How to Save Money on Entertainment

Summary

Frugal Friends Podcast - Episode: How to Save Money on Entertainment

Release Date: April 25, 2025 | Hosts: Jen Smith & Jill Sirianni

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Overview

In the episode titled "How to Save Money on Entertainment," Jen Smith and Jill Sirianni of the Frugal Friends Podcast explore a multitude of strategies to help listeners enjoy various forms of entertainment without straining their budgets. From leveraging library resources to discovering local events and embracing minimalistic spending habits, Jen and Jill provide a comprehensive guide for those aiming to balance fun with financial prudence.

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1. Introduction

Jen and Jill open the episode by expressing their shared love for entertainment and the challenges of enjoying it affordably. They emphasize the goal of helping listeners gain control over their spending in the entertainment sector while still having fun.

Jen: "I love to be entertained. I love to laugh. I love to have fun." [02:31]

Jill: "We want to tell you how to get more of it with less of your dollars." [02:12]

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2. Free Entertainment Options

a. Libraries: The Ultimate Resource

Jill passionately advocates for utilizing libraries as a central hub for free entertainment. She highlights the extensive range of resources libraries offer beyond just books.

Jill: "I am a one-issue voter and it is on the support and funding of libraries." [07:23]

Jen: "They have board games and puzzles, maybe some classic ones that you've played before, maybe some you've never heard of." [08:19]

Key Offerings:

• Books & Audiobooks: Access to fiction, non-fiction, bestsellers, classics, and audiobooks through apps like Hoopla and Libby.
• Digital Media: Free streaming of movies, TV shows, and documentaries via platforms like Overdrive.
• Educational Resources: Online courses through LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, and Udemy.
• Tools & Equipment: Borrowing items such as 3D printers, power tools, fishing rods, and even musical instruments.
• Events & Workshops: Author talks, crafting workshops, gardening classes, yoga sessions, and more.

Jen: "A lot of minutes we talked about library and we're just scratching the surface. They've got to know so much and they've got to know so much about how to resource you for the things you want to do." [14:57]

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3. Low-Cost Entertainment Options

a. Gaming

Jen and Jill discuss the availability of free-to-play games and affordable gaming options.

Jill: "There are free to play games like Fortnite, Apex, League of Legends." [22:14]

Jen: "Look for used and pre-owned games on GameStop or Facebook Marketplace." [22:36]

b. Outdoor Activities

They emphasize the importance of utilizing public trails and parks for activities like walking, biking, and hiking.

Jen: "Most of your local or even state parks and nature preserves are free to access." [22:14]

Jill: "Discover hidden gems through resources like ChatGPT." [23:32]

c. Live Sports

Attending local or female-led sports events is recommended as a cheaper alternative to major leagues.

Jill: "Attend professional women's sports games as they are often less expensive." [27:37]

d. Concerts and Festivals

Supporting local artists and attending smaller shows can offer high-quality entertainment at lower prices.

Jen: "I spent less than $40 on the ticket and it was so good." [46:23]

e. Fitness Classes

Free or low-cost fitness classes available at parks or community centers, along with free online platforms like MyFitnessPal and Yoga with Adriene.

Jen: "Use apps like MyFitnessPal, Nike Training Club, Yoga with Adriene for free workouts." [32:31]

f. Crafts and Hobbies

Borrowing crafting supplies from secondhand stores and attending free workshops can help indulge in hobbies without overspending.

Jill: "Look for secondhand craft supply stores near you." [32:44]

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4. Getting Deals on Entertainment

a. Price Tracking and Notifications

Utilizing tools like StubHub to set price trackers for event tickets ensures listeners can snag deals when prices drop.

Jen: "Set a price tracker on StubHub to notify you if a price drops into your ideal price point." [34:01]

b. Groupon and Similar Services

Groupon is highlighted as an excellent resource for discounted event tickets and travel deals.

Jen: "Groupon is notorious for great local deals on stuff like this." [34:43]

c. Bundling and Memberships

Bundling multiple attractions or sharing memberships with friends can significantly reduce costs.

Jill: "Bundle multiple attractions and make sure you can use them at a later date." [35:28]

d. Travel Rewards and Staycations

Using hotel points for short getaways allows for affordable entertainment outside the home.

Jill: "Use hotel points for a little staycation within two hours of our home." [35:10]

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5. Spending Guilt-Free

Jen and Jill discuss aligning entertainment spending with personal values to ensure that expenditures are meaningful and fulfilling.

Jill: "Spend the money on higher quality used items so you can buy better quality." [38:08]

Jen: "Spend the money you buy used so that you can buy better quality. You want it to be more durable and can be repaired." [38:08]

They emphasize the importance of prioritizing activities that bring joy, whether it's spending time with family, friends, or engaging in fulfilling work.

Jill: "You are worth being entertained." [39:34]

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6. Personal Stories and Implementation

a. Listener Story: Sabrina’s Bill of the Week

A listener named Sabrina shares her strategy of using up existing products before purchasing new ones, effectively cutting down unnecessary expenses.

Sabrina: "I'm using everything that I had on hand before I allow myself to buy anything new." [40:07]

b. Hosts' Experiences

Jen recounts a budget-friendly trip to Tampa, highlighting how borrowing rollerblades and utilizing discounted hockey game tickets added fun without overspending.

Jen: "We rolled and settled for standing room only tickets at $20 each instead of the usual $60-$80." [52:58]

Jill: "Using hotel points and free boat taxi tickets made the trip affordable and enjoyable." [55:20]

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7. Conclusion and Call to Action

Jen and Jill wrap up the episode by encouraging listeners to explore the discussed methods and share their experiences. They invite reviews on platforms like Amazon and Spotify to help grow the podcast community.

