We were all locked down in the spring and there have been increasing numbers of local lockdowns, so I thought it was a good time to write about ways of making lockdown speed past, but don’t cost a fortune. Obviously some people will still be working, others will be looking for work to replace lost jobs, but if you are furloughed or simply have more time than usual because you are working from home, here are some ideas for you.
Take Some Exercise
It doesn’t do to be sat around being immobile all the time. It’s not good for our minds or our bodies. Exercise doesn’t need to cost a fortune in a lockdown world: do a class online (there are numerous free classes on YouTube – Joe Wicks has loads, but there are plenty of other providers). Or you can exercise at home using either no equipment or what you already have. There’s a lot you can do without having to spend money. Again YouTube is a good place to look for ideas of how to exercise at home. Walking is free and a great form of exercise, so maybe you could build a walk into your daily routine. If the local pool is open then swimming is usually a low cost way of exercising.
Read A Book
I love reading. Normally I go to the library to get books to keep me entertained. Some libraries are open for browsing, some for order and collect and others are still closed. Use your local library if it’s open, but if not there are lots of things you can do to save money on your reading habit. You could swap books with a friend (put the books into quarantine for a few days before you read them). You can usually buy books cheaply from charity shops too.
Each month I get one or more free books from Amazon to read on my Kindle through their Amazon First Reads scheme. These are usually books about to be released and I’ve found them to be of high quality so far. You can also search for ‘free kindle books’ on Amazon and there are always plenty of titles. Quality for these free books is a bit more variable and authors often offer the first book of a series for free in the hope of drawing you in (a reasonable marketing technique after all). Or you can join Kindle Unlimited, again with Amazon, which will give you access to a lot of books to read. There’s usually a free one-off trial to start with (remember to cancel if you don’t want to be charged) or if you know you have the time for a lot of reading you could pay for a month and binge read during that time. If you have Amazon Prime you can also borrow from a smaller library than Kindle Unlimited, but it is included in the membership and there isn’t an additional charge. Books that are old enough to be out of copyright are often free too, so this is a good time to read the classics.
Binge Watch A Series
There are plenty of new series you can watch on TV. Try something at random if you are running out of ideas, or challenge yourself to watch something you wouldn’t normally bother with. The cheapest way is to watch on one of the catch up services like the iplayer. Borrow and swap DVDs with friends, you can easily quarantine them for a few days before you watch them.
If you can’t find anything you fancy on the normal terrestrial channels, then maybe look at a streaming service. If you have Amazon Prime for other reasons, don’t forget that it has a video library and you can watch films or box sets. If you run short then you could look at buying a subscription for a month or two from Netflix or NowTV. Remember to cancel to avoid being charged for additional periods, with NOWTV I’ve cancelled immediately after buying and then just used for the month. You can usually get an introductory deal with some free use too if you look around.
Listen To An Audio Book or The Radio
Listening to the radio is free and you can play back shows you have missed on catch up services. Podcasts are often free to download too and can be enjoyable or informative. There are free audio books to be had on Amazon or you can often get a free trial subscription to Audible or similar services.
Learn Something New
I love learning languages, but there are loads of free courses out there for other subjects. The Open University has a great selection of free courses. For language learning you’ll find lots of free resources online if you look for them. I use Duolingo too to help me learn, but there are lots of free apps available.
Lockdown Date Night
Dates don’t need to stop because of lockdown. Try a date night idea that you can do at home.
If you show your family a good example by keeping costs low, the chances are they will follow in your footsteps, so you will be teaching your kids how to manage their money too.