Find Yourself Bored and Broke? Head Online
Posted by jefferson on Nov 9, 2012 in Saving Money | 31 comments
Without a doubt, boredom can easily lead to spending money. If you find yourself bored on the weekend, you might decide to spice things up by going to a movie, going out to eat at a restaurant, or even heading to the mall to do some shopping. None of these things are free of course, which means that if you don’t have any money– they are not an option. When you are bored and broke, you have to find some other options. This is the situation that my family has found ourselves in for the better part of the last year, as we climb our way out of debt.
My town is full of free and fun things to do as a family, but as the weather starts to cool, we have to get a bit more inventive. My family is big fans of board games, so often find ourselves spending an evening playing games like “Ticket To Ride” or “Forbidden Island“.
But even board games can get old after a while, and you may find yourself turning online to find some entertainment to pass the time. As a long-time computer aficionado, I have long preferred using computers for entertainment to watching television. It turns out that there are a ton of different options for entertaining yourself online without spending a dime. Of course, you need to pay a local provider for internet service (or just hang out at the library or a local restaurant).
Music and Movies
The internet is wonderful for its ability to bring entertainment to the masses. As bandwidth continues to increase, this will only expand in the future. In the past, we have written extensively about the options for listening to music for free online. The good news is that there are similar options for viewing video content online.
Of course, the kind of online video is YouTube, where one can easily lose an afternoon watching DIY videos for home repairs, concert footage from your favorite bands, or if you are my eleven year old– just simply watching funny cat videos. If you prefer something more substantial, pretty much all of the major television networks offer the ability to watch their current lineup shows online (with embedded advertising). If you miss an episode of your favorite show, or are just looking to try something new, this is a great option. The biggest player in the online television genre is Hulu, which offers tons of archived content from classic and current television shows. A portion of their best content is stowed away in the paid section of the site, but you can certainly find shows worth watching in the free section.
Infinite Reading Material
Since you are reading our blog right now, you are obviously aware that one of the best things about the internet is its infinite well of reading material. From reading up on news, politics, or sports, to following your favorite personal finance blogs, there is enough toilet reading available to provide years and years of entertainment.
If you own a kindle, nook, or other e-Reader device, another great option is to visit the website for your local library. Nearly every library systems offers a method to electronically check out books (typically for a week or two at a time), to read them at your own leisure. This service is also free, and doesn’t carry the same risk of late fees that you have to deal with when checking out hard-copy books.
Gamer’s Delight
If like me, you spent an inordinate amount of your childhood playing video games, the internet offers a wealth of gaming options without spending a dime. Facebook offers a method to play a wide variety of games, including personal favorites “Words With Friends” and “Word Scramble”. Another favorite that I highly recommend is PopCap, who makes original and addictive games, that the whole family can enjoy. Also, I wholeheartedly recommend checking out the demos for popular games, to get a feel for what they are all about. You will only get to play a portion of the game, but you can experience popular games like Minecraft and XCom, without paying for the full versions.
For the adults, another option is to try out one of the online gaming sites like Lucky Nugget Casino. Sites like this offer an extensive free gaming section where you can try your hand at blackjack, poker, and more, without spending any money. Please note that sites of this kind offer a section for real-money gaming as well, so if you are prone to temptation or issues with gambling, you might want to exercise caution.
–
When times are tight, you need to get inventive to find ways of entertaining yourself and your family, and the internet offers a wealth of opportunities. How do you entertain yourself online?
31 Comments
Leave a Reply
eBook with Michelle & Jefferson for only $4.99!
As Seen On
About Us
Designed by Nuts and Bolts Media | © 2013 See Debt Run
Business
9gag.com – Inappropriate humor that can keep me busy/distracted for hours on end. That’s really the only site I need to be entertained.
Andrea @SoOverThis recently posted..Unsent Letters: Politically Correct Edition
Hah.. Oh yes. .Good call, Andrea. The internet is full of wonderfully inappropriate memes that can provide endless entertainment.
Browsing the internet/reading/youtube are one of my favorite things to do, it’s true that it can keep you occupied for hours!
Catherine recently posted..Weekly Reads 09.11.12
No question… As someone who is thirsty for knowledge, I love finding reading material on the internet..
I find things to read, catch up on blogging, meeting new people online. I usually find myself playing hours of Scramble and Words with friends on my iPhone.
Thomas S. Moore recently posted..Contrographic from PointBlankSEO
Meeting people is another good one, Thomas. The internet is great for connecting..
When I’m really bored, I start looking at magazines online, such as Cosmo.