Jen: "If you've read the book and you would like to share your experience, we'd love if you'd leave a review on Amazon." [51:11]

Jill: "If you have not, but you do want to help us out, leave a review of the show on Spotify." [51:49]

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Jill: "I am a one-issue voter and it is on the support and funding of libraries." [07:23]
• Jen: "Spend the money you buy used so that you can buy better quality." [38:08]
• Jill: "You are worth being entertained." [39:34]
• Jen: "If you're willing to do something just more last minute, then you could get a deal on that." [34:02]
• Jen: "They simplify what it takes to get ready by creating high performing, impossible to mess up makeup and skincare products." [56:55] (Note: This quote pertains to an advertisement and should be excluded based on instructions to skip advertisements.)

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Final Thoughts

The "How to Save Money on Entertainment" episode of the Frugal Friends Podcast provides a wealth of practical advice for enjoying life’s pleasures without overspending. By leveraging free resources like libraries, exploring cost-effective entertainment options, and aligning spending with personal values, Jen and Jill offer listeners actionable steps to enhance their entertainment experiences while maintaining financial health. Their enthusiastic and relatable approach makes the advice both accessible and inspiring for anyone looking to embrace frugality without sacrificing fun.

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Transcript

[Jen]

Every morning brings a fresh new energy and no matter what the day holds, we come to the Today show for all of it.

[Jill]

We get the best start to the day because we started together. Watch the Today show weekdays at 7am on NBC. The Black Effect Podcast Festival is back. We're partnering with Nissan so pull up to their exclusive lounge to get a special look at the all new 2025 Nissan Kicks and Nissan Rogue. The Nissan Rogue S is more affordable than CR V and RAV4 and features available 12.3 inch touchscreen display while the all new Nissan Kicks holds it down with a totally redesigned interior cabin with features like available wireless Apple Carplay and available panoramic moonroof. Relax and see how Nissan is leveling up the game. Come kick it April 26th at Pullman Yards in Atlanta. Get ready for culture, community and good conversation. Are you still quoting 30 year old movies? Have you said cool beans in the past 90 days? Do you think Discover isn't widely accepted? If this sounds like you, you're stuck in the past. Discover is accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards nationwide and every time you make a purchase with your card, you automatically earn cash back. Welcome to the now it pays to Discover. Learn [e-mail] credit card based on the February 2024 Nielsen report Clorox Centiva Smells like lavender, cleans like Clorox and feels like hmm, alright, that could go on for a while. Experience the long lasting freshness of Clorox Scentiva. Available in Clorox Scentiva Lavender Scented Bleach Use as directed. Episode 505 how to Save Money on Entertainment.

[Jen]

Welcome to the Frugal Friends Podcast.

[Jill]

Where you'll learn to save money, embrace simplicity and live a richer life.

[Jen]

Here are your hosts, Jen and Jill.

[Jill]

Welcome to the Frugal Friends Podcast. My name is Jen. My name is Jill and today we are talking about all things entertainment. You guys told us you will love to spend money without guilt on entertainment and we want to tell you how to get more of it with less of your dollars.

[Jen]

I love to be entertained. I love to laugh. I love to have fun.

[Jill]

Yes.

[Jen]

So this episode really is for us because if it's not fun, it's not for real friends.

[Jill]

And we are running the gamut on entertainment. It's not going to be just concerts and movies and you know, finding free events on Facebook Marketplace.

[Jen]

We will, there will be some of.

[Jill]

That, don't we will be some of it. Yeah, let's not, let's, let's not diminish the greatest Hits. But I think we're gonna talk about some things that you have not heard talked about very frequently, if at all tantalizing. But first, this episode is brought to you by ecklymoneymove on YouTube, Instagram. This month we started a new series where every week we are sharing a new money move you can do to organize or optimize your money. So whether you are just getting started or you have been doing this thing for years, you have, or you're financially independent, there is going to be something for you. We are sharing a new money move every Monday on Instagram at weekly money move. But also in the friend letter. If you prefer a written format, have head to frugalfriendspodcast.com and sign up. You're going to get that email every Monday that tells you basically what to do that week. And it's short, short things.

[Jen]

And then we go in depth on how we implemented that money move during the Sunday reset on YouTube. So we're just coming up at you bam, bam, bam. You know, podcast, newsletter, Instagram, YouTube. We're building an enterprise.

[Jill]

Yes. So this is very fun. I think our move from this week is, let's see, 4:25. It was cancel something. So we're in the middle of this week canceling something to save money.

[Jen]

Canceling something. Not someone. Not someone here doing that.

[Jill]

Yes. And so on Sunday's episode of the Sunday reset we are going to talk about what we canceled and how we did it. So head to Instagram, eclymoney move. Follow there to get all those videos organized in one place for you. We're post them on the Frugal Friends insta but if you want to see them all lined up, that's where you're gonna find it. And frugalfriendspodcast.com to get the friend letter and get em in your inbox every Monday.

[Jen]

If you want more episodes like this, you can queue up after this. Our episode how to get free books. It's episode 468 or why it's so important to buy local. That's episode 483. You can just search those titles or click on them in the links. They are gonna help us to continue implementing this framework of getting something free, low cost, a deal or guilt free. But stay here because we're just coming at you with all kinds of stuff.

[Jill]

All right, so we're going to dive right into the types of entertainment we're going to be covering. You know that we talk about how to get entertainment for free, low cost, deal and guilt free. That's what we're covering. The categories are going to be very varied and they're going to vary on each section as well. So we won't be covering every category in every section. So we've got watching TV because that's entertainment, right? So we're not excluding that gaming stuff that's outdoors, whether that's hiking, camping, biking, live sports, concerts, festivals, theater, stuff like that, reading, weekend travel. We're not going to dive into like vacation travel, but more like staycation type travel, running, yoga, working out, indoor stuff and then also crafts and hobbies. So DIY projects, home improvement, photography, painting, gardening, cooking, crafting, stuff like that. So these are the types of entertainment and we would also love to see you get inspired to expand your entertainment pursual. So maybe you're mostly into watching Netflix and going to concerts, sometimes taking a walk. We would love this episode to inspire you to try something new in one of these categories. So that that is our hope for you. But first we're going to start with free. And there's we're leaning heavily into one place for all things free. Entertainment. Library. We love the library.

