33 Cheap & Simple Ways to Enjoy a Frugal Retirement
Good morning. It’s Bonita from Pennies to Dollars. Today, we are going to flip switches a little bit and talk about how to live frugally in retirement. If you are like my husband and me, you have not been able to save a lot for retirement.
Part of our frugality is practicing how to save as much as we can now, so we can enjoy our retirement. Here are some activities you can do for free or cheap during your frugal retirement.
1. Enjoy your morning coffee
How many times are we rushing around in our lives and don’t have time to sit down and have a coffee?
2. Enjoy your house
Enjoy the things that you’ve been missing because you rushed around and didn’t have time to see them.
3. Garden
That is a relatively cheap hobby. There’ve been so many summers that I’ve been so busy, I haven’t even been able to plant flowers and enjoy them.
4. Travel
If you can afford to travel frugally, you can travel frugally.
5. Stay active
You can take walks if you’re physically able. We love taking walks, but we find it hard to find the time while we’re working. No matter what your physical condition is, you need to find a way to stay active. That can be done easily from your home. There are so many YouTube channels now, even ones with arthritic exercises.
6. Hangout with your friends
You can have a night where you all get together and share drinks and food. If it’s nice out, have a picnic and enjoy each other’s company.
7. Go to your grandkids’ events
When you’re working, it’s so hard to get off in time to make it to that ball game and you’re just so tired. In a frugal retirement, you can make it to your grandchildren’s events if you stay local.
8. Make use of your local library
There are so many things in the library that you can rent and borrow. It’s all free.
9. Dance
Look for free outdoor events or those with a small charge. Or, take your lawn chair and watch other people dance.
10. Nap
You can take naps and make up for lost sleep that you’ve never been able to catch up on because you’ve always been working.
11. Plan vacations
You can look up all the different states and call or request online for free travel guides. I take a lot of time going through magazines, planning routes, and finding free things to do along the way.
12. Do your makeup
If you haven’t had the time or the occasion to do so, you can do your makeup every day or practice different makeup styles
13. Do yoga
Especially if you are down south, there are places where they do yoga on the beach every day. Doesn’t that sound heavenly? I look forward to those days.
14. You can just be outside
I love the outside. So much needs to be done in the house where you’re working that so many times it’s a beautiful day and you can’t even get outside.
15. Go to the pool
If you live in a 55+ community or a rural place where they offer an inexpensive pool pass, you can have pool time every day, which sounds heavenly. I love lying by the pool.
16. Camp
Camping is relatively inexpensive. A lot of people have an RV and really enjoy camping and making new friends at campsites.
17. Have breakfast picnics
This is something that my husband and I do even now if it’s nice out. It sets the tone for your day.
18. Try meditation
If you have a lot of stress, trouble sleeping, or anxiety, there are free Youtube videos that are awesome.
19. Clean your house and keep it clean
Many of us have struggled to do this while working.
20. Do your hair every day
Practice new styles.
21. Clean your camper if you have one
Get ready to go on that next trip.
22. Take long baths
23. Do your nails
24. Cook more at home
25. Embroider, crochet, and knit
You can also do woodworking and other crafty things you want to catch up on.
26. Read
I love reading and have a huge stack of books that I have not even started. I picture my frugal retirement with me laying by the pool and reading all these books.
27. Clean out your car
How many times do we not have time to clean out our cars and we drive in a messy car because we are trying to get from point A to point B and don’t have that time?
28. Enjoy the breeze and sunlight
Open the windows and enjoy the fresh air. So many times when we are working, we don’t have time to open our windows and enjoy the sunlight and breeze.
29. Wash your bedding
A lot of times we get busy and this gets put off.
30. Paint or do home improvement
31. Play with your pets
32. Get a part-time job
If you want to get a part-time job you can fit it into your retirement budget.
33. Volunteer
A lot of people wish they had more time to volunteer and have to turn people down all the time because they’re so busy and don’t have the time or energy to volunteer.
Frugal retirement
I made this huge frugal retirement idea list as part of a frugal retirement booklet. As I started this list, I realized some of these things I can already do now.
I don’t have to wait until I retire to enjoy myself. Make your own list and let me know in the comments what’s on the list that you look forward to doing in the future or that you can do right now.
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That sounds so peaceful and relaxing! Thank you for commenting!
Thank you 💕