Living in Small Town Nebraska can often be frustrating in terms of curing boredom. Coming from a large city in Colorado where things to do are plenty, it can be hard to find somewhere that's equally exciting and cheap. However, this past weekend was full of exciting adventures with friends, and I discovered that you don't always need a bottomless wallet and reliable form of transportation to have a good time. Here are 9 things to do with little to no money.
1. Talent Showcase
Everyone has some kind of hidden talent that they're generally afraid to display. One of my good friends can clog, and another one can sing her lungs out. A talent showcase is the perfect opportunity to show off that weird thing you or your friends can do. It's also a general appreciation for the people around you and the work they put into their hobbies.
2. Slam Poetry
Going off of Talent Showcase, a slam poetry night is a safe space to share poetry that members have written. I don't know if it's just my friend group, but I feel like we write enough poetry to constitute a slam poetry night. This can also be a chance to share your favorite poems from famous poets. It's fun, safe, and just an all around good time.
3. Game Night
Game nights are a staple with my friend group. At least once every couple of months(plus cast and crew parties), we get together in the basement of a dorm and play a bunch of fun board games. It can get horrifically competitive, but it's never dull or boring. We always have a good time without having to spend any money(aside from the original cost of the game).
4. Homework Party
Listen, school is stressful. Sometimes, you just have to all sit down and suffer together. As they say, misery loves company. Get a group text out and gather your friends in a friendly area to power through that group presentation, or difficult reading. As silly as it may sound, homework parties can actually be fun.
5. Walk In The Park
Having nervous energy is an unfortunate side effect of being busy. Getting rid of that nervous energy is essential to a successful day. Again, group texts are essential to this, as you can send a quick group text -- "who's down for a walk to (insert preferred destination here)" -- and gather a group of people.
6. Go See Late Night Trains
!!! LET ME PREFACE THIS BY SAYING PLEASE STAY SAFE AND KEEP IT LEGAL !!!
There's nothing more satisfying than watching a train fly by. I don't know what facet of society conditioned us to love trains, but they did it well. Chances are, you have at least one train station in your town. Maintain a safe and respectful distance from the tracks. Honestly, trains at night are the most beautiful things. The noise surrounds you until you can't even hear your own thoughts. Everything fades away. Added benefit: you can scream and no one will hear you!
7. Walk Through Cemeteries And Fix Flowers
Over Easter Weekend, a group of friends and I visited our local cemetery. Being in a graveyard is actually very cathartic; it's peaceful and quiet and solemn. As we walked through -- respectfully -- we made a point to fix fallen flowers and decorations. It made the entire day better, and we felt like we had actually made a difference.
8. Movie Night
Movie night is an quick, easy way to relax. To keep people happy, try to switch up who's in charge of choosing. Maybe one night, you watch your friend's favorite movie, then next time it's yours. Make sure you're careful in your reviews of the movie; you never know whose feelings you might be hurting!
9. Karaoke
In Hastings, we have an Applebees that offers karaoke nights on Thursdays. However, if you don't have such accommodations, I recommend hosting a karaoke night yourself! It can be fun to just goof around and poorly sing to popular songs, or even perform fan favorites. Let your hair loose with fake hand mics and youtube videos.