[Jen]

You know, it's Jen's one voter issue, one vote, one. What are you calling.

[Jill]

I am a one issue voter and it is on the support and funding of libraries. It's all I care about and you can cancel me for that. But I love libraries and you're about to be just as passionate as I am when we get through this section.

[Jen]

Okay, we're going to go quick and fast. Here's all the things you can get at a library. I'm going to say some, Jen's going to say some and we're all going to be blown away. Books. You know it. You know libraries have books. Fiction, nonfiction, bestsellers, classics, textbooks, audiobooks, CDs, books, playaways via apps like Hoopla, Libby.

[Jill]

Overdrive, even like actual places where you can playways. Like I don't know if they have Tonys and things like T O N I E S, not like Tony Awards, but they have things you can play music and audiobooks on too that you rent.

[Jen]

DVDs, Blu Rays, we don't really need those anymore. But movies, TV shows, documentaries, I think that some of that is even available through Libby and Hoopla.

[Jill]

Yes, you can find TV shows, documentaries, movies on Hoopla, Libby and Overdrive, magazines, newspapers.

[Jen]

If you're still subscribing to those, check out if your library has them instead of you paying for them. CDs, vinyl, because that has made A.

[Jill]

Comeback and record players. So not everywhere. Not everything we're saying is going to be available everywhere, but it is worth checking. Ask. So we've got board games and puzzles, maybe some classic ones that you've played before, maybe some you've never heard of and you don't know if you want to splurge on getting it. I love that library. First toys and learning kits, especially for children, like STEM encoding kits, all like robotics, circuit building, stuff like that. Really good stuff. Sports and outdoor equipment. So some libraries will have bikes, fishing rods, telescopes, stuff like that. Things that you can use outdoors.

[Jen]

Yeah. Our library by the beach has a metal detector that you could rent out. If that's just something you want to try while you're at the beach. See if the local library has that. Sports and outdoor. You already said that. Streaming services. So movies, TV shows, music via Canopy or Freegal online courses. So like LinkedIn learning. Coursera Udemy. How do you pronounce that? Language learning through things like Mango Languages, Rosetta Stone.

[Jill]

The thing I like about the online courses in the language learning is that when we are looking to increase our income, we often think we have to pay to go back to school to get a new degree. It's typically only some soft skills and hard skills that we need to learn. We need to learn to negotiate better, close deals better, expand our network better. There are. We only think about the hard skills, but we don't think about the soft skills. And a lot of these places like Coursera and Udemy and LinkedIn will have soft skill courses and these are available for free through your library. It can help you increase your income. Yeah, we've got 3D printers and maker spaces. So there are. I've seen like hoop crocheting kits, knitting kits.

[Jen]

Oh, cool.

[Jill]

All of those. And like the 3D printers, laptops and hotspots. So our library will rent out hotspots. So if you wanted to go stream Netflix in the park and there's no Internet service, you get yourself a hotspot from the library and take it to the park, have yourself an outdoor movie night with friends on a tiny laptop or whatever you have. Probably something better, but you'll have access to Internet via that hotspot.

[Jen]

Yeah, I don't know if I see it on here, so I'm gonna add it to your point. A lot of times they'll also have projector screens you can rent.

[Jill]

I didn't put that on there.

[Jen]

So you could do an outdoor movie night even at your own place, renting a projector.

[Jill]

God I want to rebrand myself to just be library. Jen.

[Jen]

Library. All we do is library.

[Jill]

Library.

[Jen]

The only fun we have is library. But it's so much fun.

[Jill]

It's so much fun.

[Jen]

Okay, here we go. Book clubs you can participate in through the library.

[Jill]

So many types of book clubs. Nonfiction, full fiction, partial fiction. That's cults, I think. And murder mystery. You've got fantasy, non fantasy.

[Jen]

We gotta get through this.

[Jill]

I'm so sorry.

[Jen]

An episode only about library. I wish it were becoming that you can attend author talks and readings hosted at libraries. Crafting and DIY workshops hosted at libraries. I know one of our libraries hosted a how to garden in your area. Right. That's nice to be able to look up. But if you don't have somebody specifically in your area telling you how to plant, it could be misinformation because you had to know what zone you're in to know what types of things to be planting. So check that out. They'll have yoga and meditation classes, music and film screenings. Seed libraries. Literally free seeds for gardeners to grow. If you instead of spending four or five bucks on a packet of tomato seeds at Lowe's or Home Depot, check your library. Library tool.

[Jill]

Library. You want to DIY something. You want to build something. You just want to put a screw in a piece of wood for fun. You want to use a power tool for fun. Tool. Library.

[Jen]

And that might not be at your actual book library. There might be a separate library for tools you gotta look up for your area.

[Jill]

Your library's gonna know where.

[Jen]

Your library will know. Google library Museum and attraction passes. So free or discounted entry to local museums, parks, zoos, musical instruments. You can go to library.

[Jill]

I saw guitar the ukulele at my local library. Just sitting there.

[Jen]

Yeah.

[Jill]

Ready to be rented.

[Jen]

Yeah. Ye. You could learn that. Genealogy resources, access to databases like Ancestry.com. a lot of times the library will have paid for a certain membership. So you can go farther than you might be able to get on your own. Free.

[Jill]

I had a patient when I was an acupuncturist and this was what she did every day. Went to the library and studied genealogy. Like at the library. She loved it. She loved looking at her so much.

[Jen]

She loved what you can do at the library.

[Jill]

People she knew, his family. And I don't know where she's at now, but God bless her.

[Jen]

Yeah.

[Jill]

And okay, so I added this one. I should have talked about this one at the when I was talking about career advancement. But they have test prep too, so maybe I am thinking Oh, I wonder if I could make it as a lawyer. I wonder if I could make going back for that. You know, test it out. It's got. Your library has test prep for the LSAT so you can study and then see if you pass it. And then you could have a whole career change.

[Jen]

A whole career change.

[Jill]

And this is for a lot of different. A lot of different tests. Not sure if you can cut it. Then test prep at the library and see, you don't know till you try. You don't know till you ask.

