International Frugal Fun Day

What the day is

International Frugal Fun Day is observed on the first Saturday in October. It was created in 1999 by Shel Horowitz, author of The Penny-Pinching Hedonist: How to Live Like Royalty with a Peasant's Pocketbook, who challenged people to spend a day enjoying themselves on activities costing under five dollars a person.

Origin and background

The idea is to do something enjoyable that costs nothing or close to it, and to notice how much of ordinary leisure has a price attached by default.

The premise holds up. A great deal of what presents itself as entertainment is paid by design, and the free alternatives are usually older, quieter and less advertised, which is precisely why people forget they exist.

Public libraries are the clearest example. Most now lend far more than books: films, music, museum passes, tools, seeds, musical instruments and internet access, and in many places they run free classes and children's sessions. Almost none of this is obvious from the street.

Public land is the other large category. National and state parks, nature reserves, canal towpaths, rights of way and city parks are free at the point of use and are among the few remaining places a person can spend a whole day without being sold anything. Many museums and galleries are free or have free days, and a large number of civic buildings, cathedrals and botanical gardens admit visitors at no charge.

Early October suits the exercise. It is the last stretch of reliably pleasant outdoor weather in much of the northern hemisphere, and it falls before the expensive end of the year.

How to take part

• Find out what your library actually lends. The list is almost always longer than you expect.
• Walk somewhere you have never walked, starting from your own front door.
• Check for free museum days, open-house weekends and community events in your area.
• Cook something ambitious from what is already in the cupboard rather than going out.
• Invite people over. Hosting badly is cheaper than meeting somewhere and usually better.
• Take the good camera or the binoculars you never use. The point is not deprivation, it is noticing how much of a good day depended on spending.