Passing The hours

Aril

I enjoy the following:
Jigsaws [OH and I sit and chat whilst we do them]
Foraging for free food
Any free events in the area
NT membership [this is bought as a joint present for OH and me by my parents for our birthdays]
Wildflower/mushroom walks [well any kind of nature walk really but it's just those things mentioned stay still and I stand at least a chance of identifying them in my book:D
Meeting up with friends- we have a set of friends [6 of us in total] and we all convene with two starters. These are all laid out on the table and everyone digs in and contributes to the drink. Whoever the host is provides a very simple and inexpensive pud.
Beach combing
Library/ swapping books with friends/freecycle books
Getting together with friends and jam making [we split the cost] Have done similar things with soap making, sweets, candles, paper etc etc [I appreciate there is some outlay with this but everyoe gets to leave with something]
Altering clothes- not major changes but adding trims, buttons etc that I've already got squirrelled away. Have done similar exercises with picture and photo frames.
This one I have yet to try- making items out of papier mache eg bowls
Waiting until everyone's out/ asleep in bed and then sadly drawing the curtains, putting on my fave music loudly [with earphones] and bopping like a thing possessed. Kind of like a billy no mates disco!
Yoga. You don't need special equipment to do this and postures can be learnt from library books.
Could probably go on [can you tell I've had plenty of practice finding free entertainment:D
Aril
ps sometime I borrow my husband for a bit of free fun:D
]

Lesley_Gaye

thanks Aril, a few things I hadn't thought of there that I will try, & I will have a look at the other places mentioned by PP

JailhouseBabe

I was at a clothes swapping party at the weekend. On this occasion the hostess laid on drinks and food, but it would work equally well if everyone supplied a dish and/or a bottle. Everyone had a clear out first and bought a bag of something, not necessarily clothes (we had jewellery, shoes, belts, a few books). We certainly had fun!

got-it-spend-it

How about taking it turns with your OH to make breakfast in bed at the weekend.

Wandering round car boots on a sunday can be fun and v. cheap

Do you have bikes? OH and I have just taken up cycling together which makes a change from walking.

Join a book club? I keep meaning to do this as it really appeals to me....

Some nice ideas on here- I love the idea of a clothes swapping party.

Lesley_Gaye

thanks guys, some good ideas to keep me laughing and light hearted

I really like the idea of clothes swapping, the friends who would do this are all different sizes, but I know they would love the idea of books, bags, toiletries, jewellery etc

MeAllOver

I'm glad this post has come up because I've been trying hard to do free things with the kids. Here are some things I can think of that I do with the kids:

- Meet friends at the park/woods rather than indoor softplays
- Feed the ducks (free if it's stale bread you weren't going to eat anyway)
- Walks in the woods and local country park (some places we pay £1 to park, but most places are free)
- Baking
- Public paddling pools (if the summer ever gets started!)
- Washing the car
- Legoland (got annual passes with nectar and tesco points and DS3 is free)
- Trying out different parks

And without the kids:

- Go running in the woods
- Walk in the park near work at lunchtime

buxtonrabbitgreen

Singing. I can't sing any more (years of smoking) but I used to belong to a choral society and we sung all sorts. It is suprising how happy it makes you feel. And most don't require you to be that good, just able to read music a little.

kunekune

If you like sewing, I bet there are lots of people who have just-started cross stitch and needlepoint kits who would love to have someone else finish them for them. Not sure you could make any money but you'd have all the fun of doing it.

Lesley_Gaye

I used to go to singing classes a couple of years back and enjoyed it immensely. It didn't cost much, but the teacher moved away and there hasn't really been anything else. I can't read music as such, I can follow it if I more or less know the tune.

Although now you remind me, there may be something in a local U3A group, that's very little a year. I'll see if I can find one.

I do like sewing, wonder if I could do that and make a few bob at the same time - I'll put my thinking cap on!

patchwork_cat

What about pimp that snack as an alternative to baking! http://www.pimpthatsnack.com/ go to the projects page and make an enormous - creme egg?, chocolate brownie - the world is your oyster or should that be Jaffa cake!