[Jen]

And you know what? Librarians need a master's degree. And I've always wondered, why do librarians need a master's degree? They literally are taking the little buzzer, scanning the barcode. No, sir, that's not all they do. Because look at how many minutes we've talked about library and we're just scratching the surface. They've got to know so much and they've got to know so much about how to resource you for the things you want to do.

[Jill]

Their education is in changing your life. Okay, I want you to know that, and I want you to go to your library and do something.

[Jen]

This has gotten so ramped up out of hand. I'm looking for it like I am matching it. My, my level of elevated excitement for library is through the roof.

[Jill]

If anything, please just go to the library and do something new. Take out something new and let us know in the comments what you did. I want to know that.

[Jen]

Yeah, tell us how library entertained you.

[Jill]

Yes. Okay. There are.

[Jen]

In a review. Leave us a review. There are.

[Jill]

Oh, yeah. In a review, too. Yeah, that would be good. There are a few other ways to get free entertainment besides the library. Not many, but a few. So watching tv. The average, the average American spends over three hours a day watching tv, but we're not really concerned with that. You do you. But they spend over $50 a month on streaming services on average, so we don't want that to be you. I have heard a stat that Gen Z is getting more into free entertainment because they're getting so much of their entertainment from social media. Then they're just transferring that to free on, like, TV. So obviously we've got YouTube, but we've got Pluto TV. Tubi, crackle, peacock has a free tier. And I tell you, these, these streaming services, they have some bangers. Okay? If you're not watching seasons one and two of It Takes a Church, a dating show brought to you by Christian Mingle, hosted by the Natalie Grant, Free on Pluto, then I don't know what you're doing still paying for Hulu when you've got this on Pluto?

[Jen]

I do need this. This is something I've learned from you. Two whole seasons. Do you know what years they took place in?

[Jill]

Not long enough ago. When you watch a man play a game in the church backlot trying to unlock a woman from a cage.

[Jen]

What?

[Jill]

You know, not long enough ago. Jill.

[Jen]

Free entertainment is what that is. Okay, if you're also looking for more free entertainment, that is apart from library, I don't why you would want that. But you can also check your city's websites. They will often list upcoming events. You can check local businesses. A lot of times businesses will sponsor free events locally. Check Facebook events. They will give you all kinds of stuff that is happening in whatever date you're searching for. You can search tonight or this weekend or this month. And even eventbrite will have tickets to free concerts, free activities, free events, festivals, outdoor movie nights. So that's just a ton of local fun with zero price tag attached.

[Jill]

And lastly, borrowing. Let's borrow more things. Let's tell our friends what we have and they will tell us what they have. And let's just borrow. We're borrowing kayaks. We're borrowing paddle boards. We're borrowing roller skates. We're borrowing everything that we can to share our resources and have fun for less money.

[Jen]

I did do that. I borrowed rollerblades and did a little staycation with a friend and we rollerbladed downtown. Got all kinds of free stuff. Oh, what kind of free stuff?

[Jill]

Because you had the rollerblades or just. It was just free stuff?

[Jen]

Just free stuff. I think we would have gotten it whether or not we had the rollerblades. I'm not gonna. I mean, it might have helped. I'll talk about that in. In our post show.

[Jill]

Okay.

[Jen]

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[Jill]

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[Jen]

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[Jill]

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[Jen]

I guess when they say no fees, they mean it.

[Jill]

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[Jen]

Pay subject to credit appro variable APRs for Apple Card range from 18.24% to 28.49% based on creditworthiness rates as of January 1, 2025, Apple Card issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA Salt Lake City branch terms and [e-mail] hey everyone.

[Jill]

We want to tell you about our podcast.

[Jen]

Hi, I'm Daniel. I'm a particle physicist and I think.

[Jill]

Our universe is absolutely extraordinary. Hello, I'm Kelly Wienersmith. I study parasites along with nature's other creepy crawlies. And there's just endless things about this.

[Jen]

Universe that I find fascinating.

[Jill]

All right, well, basically we're both nerds.

[Jen]

We love learning about this extraordinary universe and we love sharing what we've learned. So that's what we're going to do.

[Jill]

And on our podcast, Daniel and Kelly's Extraordinary Universe is all about the mind blowing discoveries we've made about this crazy.

[Jen]

Beautiful cosmos, from the tiniest particles to the biggest blue whales.

[Jill]

Each Tuesday and Thursday we take an hour long dive into some science topic, during which time I try to suppress my biologist training and keep the poop jokes to a minimum.

[Jen]

Learn all about our amazing and beautiful universe on Daniel and Kelly's Extraordinary Universe.

[Jill]

Every Tuesday and Thursday on the iHeartRadio.

[Jen]

App, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Jill]

Ryan Reynolds here from IT Mobile. I don't know if you knew this, but anyone can get the same Premium Wireless for $15 a month plan that I've been enjoying. It's not just for celebrities.

[Jen]

So do like I did and have one of your assistant's assistants switch you.

[Jill]

To Mint Mobile today. I'm told it's super easy to [e-mail].

[Jen]

Switch upfront payment of $45 for 3.

[Jill]

Month plan equivalent to $15 per month Required intro rate first 3 months only, then full price plan options available, taxes and fees extra.

[Jen]

See full [e-mail] every morning brings a fre energy.

[Jill]

This is today.

[Jen]

And no matter what the day holds, we come to the Today show for all of it.

[Jill]

When things are tough, we talk about it. When there's something to figure out, we dig into it. And when there's joy, we celebrate it.

[Jen]

Because today is where it's all happening. We get the best start to every morning because we start it together.

[Jill]

Watch the Today show with Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin. Weekdays at 7:00am on any NBC. Okay, all right, let's talk about low cost. And so we're going into different categories here. Let's talk about first about gaming because so many people game. If you don't game, your partner probably games. And if neither of you game, you kids probably game. And if none of that is in your life, then I don't know what to tell you.

[Jen]

We're only talking about this for a.

