Frugal Fun Tips Goes Outdoors for Spring

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By Shel Horowitz

OK, all you Northern Hemisphere readers--this one's for you. If you're in the Southern Hemisphere, just file this away for six months.

Spring has sprung! And with it come a host of free activities that you can enjoy now and over the next six or seven months.

A few of the many possibilities
* Get a bird identification book out of the library (or at a yard sale), find a pair of binoculars (8x or stronger), and take a walk through a local park or forest. At our house at the moment, we have bald eagles, assorted hawks, brilliant red cardinals, blue jays, red-winged blackbirds, crows, seagulls, starlings, sparrows, and a whole bunch of others. Even better than a bird book--find an experienced birder who can show you around.
* At least here in New England, the colors of spring are almost as good as the fall foliage show. First come the crocuses, then the daffodils, azaleas, rhododendrons, tulips, magnolias, flowering cherry and apple trees... even the maples get some flowers in the next month or two. This is a great time to look around the gardens and parks in your neighborhood.
* Pump up your tires, oil the gears, and take a nice bike ride. It's not too hot yet, and it's a great way to get in shape.
* Drive out to a place with little or no artificial light on a clear evening, and do some star-gazing! for extra credit, see how many of the characters from Greek myths you can identify as you spot constellations on a star chart.

Of course, this only scratches the surface. Keep these activities and the thousands like them in mind as we start to build momentum for National Frugal Fun Day (first Saturday in October). I'm counting on all of you to be missionaries for this new holiday in your own communities.

And if this doesn't start ideas going for you, just pick up a copy of my book, The Penny-Pinching Hedonist: How to Live Like Royalty with a Peasant's Pocketbook. 280 pages of ideas for free and cheap ways to have FUN! Get your copy at https://www.frugalfun.com.