Are you thinking of ways to cut your spending by going out less often? After all, many people do think that there’s little to do on our little red dot that does not involve consumerism – eating out and going shopping. If a typical weekend for you usually involves going for an expensive brunch and then shopping along Orchard Road after that, and stuffing your wardrobe with more clothes that you wear not more than once, we’ve got a handy list for you.
Binge-watch Netflix
Netflix arrived in Singapore this year and if you haven’t subscribed to your free one-month trial, you need to do so now! After the one month trial, you can either cancel or subscribe, but if you like the offering you see on the catalogue here, which includes Orange is the New Black and Marco Polo, you can get it at an affordable S$10.98 with the standard version.
The standard version allows you to watch on one screen in a standard definition (SD) video stream, while upgrading to a S$13.98-a-month plan, you get high definition (HD) streaming, plus the ability to view on two screens simultaneously. The premium plan at S$16.98 a month provides Ultra HD or 4K streaming for shows that support the sharper format and allows up to four users to view at the same time.
The monthly plans are very affordable and comes down to a very low price for the hours of entertainment you get.
Jigsaw Puzzles
A forgotten pastime of yester-years, jigsaw puzzles are a great way to spend time with a loved one, or to train your patience and attention span in a world full of distractions. They make good gifts as well, as they show that you’ve spent time and thought working on the gift. Want something more personalised? Get it customised with a photo!
If flat jigsaw puzzles are too boring for you, you can even indulge in 3D creations and use it as a home decoration!
Organising A Home Party
Instead of meeting friends outside for a meal and spending extra money for drinks after that, why not hold a party at your home instead? Cheaper food and drinks, as well as no rude waiters trying to get you to vacate your table for the next customer.
A way to keep it done cheaply is to hold potluck parties so that everyone gets to share in the cost and effort of bringing food, and make sure you provide some free entertainment like board games and movies to keep your guests occupied.
Explore the Great Outdoors
Have you been to Macritchie Reservoir, Pulau Ubin or Bukit Timah hill? If you haven’t, maybe it is time to spend some time outdoors, breathing in the fresh air and giving your sedentary body some good exercise. Singapore is blessed with an abundance of green spaces and there are many parks within reach in each neighbourhood. Make it social by inviting your friends and family with you so that you have some real face-time instead of communicating with each other via a screen.
Upgrade Yourself
You do not have to enrol yourself into expensive and time-consuming courses in order to upgrade yourself. In this day and age, there are loads of free online courses that you can log on to and learn at your own time and pace. Some of these even come from well-known universities, such as Harvard Online Learning courses, Open Yale courses and popular learning portals like Khan Academy.
You can also check out some of the eligible courses you can attend with your $500 SkillsFuture credits!
Looking for ways to spend time instead of money? Look no further than the list above and you’ve got 2 months’ worth of weekend filled with the suggested activities!