[Jill]

Minute, so then don't listen. Skip 30 seconds. So there are free to play games. So we've got Fortnite, Apex, League of Legends, stuff like that. Obviously. Keep an eye on your children. There's also free promotions and weekend trials on platforms like Steam, PlayStation plus or Xbox Game Pass. And you can also obviously used games. So look for used and pre owned games at GameStop to the Moon or on on platforms like ebay or Facebook Marketplace. I prefer Facebook Marketplace, but ebay. I don't know why I'm apprehensive about ebay. I buy a ton of stuff on ebay, but I also don't game.

[Jen]

Yeah, I don't game either. Okay, so we're moving on walking, biking, hiking. This is where we can be taking advantage of public trails and parks. Most of your local or even state parks and nature preserves are free to access. So check your local resources for some of those hidden gems. I would say even chatgpt it because you might find that there is a park or preserve near you that you had no idea about. For instance, the preserve I live on, nobody knows about it.

[Jill]

I've lived here my whole life and I didn't know it was there until.

[Jen]

You lived there, moved there. Yeah.

[Jill]

And you're not going to find it on a top 10 list of preserves in St. Pete. Like you're not going to find it just googling little parks.

[Jen]

Yeah.

[Jill]

But you are more likely to find it if you ask ChatGPT. What are the part, you know, good parks that aren't on the top 20 list?

[Jen]

Yeah. This park has beautiful climbable live oak trees, a pretty well manicured walking trail through the tropical foliage, a dock on the water, a mulberry tree that blooms in April and May you can pick mulberries from for free because in the nature preserve it's just amazing and nobody knows about it and you wouldn't unless you really took a deep dive. So don't assume that you know everything your area has to offer and especially.

[Jill]

If you've been there for a long time because new things come up and if you're not abreast to the situation.

[Jen]

Abreast?

[Jill]

Yeah. Then you'll miss it like I often do.

[Jen]

Yeah.

[Jill]

So free and low cost fitness groups. Sometimes the city will host free classes. So there's weekly classes here in partnership Healthy St. Pete. It's a city funded program. They have free yoga, free walking, free fitness classes on those little, those little workout places next to playgrounds. So those are free but then they also have low cost ones through private companies in the community. And then when you are going to buy gear, look for it secondhand. So you are going to get like look for the ski and snowboard consignments. The bike, the used bikes at the bike store that also sells new. So Geartrade is really good for online buying used outdoor gear. Relaygoods.com has running shoes that are basically people ran in it, tried it, didn't like it, returned the shoe. And those are the shoes that relay goods. So if you're looking for a good quality walking or running shoe, you want to save some money on it, then that is a good place. And then also local bike shares, if you don't want to own a bike. Some communities have bike share programs and they typically are a small fee, but it's a very affordable fee.

[Jen]

And if you want to go camping, of course camping at state or national parks can offer you campsites at lower rates compared to your private campgrounds. And they are often super beautiful, super well maintained. Of course, because their prices are so affordable, a lot of times you do have to book in advance. So think ahead for what you want to be doing this summer or in the fall and start to book those places now. You can also check Airbnb for camping options. So while I just said it might be less expensive to go your state park for more affordable options, there are times where people who live in more wooded areas or close to a national park might be renting out their property for you just to be able to camp on their farm or their acreage or whatever for very inexpensive. So that's also an option to be checking out. Of course, going off season camping during spring and fall. I mean fall is a pretty heavy camping time too, but maybe a little bit later in the fall if the area.

[Jill]

Yeah, I think once the kids go back to school that like part.

[Jen]

Yep. And then free campsites like freecampsites.net will list free camping options, especially in national forests. Yeah, lots of opportunities to just sleep outside if that's what you're into.

[Jill]

It's one of those staycation sort of things. I don't love it, but it is a thing that people like live sports. So this is where I would challenge you to attend more local games. I would challenge you to attend more female led sporting games. They are still professional sports and they are still high quality. And for some reason they happen to be cheaper. I don't know why that would be.

[Jen]

I wonder why.

[Jill]

But they are. So we should take advantage of that.

[Jen]

It's not like females are often paid.

[Jill]

Less than males, so it's interesting. But a way to save money. So attending professional women's sports games also instead of major league, if you don't have a professional women's sports team local to you? Local college, like maybe high school, but that might be a little different. Do not attend children's sports games unless.

[Jen]

You know the child.

[Jill]

Unless you know. Well, no. Unless it's your child what I attend.

[Jen]

No pushing back on this.

[Jill]

Okay. If you just attend, you're like, okay, I know the kid and I want to go to a sports game and you just show up at that kid's game.

[Jen]

Like my niece and nephews. If Kai's different, those are yours. I'm going to show up at Kai's soccer game. I showed up at other friends kids games. I think it's very fun.

[Jill]

Don't show up unless you're invited.

[Jen]

Can I ask to be invited?

[Jill]

You can.

[Jen]

Why? We're gonna have to talk about this later.

[Jill]

Okay, so next is concerts, festivals. So smaller shows are still really good. There is a guy, T.L. jensions in St. Pete. He is not. I don't know how well he is known, like nationally, but my God, is he a good drummer. He is such a good showman and he plays here all the time and he is leaps and bounds, less expensive than a national act, but still such a good time every time you see him because he's a drummer and he's a show drummer. So he is. It's visually stimulating and such good quality. So seeing somebody who may. Just because they have chosen not to tour nationally does not mean they are not talented. So even paying a little to see local acts, if you are a concert lover, then it is fantastic. Also local live music, local theater events and yeah, at that point, universities, maybe you could go to a children's theater.

[Jen]

I mean, I think you could go to a high school performance of, you know, some sort of musical. Certainly universal. If you've got a university near you, then they're gonna be putting on some really great concerts.

[Jill]

I like American Stage. It's like not a university, but it is acting classes and just people in the community who love theater and have been doing it for a long time. But I would say between that and university, like, good, you're gonna get some good quality there.

