In the few weeks that I’ve been home for the summer, I’ve become aware of my consumer tendencies. I never really thought about it before college because my parents basically paid for everything. After I graduated high school, my parents had this idea of slowly helping me become more independent by gradually cutting me off.
It’s been almost two years since the implementation of my financial independence, and this summer I find myself struggling to pay my phone bill. Although I’m sure I’ll be more appreciative of their help in the near future, right now I am a little bitter about their “help.” In any case, these series of events have acquainted me with my aforementioned habit of spending money, unnecessarily. In the midst of my empty wallet and bad credit score lays the source of my misfortune: my friends.
That’s not entirely true. My bad credit score has nothing to do with my friends and everything to do with the school loans I’ve been taking out to pay for college. And truthfully, my wallet has always been empty. I carry a tube of lip-gloss, my I.D. and my debit card, so there’s not much keeping it full.
Whether I want to watch a movie at the theaters, or see the new Pompeii exhibit at the museum, I can be sure that spending money is most definitely on the itinerary when I’m out with friends. Although my impulse to buy every cute skirt at Forever21 can account for the negative balance in my bank account, the activities I participate in with my friends are equally important. Hence, the list I came up with: eight activities you can partake in this summer that are relatively free -- operative word is relatively, because I realize that gas can be a luxury when you’re broke.
1. Bike ride. Riding a
bike is a lot of fun. Riding a bike in a group is even more fun. If you don’t
have fun when you’re riding a bike, you’re not doing it right. Most
of my friends live within a five-mile radius. Instead of driving to a friend’s
place, why not save a few bucks on gas and ride a bike? If
biking five miles is difficult for you, you should definitely do it because your life is headed down a road of diabetes and heart disease.
2. Night hiking. It goes without
saying that you should do this in a group -- the more the merrier, and you’ll be safer in numbers. I recommend you hike a trail you already know and
you go before the sun has set. Remember to bring a lot of flashlights.
3. Picnic
(at the park). Some of you may
have a greater appreciation for the beach. If that’s the case, by all means,
go. I prefer my sandwiches sans sand. If you’re with the right
group of people, feeding the ducks can be a lot more fun than it sounds.
4. Make a meal together. Instead of going
out for a meal, why not try making it? And if none of you know how to cook,
it’ll be even greater fun -- and more valuable in the long run. Breakfast is both the easiest -- and most delicious -- meal to make.
5. Bonfire. This
is just an excuse to make s’mores. I love s’mores, despite my inability to have
more than two in one sitting. Sometimes, however, you should take a break from
all of your crazy summer adventures, sit down by a fire, and have a nice chat.
It’s amazing how much more you can learn about your friends through
conversation.
6. Host a movie night. You can save
$8 by popping your own popcorn. And Redbox always has a fine
selection of movies for a buck a night.
7. Craft together. I
only recently took up this hobby since joining a sorority. More times than not, our choice of weapon is glitter. If sparkles and glimmer isn't your thing, then you can always try tie-dyeing one
of your old shirts with some friends. I promise you'll get better with practice.
8. Water fight. What better way
to beat the summer heat than having a water fight? If bursting water balloons on your friends isn't your idea of fun, then I don't know what is. Plus, it's a lot less painful than paintballs. Don’t forget to add a
slip-n-slide, too (trash bags work just fine).
