5 fun and free things to do while you’re stuck at home

If you’re stuck working from home or twiddling your thumbs in self-isolation during these tough times, you might be tempted to do some comfort spending online! However, with bush fires, floods and a global pandemic, 2020 is shaping up to be more than a little unpredictable. Now more than ever is the time to get thrifty and entertain yourself and your loved ones without dropping any cash.

Stumped on where to start? Here are five thrifty things to do while you’re stuck at home, that won’t put a dent in your savings account:

1. Get creative!

Have you got any blank canvases or empty sketchbooks gathering dust around your home? Well now might be the time to finally use them. Crack out the paint, oil pastels, colouring pencils, chalk, whatever your preferred medium is and get creative!

You could paint a holiday snap that you were particularly fond of or take part in an art challenge online. There are a tonne of hashtags on Instagram right now to get you motivated, such as #artclass, #artclub or #artchallenge.

Other creative things to do that shouldn’t cost you a cent, include practicing playing that musical instrument you’ve had guiltily tucked away in the back of your wardrobe for ages, finishing woodwork projects that have been lying to one side, sewing up a storm on your sewing machine, sculpting a masterpiece or even putting down how you feel in a poem. The list goes on! 

So make the most of what you already have and remember that art is food for the soul, or as Pablo Picasso put it, ‘art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.’

2. Learn a new skill

While you’re stuck inside with your own thoughts for company, why not take this time to learn a new skill? Maybe you’ve been meaning to learn a language or you’ve got a whole stack of recipes you haven’t had time to master, whatever it is, now might be the time to get practicing!

You could start by downloading an app, popular ones include the language learning app Duolingo or the free app accompaniment to the recipe website Tasty. Or if storage on your phone is lacking right now, you could just as easily look up a YouTube tutorial. YouTube is full of videos on how to make stuff, from sewing patterns to stage makeup, take your pick!

RELATED: How to support your local economy and stay sane during self-isolation

3. Stay active

Right now snuggling up in bed or lying on the sofa until the world goes back to normal is all too tempting, but for the sake of your own sanity try to stay active.

You could start by putting some time aside once, twice a week or even daily, depending on how keen you are, to do a home workout. As the outside world is increasingly closed for business, more and more fitness instructors, pilates and yoga teachers are moving online and taking their workouts with them. 

Just search home workouts for pilates, yoga, zumba or whatever you want to do on YouTube or look up the hashtag #athomeworkouts on Instagram. There are plenty of free workout videos to follow that don’t require any equipment and once you find a trainer you like, either keep an out for your fitness fave’s regular uploads or set a time in your calendar to get active!

4. Play games with friends or family

As a wise bear once said ‘look for the bare necessities, the simple bare necessities,’ ‘forget about your worries and your strife’ with some good old fashioned board games?

If you’re stuck at home with friends or family, why not wheel out some classics like Monopoly, Scrabble or Cluedo!

Or if you haven’t got any games at hand, draw up a list of ones that can be played with a simple pen and paper, like pictionary, battleships or hangman.

Finally, if you’re far away from your loved ones right now, try breaking up the solitude by taking the old school into the 21st Century and playing games via video chat.

5. Develop a new interest

Is there one area of history that you’ve always wanted to learn more about? Maybe you’re a bit of a science nerd and you want to know how the universe works. Whatever area of knowledge strikes your fancy, now could be the time to become an expert in it!

There are so many free documentaries you can binge watch on sites like YouTube and Vimeo, you could even take a virtual tour of a museum! Or if your eyes are feeling a little tired from too much screen time, hunt around in your home for any non-fiction books you have stashed away or that were given to you as a present.

With all this new-found knowledge, you’ll have plenty of fun facts to share when you finally get to see all your friends in person again!

Up your savings game

Now that you have all these free forms of entertainment, up your savings game and find a savings account with a competitive interest rate to stash your rainy day fund. Head to Mozo’s compare savings accounts page for a list of competitive interest rates on offer or check out the deals below.