[HELPFUL TIPS] 10 Things You Can Do When You Don't Have Any Money

Just because you don't have a spare dime doesn't mean you get to wallow in the shadows of your life.

Photo by Meredith Loughran. Paul River off of Great Sacandaga Lake

In the last few years I can tell you from experience that funds have been tight. I've been through getting my electricity shut off, to losing cable - and worse - Had a car repossessed and even went throug foreclosure on my house. This isn't a boo-hoo story though.
I had a very nice home, a good paying job, two cars in the driveway, and we were eating take-out more often than I was prepping homecooked meals. Everyone had a cellphone. We kept the lights on all the time. Basically, we were spending what we earned and more. But times got tough and I had to readjust my thinking and my priorities.

A voice from the past

A dearly departed friend of mine told me how he helped his daughter out of debt three times. She had the same kind of lifestyle with the cars, the house...and the spending. In order to keep all of those things, she often found herself in trouble and called on dad to fix it.
In total, he probably "loaned" her about $30,000 and never got paid back a cent. In the telling of this, he said something that resonated with me when I got into financial trouble. He told her, "You obviously like being in debt. So why don't you stay there for a while."

POWERFUL WORDS
He had given her a lesson on tough love. If you keep spending beyond you means because you want things, then you need to pay the consequences.

And even though Old Bob wasn't my father, his words have stuck with me. When trouble times came, I had to ask myself, "Do I like being in debt?"
The answer is simply: NO.

But this isn't about my climb out of debt. That's a story that I'll share later. This is about the things I could do to keep busy without spending any money. These things helped keep my sanity, got me grounded, and put me on a path of self-discovery and creativity. Now I'm going to share them with you.

10 things with a budget of zero

10. Read

Pixabay - creative commons


Reading is the gateway to the universe. It doesn't matter if you like fiction, biographies, manuals, or just flipping through an old magazine. Reading transports you across the globe, through time, deep into space, and well into someone's colorful imagination. You don't have to buy books. Go to the public library. Go to a book swap. Sit on the floor at a Barnes & Noble.

9. Get in touch with nature

Photo by Meredith Loughran. Lake Lindsey at sundown


When was the last time you just went outside to just to be outside?
No matter where I live, I find a favorite spot to take in the world around me. There is something magical and healing about touching the earth and its bounty. I've learned to listen beyond traffic noise and seek out nature sounds: birds, bugs, critters... I look to the night sky and try to find familiar constellations and planets. Whethe I'm walking in the woods or nestled in my favorite spot, I realize I am a tiny speck of sand compared to the universe. It's humbling.

8. Exercise

You can find a whole plethora of exercise regimens on YouTube. Get off your butt and shake your thang! You will do your body and mind good. You'll feel better. You'll lose weight & inches. You'll probably extend your lifespan.
I was thrilled when I found TaeBo on YouTube. Yeah, yeah, I'm old but Billy Blanks has gotten me punching and kicking back into shape with a good dose of cardio. What's your favorite exercise?

7. Arts & Crafts

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I'm betting somewhere in your house you have old, unfinished projects. Maybe it's sewing, knitting or crochet. Maybe it's stamping or scrapbooking. How about an old drawing pad or some canvas and paint? Hell, it could be origami or making sandwich bag wreaths for Christmas. Whatever it is, if it's collecting dust, brush it off and finish a project. You've already got the material and now you've got the time, so just do it.
My mother-in-law gave me a whole box of yarn because her eyesight was going and she had to retire her projects. I've tried to take at least an hour a day to work on my crochet projects for birthday or holiday presents. And I don't know about you, but I appreciate handmade items much more than second-thought gift cards and useless junk given for the sake of having a gift to give.

6. Play games with the family

Game of Corn Hole anyone? Pixabay - creative commons

How about getting unplugged for a few hours a week as a family? Break out the old board games and deck of cards. Play with your family. Commune with them. I've had some great conversations with my kids over a game of Trivial Pursuit, Scrabble, LIFE, or whatever. How out badminton or corn hole? There is something about building a camaraderie while shit-talking over card games like War or Old Maid. You know, it's kind of nice to have a few friends over for a friendly poker game using matchsticks too.

5. Plant and tend a garden

Here's a quick video of my bucket garden

Did you know you could take a wedge of a tomato, throw it in the ground and have your own tomato plants? Same thing with any fruit with seeds in it. I was able to harvest tomatoes, green peppers, jalepenos, and cantaloupe from scraps that we normally throw away.
Celery and scallions regenerate if you keep the ends in fresh water and give them plenty of sunlight. Normally I kill everything that I try to grow, but doing a little research to see which plant likes what has been invaluable to keeping them alive and thriving, and with some patience, I have fresh fruits and veggies without spending another dime.

4. Volunteer

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No matter how bad you think you've got it, someone probably has it worse. Remember that.
Don't just sit at home and wallow the fact that you don't have any money to do the things you want to do. Contribute to your community! There are volunteer opportunities everywhere you go.

• Be a reader at the local library
• Serve the needy at the soup kitchen
• Go to the nearest animal shelter and spend some time with homeless pets
• Pick up trash while you're on a walk (it's not an organization but you're beautifying your neighborhood)
• Hang out at your local airport and hug your military boys and girls as they get deployed or come home
  Think about your special gifts and what you can offer society.
  
  

3. Go Junking

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"One man's trash is another man's treasure"
No truer words for nearly every aspect of your life. But when I was making some decent money, I never considered junking. I was the one accumulating things and watching people dig through my trash for their treasure.
Now it's a hobby of mine! I'm always on the lookoout for curb alerts and day-after yard sale rejects. Granted, I am not a hoarder either. If I see something that I can put to good use, I'm going for it. Which segues perfectly into Number 2...

Freecycle.org

If you've never heard of it, check them out. Freecycle is a website that allows people to post what they want to get rid of or what they might need. The premise is to keep perfectly useable items out of the landfills and into homes that will appreciate them.

2. Ebay

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You really can turn that junk into treasure. A very creative friend of mine took an old, beat-up bench. With a tiny bit of repair and new paint with her artistic flair, she sold the bench for $300. Not bad for a little sweat-equity and using leftover paint & stain.
Ebay has paid my bills. I used that opportunity to clean house and sell my junk finds for profit.

1. WRITE ON STEEMIT

The potential to earn money for your content is staggering but it takes patience. Too often I am hearing people who try it for a day and give up because they didn't land a whale. Well BOO-HOO. Guess what? Anything worth anything takes time. And while it doesn't cost anything to join, your investment is TIME & CREATIVITY.
Those two things do not cost a thing. So, I have to ask, if you've never made a penny writing anywhere else, why would you expect to make thousands overnight here? It's unrealistic so, really, get over it and just write. Build your reputation, comment and upvote on QUALITY items. Make your votes count. Be consistent. Again, the possibility of rewards is worth some patience.

Final thoughts

While I'm a little better off financially than I have been in a while, hitting rock bottom has taught me so many things about keeping an enduring spirit, becoming grounded and self-aware, living frugally and loving it, and being more appreciative for the things that I have.
If you have more tips, kindly share them here or write your own blog about it! Be sure to share your link so we can connect and swap stories and ideas.

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Meredith Loughran blogs at ScribblingBandits.com | Follow her on Twitter & SnapChat or LinkedIn

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Come see what I've been writing! Visit my blog page

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