (or week, or month, or sometimes longer if you have a fully stocked pantry of beans).

I’m not really to sure why someone would want to voluntarily undertake a spend-free amount of time. There’s other ways I’d like to challenge myself besides reliving my college years. But, to each his own. Here’s seven ways your family can entertain themselves this weekend without spending a dime.

1.  The arcade scramble. Get everyone’s hopes up by driving to your local arcade then officially declaring a spend free weekend. Watch as your desperate children drop to the ground and scavenge for quarters and tokens. Help develop your toddler’s fine motor skills by pointing out the coin returns and asking them to check. Enjoy the brief moments of video gaming between the angry scuffles and borderline pick pocket action.

2. Clean out your dryer vent, and then use the lint to start fires. Shove it into empty toilet paper tubes and set it ablaze before chucking it into your neighbor’s pool. Create torches and go on a pretend witch hunt. Build a bonfire and make an effigy if you’re feeling super crafty. Starting fires often leads to the really fun family activity of blowing things up. Teach your children about all the flammable chemicals in the home through careful explosions in your backyard. Just watch those eyebrows!

3. Decluttering is a popular weekend activity of voluntary non-spenders. But what to do with all the stuff you no longer need? Well, you can donate it to the less fortunate, burn it, or use it to create modern art installations. Leave a creation in an open space at your local park or university (with a super official looking homemade plaque) and see how it’s received. If a gallery owner comes across it, maybe you’ll make a few bucks! If you don’t need to declutter, but want to create art, consider dumpster diving for supplies. You might find the dumpsters of popular stores locked up (Communists!) but anything left on the curb in that fancy development on trash night is fair game. Just head out late “for supplies” if you don’t want to run into a coworker or family member.

4. Family makeovers! Dig out all the clothing from all the closets (look, more decluttering!) and all the makeup (yes mom, even your Wet and Wild eyeshadow from high school) and let the makeover melee begin! Dog raincoat on the baby? So precious! Mom’s wedding gown on dad? Hilarious! Watching dad try to give his teen daughter a smokey eye look- get the camera ready! That’ll be slide show material someday! Bonus points to anyone who wears their new look out in public

5. Visit a new parish this Sunday and pretend to be a completely different type of family; maybe one from France, or a cult. Maybe your family is in the witness protection program and Oh no! Now you’ve said too much! And you quickly put on sunglasses and run away. Slide across the hood of your van, baby carrier in hand, for dramatic flare.

6. Help your kids set up a lemonade stand. If business is slow, you can quickly move into distilling and bootlegging liquor on the side. Make sure your children give customers the option to step into the garage and ‘upgrade’ their beverage.

7. Go streaking around your neighborhood. Guaranteed to give you the adrenaline rush of much more expensive extreme sports, but for free!

What would you suggest? Write it down then link it up below. Be sure to include a link back to this post so your readers can find the rest of the Quick Takes. I look forward to reading your posts!