How to Keep Your Entertainment Budget Frugal This Year

Depending on what you like to do for fun and how much it costs, you could be spending a lot of money on entertainment each month.

In fact, the average household spends almost $3,000+ each year, just for entertainment purposes. Who knew an entertainment budget could be so expensive?

Usually, when we start getting serious about our finances, we tend to cut unnecessary expenses with entertainment being one of the first to go.

While it’s true that you don’t need to spend tons of money to have a good time, establishing an entertainment budget can actually save you money in the long run.

The Importance of an Entertainment Budget

Whether you’re a homebody or not, it’s only normal to want to get out of the house every once in a while and do something fun whether it’s free or costs a little money. Experiencing new things with friends and family is a part of life no matter how focused you are on cutting your expenses and prioritizing your financial goals.

Did you know that the average American spent $3,568 in 2021 on entertainment alone? That’s quite a bit of money!

If broken down for 12 months, that’s about $300 a month! While having fun should definitely be a part of your budget, it should also fit into your spending goals and shouldn’t cause you to overspend. Now, if you have $300 a month to spend on entertainment, that’s great!

But many people don’t, and there are ways to set a realistic entertainment budget without sacrificing doing the things you love.

Whether it’s $100, $50, or $0, if you don’t set a budget and limit yourself, you can easily spend too much on entertainment when the money could have been more useful elsewhere during the month. In other words, no budget = no limit and no control.

💡Quick Budgeting Tip

If you want an easy way to set an entertainment budget and track your expenses, check out Simplifi by Quicken. Simplifi is an exceptional budgeting app that makes it easy to categorize your expenses and monitor your spending more closely.

You can also track your progress during the month and even create a watchlist to track frequent retailers or vendors.

1. Check Out Community Event Websites

Local community event websites like The Patch are great for locating free and low-cost events near you. You can also subscribe to your local city or county’s newsletter or look up your park district or library to be the first to hear about upcoming events.

There is always something going on even in the smallest town whether it’s an outdoor concert, art show, fundraiser, play, movie screening, or sporting event that is free or open to the public.

2. Get Outside

Getting outside is the easiest thing you can do for fun. Plus, it’s free! Tour your neighborhood, check out parks, ride bikes, play sports, or just do anything that gets you up and moving.

Utilize national and local parks for their amenities and do some hiking or even boating. I know it sounds expensive, but kayaking and canoeing can actually be really cheap when you rent a boat and grab a couple of friends. I actually live right by a small river and I have a neighbor who owns a couple of canoes. We took the kids out a few times last summer and had a blast.

And, there are tons of things you can do year-round, no matter where you live. For example, in the winter snowboarding may be in the cards. Try it out and see if you like it!

Or, go ice skating, play in the snow, or drink some hot chocolate and eat smores on your porch. The possibilities for outside activities are endless, no matter what the weather is like throughout the year.

3. Obtain Reduced Cost Admission To Museums

Museums, aquariums, zoos, and other attractions usually offer free or reduced admission prices either weekly, monthly, or on certain days throughout the calendar year. Be sure to take advantage of these offers.

If a museum offers a free admission day to state residents, pack a lunch and go check it out. Museum admission can cost anywhere from $15-30 in some cases. Why not take advantage of a free opportunity?

4. Utilize Restaurant Specials and Promotions

Sometimes dining out at restaurants is placed in its own budget category, but it can very much be considered as entertainment as well if you value the experience and interaction with others in addition to the food. There are plenty of ways to dine out and still maintain your entertainment budget.

You can start by taking advantage of happy hour for discounted appetizers and half-off drink specials. Some restaurants also offer ‘early dining’ or ‘late dining’ specials to people who choose to come in during off-peak times like before or after the dinner rush.

Also, if you have a coupon for your favorite restaurant, don’t be afraid to use it. You can sign up for rewards and loyalty programs or subscribe to receive coupons straight to your email that will come in handy the next time you dine out.

5. Use Groupon

Groupon.com is one of the best sources for getting discounts on food and activities in your area (in my opinion). I personally use Groupons a lot to get discounts on activities that I love but don’t necessarily want to pay full price for.

When you sign up for Groupon, you’ll be able to select your location and receive daily updates on deals near you. Anytime you’re looking for something fun to do you can just simply sign in to the site on your computer or smartphone and search for featured deals and goods, things to do, places to eat, hotel and travel deals, and more.

Groupon typically offers discounts ranging from 20% to 80% (more or less) off so you can save a ton by using their services. I’ve used Groupons to save money on hotel reservations, trips to a water resort, pumpkin farm, ice skating rink, movie theatre, and tons of other places with no problem. If you’re looking to save money on your next outing I’d highly recommend Groupon.

6. Have Fun At Home

One of the best ways to save money is to not go out. And being home doesn’t have to mean being bored. There are tons of fun, at-home activities that you can do. There are even plenty of activities that you can do with a family too.

Here are just a few ideas to get you started:

• Bake or cook together. You can even take it farther (if you have space) and have a “Chopped” type challenge where everyone has to create a dish based on their ingredients.
• Get the grill going. This works even if it’s cold outside! Get an indoor grill (like a George Forman) and grill up your favorite foods. You can even make some smores in your air fryer to come after dinner.
• Go camping in your backyard (or your balcony). Play some outdoor games, make some smores or grill up some hot dogs (you can use a portable campfire stove to stay safe), and sleep under the stars!
• Complete a puzzle or play a really long board game. This could keep you entertained for hours.
• Plan a trip for the future. Who doesn’t love planning their vacation? Think up your dream vacation and write it down so you can start preparing!

7. Have A Budget Friendly Bucket List

If you want to keep your entertainment budget in check, there may be things you have to put on hold from time to time. However, that doesn’t mean you have to hold yourself back from making memories and enjoying life. Your budget doesn’t have to limit you. A budget is supposed to be helpful so you can do more of the things you love and spend less on the things you don’t. You can also do this with Simplifi, which includes savings goals!

For example, maybe you like traveling. But if it’s not in the budget at the moment, you could still take a trip a few hours away and stay in an Airbnb for a night.

You can still get out of town and enjoy new things, but it’s significantly cheaper than booking flights, staying at hotels for days on end, and having to budget for meals and shopping.

Here are some other ideas to get you started with your budget bucket list:

• Visit the best ice cream shops around town
• Find an awesome nature trail and enjoy it for a few hours
• Visit my state capital and walk around (if possible)
• Find a local community college or state college and check out their free/cheap activities (like watching a play that the theater students put on!)
• Find a new hobby (like bird watching or sea glass collecting)

How To Be Frugal With Your Entertainment Budget

Overall, your entertainment budget doesn’t have to cost you a fortune for you to enjoy yourself. It is possible to have a ton of fun, without spending much (or any) money! What do you like to do that doesn’t cost you a lot?

Do you try to keep your entertainment budget frugal so you can reach other financial goals? What’s your favorite frugal activity?