How to save money over the weekend

If you are like me, and most Americans, then you have spent an enormous amount of time over the years going out, ordering take-out, getting drinks with friends, or finding any number of ways to spend money on the weekend.

With inflation running rampant, and no end in sight now is the time to reconsider what your spending looks like, especially over the weekend. If this sounds like you, then you may want to reconsider some of these activities.

Below I've outlined a few things that you can use in place of the norm to save money during your much-needed time off.

1. Food prep

2. Hosting a party

3. At home spa

4. Find ways to save

5. Get outdoors

Food prep

Taking time over the weekend to prepare meals for the upcoming week is a great way to save money on food costs, learn a new skill/recipe, and save money by spending more time at home vs going out.

If you pick the right recipe it may have the added benefit of helping you meet your New Year's resolution to lose weight and eat healthily. The hardest part is saying no to all the social engagements you have been invited to!

Hosting can save money

Just because you are trying to save money over the weekend doesn’t mean your social life has to go by the wayside. Quite the opposite actually. Choosing to host your friends and family can actually build deeper relationships with the people you truly care about.

When you host you can go cheaper on most things. A typical dinner out may run $50 for a single person. You could potentially host an entire dinner party for that cost. If your guests share in the costs then everyone can save money.

What’s more, you can choose to cook something new and learn a fun recipe. Working together, again, helps build deeper relationships. You can also assign someone to be the designated bartender and everyone can pitch in to bring ingredients for a fancy/fun new cocktail.

The opportunities to have a fun and interesting time while hosting are truly endless.

At home spa

The weekend should absolutely be a time for rest and relaxation! With that in mind, you should do some self-care and turn your home into a spa.

You can get just about everything you need to create that spa experience at home. Head over to your neighborhood Target, get a face mask, aromatherapy candle, and some bath salts. Add a good book and you truly have all you need. You could save hundreds of dollars vs a traditional spa or massage.

Find a good deal

While this might be the way everyone wants to spend their weekend it might be the best way to save money.

If you have a large purchase coming up, spending time finding the best deal is a great way to save money. If you don’t, then you can spend the time finding cheap groceries, a cheaper gym membership, cheaper internet, or something similar.

There are a ton of other ways to save money. I personally like to focus time on evaluating our spending habits and finding things we can negotiate or eliminate all together.

Kids playing at park

The winter isn’t always the best time to take your kids to the park, but whenever the temperature is agreeable this is a great way to save money vs taking them to a local amusement park or some other children's entertainment venue.

The same concept can be said for your own entertainment. During the summer, find a park and go on a picnic. In the winter, bundle up and take a walk. Getting outside, in any form, can be a great way to get exercise and save money.

In summary:

There are so many amazing ways to save money during the weekend. If you take some time and really focus on saving money over the weekend I'm sure you can find many more ways to make that happen. Remember, not spending = saving money! So finding ways to avoid spending is exactly the same as saving.