[Jen]

If running, yoga, working out is your form of entertainment for you, you can definitely take advantage of free fitness classes at many local parks, community centers, online platforms, or free workout classes that just might be offered. I mean, I know a lot of gyms will even offer a couple of free passes to their gyms. I just recently heard of and I don' see it on here, but since we're just talking like low cost class pass could be an option.

[Jill]

I was just thinking about that. It might be under the deal category, but I didn't put it there either.

[Jen]

Okay, well, I'm here now. So ClassPass is something that you can purchase. I believe they call it like points or something. Or credits that you can purchase through ClassPass and then redeem them for various types of classes that are happening in your area. That could be like a cooking class in your area, but it also could be local gyms. So different gyms will have different levels of redemption. So maybe one gym that's a little more bougie. It might be like 5 credits to attend a class, but another gym that doesn't have as many frills might be two credits. But you can decide kind of how you want to use the credits and get a little bit more of a. Yeah, I guess maybe a deal or it at a bit more low cost.

[Jill]

I was using Class pass back in 202008 when it was a punch card.

[Jen]

Whoa.

[Jill]

I know.

[Jen]

That's old school.

[Jill]

I know.

[Jen]

You can also use apps like MyFitnessPal, Nike Training Club, Yoga with Adriene. She's on YouTube. They all provide free workouts for a variety of fitness levels.

[Jill]

Yeah. And so finally, we have crafts and hobbies. So look for a secondhand craft supply store near you. There are several near us. They exist. People, you know, they buy craft stu because they love it and they never use it. So they can kind of sell it to the secondhand craft supply store, get store credit, and accumulate different craft supplies for new crafts that they may or may not do. It is a fantastic thing for, you know, if you want to do crafts, you're not too picky about colors, fabric, stuff like that. You want to be more sustainable and then crafting events. So sometimes these are free, but sometimes they're a small fee. Workshops at local libraries are usually free, but craft stores and community centers will have them. There is a sewing store that just recently started doing sewing classes, and I think that could provide a return on investment. And I want to learn how to mend clothing. Not alter that. Seems hard, but mend well.

[Jen]

All right, let's talk about how to get deals on these different things. So specifically for concerts and shows, you could set a price tracker on StubHub.

[Jill]

I didn't know about this.

[Jen]

This is so interesting to notify you if a price drops into your ideal price point. I actually think this is true for flights as well. You can set like even just Google notifications if a price drops. And I think that there's other sites that will do that so that you can know when a good time is. You can watch Ticketmaster. Sometimes they'll release additional tickets 24 hours before a show. So it's going to be. If you're willing to do something just more last minute, then you could get a deal on that. You could also snag discounted event tickets through sites like Groupon. I love Groupon.

[Jill]

We'll talk about Groupon.

[Jen]

Okay.

[Jill]

Yeah.

[Jen]

City pass or last minute rush deals. So be on the lookout for all that.

[Jill]

Groupon is notorious for like great local deals on stuff like this. So yes, it is a great deal. But you have used it for international travel. I have and I just had a friend come back from Italy use Groupon for their international travel deal. Great experiences. Let's not sleep on Groupon.

[Jen]

No, I check Groupon first, really for any of my travel plans. You could do all inclusive, like, well, like with Air Air inclusive, I should say. You can find all inclusives on there for steep discounts or just hotels. There's all sorts of deals.

[Jill]

Do not sleep on Groupon in 2025. And you can also. So some more like commonly used ones, bundle deals on attractions. So you can bundle multiple attractions. If you're buying a ticket to one, include some others and make sure you can use them at a later date. You can split memberships and subscriptions between friends if it's allowed in the terms and conditions. And then a little bit back on travel use travel rewards points to travel on a budget. What we have been doing recently, since flying isn't really an option for us with our youngest by choice, we use a lot of hotel points. So we'll just go for a little staycation within two hours of our home, either with our kids or without them. And literally it's just one night or maybe two nights. Usually one night. And we always use points for that. So we get to maybe do something entertainment wise that we don't get to do at home because it's maybe two hours away and we get a free hotel and it just kind of broadens the scope of the location of the entertainment we are partaking in. Especially we try to get some free entertainment stacked on top of our free hotel and hallelujah.

[Jen]

Oh, that's great. One of the reasons, I think to reassess our season and make sure that if we are a credit card user that our credit card is aligning with that not just the credit card you've always used or the one that you have left liked the most in the past. If now you're in a season where it's primarily hotel stays, then it could be worth having a hotel credit card. If you're in a season where you're primarily flying, but you're primarily flying to one or two places and there's even a specific airline that you're primarily taking, it could be worth that or it could just be worth a typical just travel rewards credit card. But be sure that you're looking into making, yeah, making the most out of whatever credit card you currently have. And finally, how to spend guilt free on entertainment. Again, where we are prioritizing, keeping it local, keeping it sustainable, and aligning it with our values. So we are continuously talking about the waiting 30 days before you impulse spend. Right? Because then it's not impulsive anymore. So before you're starting a new hobby or a new commitment, that's where we want to circle back to that. That free. Let me try it for free to know whether or not it's going to be worth me spending money.

[Jill]

Library. Library is not the definitive end answer, but it is always the first answer to everything you give me a question the library is not an answer to. I'll wait. Also, you want to make sure it's attached to or gets you more of what you value. So hopefully whatever entertainment you are choosing, more time with family, more time with friends, a deeper feeling of faith or fulfilling work, you may not hit all of those, but hopefully you hit at least one and then spend the extra money to buy higher quality used items. This is specifically to outdoor gear, but it can be with everything. Spend the money you buy used so that you can buy better quality. You want it to be more durable and can be repaired. So that is why it is totally worth spending the extra money to buy something higher quality. If you're going used and just not.

[Jen]

Gonna break your body like a good pair of hiking shoes is gonna be worth its weight at the end of a long hike, you're gonna be glad. Yeah. So just do the things that you you love to do. Figure out what that is, what brings you joy. Know that you are worth being able to spend that money on.

[Jill]

You are worth being entertained. Truly entertained.

