Five frugal rainy day activities

When you are in the depths of winter and you spend a lot of time wishing for summer, you forget how gloomy and how numerous the rainy days of April are. It’s enough to make you want to reach for your wallet and hit the mall for a little retail therapy or take the kids to the local Cineplex for a matinee, both of which are budget-busters.

There are better ways to spend a rainy day and spend your money. You’ve heard of saving your money for a rainy day? This is saving your money on a rainy day.

Embrace the rain

Just because it’s raining doesn’t mean that you have to stay indoors. Get out your rubber boots and go puddling jumping with the kids. It’s all about making a mess, which the kids will think is grand.

Visit an animal shelter

Got any animal lovers in the house? Visit your local animal shelter, which you are likely welcome to walk around and even interact with some of the animals.

Go bowling

While bowling is not free, it’s generally not as expensive as some other activities and you can often get a group rate. And it eats up a rainy afternoon quite easily.

Game on!

Whether you’re getting out the board game classics or having a video game tournament, it’s a fun and free way to spend time together. And if you’re a competitive family… even better.

Rainy day date ideas

Rainy day activities aren’t just for the family. If your date night/afternoon falls on a rainy day, you can still enjoy some frugal fun a deux.

Luxuriate in a high end coffee shop with a good cup of coffee or in your local pub with a craft beer, preferably curled up in a cozy booth with a fireplace nearby. Savour and linger over one or two drinks. It’s quality not quantity.

Visit your local grocery store where they hand out free samples and wander.

Stay in and have a chocolate fondue. If you don’t have a pot, you can make sauces and do it on the stove and transport it to the table for dipping