Michelle recently posted..Tips to Tackle Clutter Before Christmas
Do you have to pay for those, Michelle? .. I do love that the internet has eliminated the delay in news..
I write a blog
I stream tv shows too, my whole Sunday can be spent watching Dexter.
Pauline recently posted..Friday recap, plugged in, hammock hung!
This is true, Pauline.. An extraordinary portion of my online time is spent on blog related activities
Watching online, episodes of shows I missed on regular tv.
Mackenzie recently posted..Favorite Peanut Butter Cookies
We use the DVR whenever we can.. But online is certainly our second choice if we miss a show online.
Hehe, I wish I were bored with spare time, but there’s just no such thing as spare time for me now. Writing, commenting, scheming, it’s all taking up my entire life :/
Veronica @ Pelican on Money recently posted..A Week of Firsts
Scheming?.. I love it..
Yeah, this is the story of my life as well.. But on the rare occasions that I do find the time.. I would much rather find entertainment online than on my television.
reading and blogging, mostly.
Mrs. Pop @ Planting Our Pennies recently posted..Fitness And Finance – My GymPact
Blogging is quite time consuming, isn’t it?.. I don’t know if non-bloggers know how much work really goes into it..
Great post! Hulu is one of my top visited sites because I don’t have a TV in my bedroom and I love watching shows before bed. I always click to the food network and enjoy one of my favorite programs for free- the internet really is awesome!
Kelly@Financial-Lessons recently posted..6 Investing Tips for Beginners
Awesome.. I agree.. I think the time is coming soon where everyone will no longer need 5 televisions in their house, and will instead choose to watch on their laptops..
These are great! I agree that there are a ton of free things to do if you take the time to look. This weekend we are going to rake the leaves for the kids to play in- free!!! =)
Have a great weekend~!
Holly@ClubThrifty recently posted..The VIP Club Roundup – 10th Edition
The weather is actually going to be beautiful in the midwest this weekend.. We will certainly be playing outside as well!! Leaf jumping is the best.
It’s true, it’s really hard to ever say “I’m bored” because the internet has everything on it! You really can’t be bored!
Mo’ Money Mo’ Houses recently posted..Giving Back Without Buying into the Commercialization of Big Charities
So true… There is always something to do if you can get online… Of course, it can get lonely, so you need to make sure to make time for real people…
I usually turn to blogging or reading blogs. I never find that I’m ever bored, even though I don’t go out very much. I’d actually like to be a little MORE bored if that makes any sense? My to-do list, or things I could do to be productive seems endless!
Budget and the Beach recently posted..Link Love 11/9/12-Happy 100th Post!
Yeah.. I hear you. I would absolutely love more bored time in my life..
We’ve totally spent an entire day watching exclusively Weird Al videos on YouTube. We’re winners, I know. We’re also Pandora addicts. And will bust out Jeopardy on the wii during naptime on occassion.
femmefrugality recently posted..How to Get Fit Without the Gym
I have absolutely no trouble entertaining myself online. When all else fails, I head onto my personal twitter account. I follow a lot of great journalists and most of them are absolutely hilarious. Sites like lifehacker and gizmodo are also great for kicks and sometimes tidbits of information as well.
And there’s always angry birds…
CF recently posted..Considering a short term loan
I know this post was about the internet, but I’m really interested in the “forbidden island” game. (never heard of it) That looks like a lot of fun for my family of 4… as soon as the girls are old enough.
Jason Clayton | frugal habits recently posted..Why are some People Successful and others Not?
Yahoo games is definitely a place you can go and waste…er pass your time. Sometimes you can start playing at 8:00pm and before you know it it’s well after midnight.
justin@thefrugalpath recently posted..Friday’s Fork in the Path: Posts that Kept me on Track 11/9/12
I do know a few people who shop out of boredom. Is it wrong if they had plans on spending the money anyways? Maybe they waited until they were bored to give themselves an excuse to get out of the house…you never know!
I’ve been using my Kindle a lot more to read a few books here and there. It’s quite convenient.
Ornella @ Moneylicious recently posted..In The Face of Taxmageddon?
I don’t think I’ve ever said “I’m bored” ever since the Internet came out. There’s just so much stuff you can do and learn.
My Money Design recently posted..Black Friday Shopping Tips – Preparing to Get the Best Deals!
Great tips! I agree with you that going online is a great idea to keep yourself entertained without spending money. When I’m really bored, I usually watch videos on YouTube, play online games on my phone or read various blogs on my laptop. The ultimate site http://www.reddit.com can cure boredom.
Dominique Brown recently posted..Do You Have A Big 3?