[Jen]

Yes.

[Jill]

So live in that.

[Jen]

Yes. We hope that we are entertaining you too. You know, listen to podcasts, be entertained by podcasts. You know, it's always entertaining at weekly Money Move. That's entertaining.

[Jill]

We always are going to entertain with this one. This one is always for you. It's always free.

[Jen]

The bill of the week.

[Jill]

That's right. It's time for the best minute of your entire week. Maybe a baby was born and his name is William. Maybe you paid off your mortgage, maybe.

[Jen]

Your car died and you're happy to.

[Jill]

Not have to pay that bill anymore. Duck bills, Buffalo bills, Bill Clinton. This is the bill of the week. Hey, ladies. My name is Sabrina and I've been listening to your show for, oh, I don't know, a couple of years now. And my bill of the week, starting in the beginning of December, I started to just use everything that I had on hand. I think you did a podcast about this a while ago. All of the lotions, all of the cleaning supplies, all of the odd things that have been under my sink that haven't gotten used because, oh, they were travel size and I didn't want to use them until I was traveling. Or different cleaning products that I didn't really think did a good job. I've just gathered all of those things up and I am using every single drop until it is all gone. And I'm not buying a single thing until I absolutely have to. So even if it was an eye cream that I didn't like for my eyes, there's no reason why I can't use it on my hands or my arms or any other part of me that has skin. So. And cleaning supplies, you know, anything can clean a toilet. It doesn't really matter. But that's my bill of the week. I'm using everything that I absolutely have in my house before I allow myself to buy anything new. Hope you guys have a great holiday. Keep up the good work. Yay, Sabrina. Yeah, we hope you have a good holiday as well. This holiday on April 25, it's coming up Mother's Day, just straight in the.

[Jen]

Middle of the month.

[Jill]

I hope you also have a great Mother's Day, Sabrina.

[Jen]

Yeah, that's what you're talking about.

[Jill]

I know.

[Jen]

Wow. I love this. I love it when I. When we hear a callback bill to a previous episode tip that we've given and someone actually follows through and says how they're implementing this, Your examples of implementation are amazing. And your examples of the types of stuff you still have on hand. Relatable. Yes. We are all keeping travel sized items in our drawers for travel someday. And we don't need to be. We don't need to be.

[Jill]

We don't need to.

[Jen]

And you're right. Also, anything can clean a toilet except for my bare hands. That's not.

[Jill]

Well, they could, but they. Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

[Jen]

I love this. I love this so much for you for me, for our listeners. Sabrina, you're amazing. We hope you had a great holiday. If you all are listening and you wanna submit a bill if it is about a tip that we gave to save money that you've implemented and you want to say how you've implemented it or your name is Bill and you've got a tip for us. Frugalfriendspodcast.com bill leave it for us.

[Jill]

Hey everyone, we want to tell you about our podcast.

[Jen]

Hi, I'm Daniel. I'm a particle physicist and I think.

[Jill]

Our universe is absolutely extraordinary. Hello, I'm Kelly Wienersmith. I study parasites along with nature's other creepy crawlies and there's just endless things about this universe that I find fascinating. All right, well, basically we're both nerds.

[Jen]

We love learning about this extraordinary universe and we love sharing what we've learned. So that's what we're going to do.

[Jill]

And on our podcast, Daniel and Kelly's Extraordinary Universe is all about the mind.

[Jen]

Blowing discoveries we've made about this crazy beautiful cosmos. From the tiniest particles to the biggest blue whales.

[Jill]

Each Tuesday and Thursday we take an hour long dive into some science topic during which time I try to surprise impress my biologist training and keep the poop jokes to a minimum.

[Jen]

Learn all about our amazing and beautiful universe on Daniel and Kelly's Extraordinary Universe.

[Jill]

Every Tuesday and Thursday on the iHeartRadio.

[Jen]

App, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Jill]

Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile with a message for everyone Paying Big wireless way too much. Please, for the love of everything good in this world, stop with Mint.

[Jen]

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But that's weird.

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[Jen]

A fresh new energy.

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This is today.

[Jen]

And no matter what the day holds, we come to the TID show for all of it.

[Jill]

When things are tough, we talk about it. When there's something to figure out, we dig into it. And when there's joy, we celebrate it.

[Jen]

Because today is where it's all happening. We get the best start to every morning because we start it together.

[Jill]

Watch the Today show with Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin, weekdays at 7am on NBC. Are you still quoting 30 year old movies? Have you said Cool beans. In the past 90 days, do you think Discover isn't widely accepted? If this sounds like you, you're stuck in the past. Discover is accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards nationwide. And every time you make a purchase with your card, you automatically earn cash back. Welcome to the now it pays to Discover. Learn [e-mail] credit card based on the February 2024 Nielsen report.

[Jen]

And now it's time for the lightning round.

[Jill]

Okay, what's your personal guilt free entertainment?

[Jen]

Comedy shows. I love going to comedy shows. I love them so much.

[Jill]

Me too. You get to sit down and laugh.

[Jen]

Sitting and laughing.

[Jill]

Both of those things is for me.

[Jen]

When I'm not sitting and talking, I want to be sitting and laughing.

[Jill]

And nobody wants you to stand up. They want you to sit down.

[Jen]

Right.

[Jill]

And I love that.

[Jen]

Yes. Eric and I just went this last weekend to a Fred Armisen show, and I spent less than $40 on the ticket. Staying true to our YouTube episode during our Sunday reset, about 50 things we no longer buy because we're frugal. I said that I don't buy tickets that are more than $40, and this one wasn't. And I really enjoy Fred Armisen. And he delivered. It was so good.

[Jill]

Oh, I'm so glad.

[Jen]

And also the beach. The beach will cost me some money for parking, but we don't have, like, beach tags here in Florida, which is so great because that's what I'm accustomed to. Although the parking is getting wild.

[Jill]

It is getting. And as a St. Pete native, that really keeps me from the beach.

[Jen]

Yeah.

[Jill]

Because I remember when there was a lot of free parking, like, secret free parking. Yeah, it's gone. It's all gone.

[Jen]

But the beach. There's a state park that is a beach, and they have very affordable parking.

[Jill]

And here's the thing. That parking price has not changed in 30 years.

[Jen]

It actually did.

[Jill]

I know. It just did. But it ha. Is still, still less expensive than all the other places. But, like, when I was a kid, we were like, why would you spend $5 to go down to Fort DeSoto and park and pay to get into a beach? Like, why? And that was the 90s, early 2000s, and now it's 2025, and you're like, Fort DeSoto was steal.

[Jen]

Yeah, I'll drive all the way down now.

[Jill]

Yeah, they just literally changed it. But I was there, like, maybe a month or two ago, and I was like, dang, they have not changed this in 30 years.

[Jen]

Yeah, yeah. Parking is absurd, but six bucks at.

[Jill]

Fort DeSoto for all day, you get you some. If you're in the area, Fort desoto you get you some.

[Jen]

What about you Jen?

[Jill]

Okay, so mine is running and I know, I know you say oh, running is free Jen. But if you are a runner, you say, I get it Jen. So I buy rundisney races guilt free but I only do one a year. Some people do them all. I do one per year and I don't buy races that are less than six miles. If I do a Rundisney race race it's 10 or 13 miles. So I do that and then I have been doing a track practice that's $15 a session and that's on Wednesdays and that has been helping me improve speed because I'm a very slow runner and I would like to improve my speed. Not just like I can go, I can run for a long time but I don't want to be running for a long time. I'd like to run less time. And so yeah, I feel really good about doing that. And I take Kai with me and Kai will do some laps and he loves it. So it's just, it's money. I am happy, happy, happy to spend but most of the time like I'm just running three miles with my dog and you know, I'm not paying any money for it. Yeah, that's what I do most of the time. So once a year and then track is only like 13 weeks so a couple times a year paying for it is chef's kiss for me.

[Jen]

So fun. We hope that you find something like you said Jen at the beginning. Try something new, figure out what you can be entertained by and library. Thank you all for listening. We are so appreciative of your kind reviews specifically of the book like this one from Annalee. She wrote five stars. I have been reading and listening to numerous personal finance books and podcasts over the years and I've been deep in my own personal finance journey of debt payoff, among other things. One podcast I stumbled upon during the time was the Frugal Friends podcast where Jen and Jill tackle many finance topics in a fun and engaging way. When I heard that they were going to be publishing a book on values based spending, I was intrigued. I was delighted to find that their book offers something different from what many other person other books in the personal finance space offer these days. A real look into what value and values can mean beyond simple numbers and figures. I found this holistic approach helpful because it addresses underlying issues that can keep personal finance challenges coming back even if you try to implement whatever new system the other books are offering. This book offers many practical tools in addition to its invitation to seek greater self knowledge. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a new approach to personal finance. Beautiful review.

[Jill]

Thank you so much. We, we so appreciate hearing that. It makes us feel really warm and fuzzy. So if you've read the book and you would like to share your experience, we'd love if you'd leave a review on Amazon. That's where most people go to vet a book, even if they don't buy it from there. If you want to buy it, buywhatyoulovebook.com and we've got all the links including bookshop.org, which is our preferred vendor. And if you have not, but you do want to help us out, leave a review of the show on Spotify. That would be very helpful for us and lets other people know what the show is about.

[Jen]

See you next time.

[Jill]

Bye. Frugal Friends is produced by Eric Sirianni.

[Jen]

Okay, I had talked about this probably a while ago, but it's worth maybe revisiting. But this, this happened over a year ago that I went away with a friend just to Tampa. So we live in St. Pete, it's across the bridge, but tried to keep it like as inexpensive as possible. And that actually made it so fun to try and figure out like what all we could do. So we took the ferry over. So we didn't have a car, we didn't have to worry about parking or kind of driving around. So took a ferry over, walked, used her points for the hotel because she had something from her previous work. This status with the hotel, it also came with arrival snacks and free breakfast.

[Jill]

I love that.

[Jen]

So then I had borrowed Rollerblades. She already owned Rollerblades. We rollerbladed, I don't know, like a mile away to the hockey arena. So the Lightning is the Tampa Bay like ice hockey team and they were playing that night. We hadn't purchased tickets because they're usually super expensive, but they are so fun. I love watching hockey live. It's so fun, entertaining. But we're like, you know what, let's check, just pop in and see if there's any kind of like standing room only tickets. Sure enough, Jennifer, I think we paid 20 bucks each for a game that usually base tickets are like 60 to 80 dollars. 20 bucks for standing room only. And there's sections throughout the arena and most that offer standing room only tickets will have sections and it's like great viewing and outside before the Game. There were a bunch of different vendors offering taste, taste tests, taste tests of different tastes, alcoholic beverages, food. And this is something that you could almost do even if you aren't going to the game because it's not in any of the gated area. It's just outside of the courtyards. And at most games that I've been to, whether it is football, hockey, baseball, soccer, the this is true of sometimes the vendors are inside the gates, sometimes outside. But anyways, before we even had the tickets, we were rollerblading around getting little, little free sips, free tastes of things.

[Jill]

Free sips on wheels.

[Jen]

It did make us a little dangerous. Yeah, got our free breakfasts. I want to say that there was free boat tour. There's a boat taxi that goes around and oh yeah, we got free boat taxi tickets with the hotel as well. That wasn't even because of her hookup. That was just something that the hotel offers.

[Jill]

So always good to check in the amenities.

[Jen]

Yeah, so that came with free boat taxi. So that was some of our transportation in and about town. We went to this one tea shop. They also had tea samples. Like you could get practically a full cup of tea for free. It was awesome. Yeah, we had a good time.

[Jill]

Okay, so there you go having fun.

[Jen]

On roller. On borrowed Rollerblades.

[Jill]

On borrowed budget Rollerblades. For some of us, personal finances aren't just personal. They include a lot more people than ourselves. Loved ones, neighbors, the communities we call.

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