25 Inexpensive (or Free) Ways to Cure Summer Boredom

Back when the spring semester was coming to an end and the stress of finals overtook our lives, all we did was anticipate the freedom of summer. Now that summer has arrived and we’ve gotten over the initial shock of no due dates or homework, things can get… kind of boring.

Being college students, most of us don’t have lots of money to spend on eating out every day, vacationing every other week, or shopping every chance we get; so those forms of summer entertainment aren’t always accessible to us.

{RELATED POST: 9 Things to Do When You’re Bored at Home}

Don’t worry, though: there are lots of fun things to do when you’re bored af that don’t involve spending money! I’ve come up with a list of 25 fun and cheap ways to beat summer boredom.

CF’s Official List: What to Do When You’re Bored AF

1. Go to the bookstore. You don’t even have to buy anything. Just grab a coffee, sit in the comfy chairs, enjoy the A/C, and read any book or magazine that you’d like.

2. Make a spa in your own home. Glamour has some great DIY spa tricks to make you relaxed and rejuvenated without paying hundreds of dollars. Also, check out our list of at-home beauty treatments you can do with items from your kitchen!

3. Watch your favorite childhood movies. It’s interesting to compare your current interpretation of the movie to the way you thought of it when you were younger, and you can pick up all the jokes that went over your head as a kid.

4. Talk to an elderly person. Older people are so very wise, and they have many interesting stories to tell if you ask. Most of them love sharing their experiences with the younger generation, and you get to learn about a different time period from someone who actually lived through it.

5. Shop at a thrift store. Although some people do this regularly, many people have never experienced thrift store shopping. Give yourself a $10 limit and see what great outfit you can come up with. (See our guide to becoming a pro thrift store shopper for our favorite thrifting tips.)

6. Get in shape with a friend. It’s been proven that most people are more likely to stick to an exercise plan if they have a friend with them, so start exercising with your bff! Even if you just walk and talk to your friend for a half hour every day, you can burn lots of calories while you enjoy the summer sun.

7. Plan a vacation. Even if you have no money, it’s still really fun to plan an exciting trip. Whether you’re planning a lavish trip to Paris (for the future, when you’re loaded), or a simple weekend trip that might actually happen in the near future, either way it will give you something fun to do.

8. Have a slumber party. Invite your best friends to sleep over at your house, middle school style. You can watch movies, gossip, and eat all the junk food that your hearts desire.

9. Get a jump start on your future career. You can do this by doing research online, applying for future internships, or even shadowing a person who works in the field you plan to work in. It’s a great way to make your summer work for you.

10. Teach yourself to cook. Look up recipes online (here are our favorite summer recipes) or watch a cooking channel on television. If you learn to cook, you can satisfy your taste buds without having to spend loads of money on eating out.

11. Start keeping a journal. You can write whatever you’d like in it, from what you do each day, or how you feel about certain things. Many years from now, you can read it and remember your college years.

12. Cool off with water. Go swimming in a pool or the ocean, have a water balloon fight, or play in a fountain. Beat the summer heat with any water that you can find, just be sure to protect yourself from the sun when spending time outdoors!

13. Catch up with old friends. Call some of your high school friends, or anyone that you miss, and plan to meet up with each other. It’s always nice to see someone that you haven’t seen in years and will help keep the friendship strong.

14. Pretend you are a tourist in your own hometown. Every city and almost every town has something that people go there to visit, yet most of the locals never do those things. They are usually inexpensive or even free, and you can find out about them on your city or state’s website. Bonus points if you rock a fanny pack or have people take photos of you and your friends throwing up the peace sign at every attraction.

15. Enter to win contests online. There are so many free giveaways these days that it’s almost impossible to keep up with; meaning there are TONS of chances for you to win something. Check out Online-Sweepstakes.com – they list hundreds of online giveaways going on at any given moment. If there’s something you really want to win, you can also just google it, and chances are there’s a contest you can enter. Even though your chances of winning are slim, if you enter enough contests, you’re bound to win something.

16. Get dressed up and have a photoshoot with your friends. Pretend you’re Vogue models and dress in outrageous outfits while striking your best “fierce” poses. You don’t have to show the pictures to anyone if you don’t want to, but you’ll make memories that will last for years to come.

17. Go Geochaching. If you haven’t heard of Geocaching, it’s basically a treasure hunt using GPS. You go to the website www.geocaching.com and enter your zip code to find little treasures that people have hidden in the area. Once you locate their treasure, you replace it with a new teasure and write about your experience on the website. It’s a really neat thing to do.

18. Go stargazing. It helps if you have a telescope or binoculars, but those aren’t necessary. Look online for maps of the stars, then see if you can find them in the clear night sky. You can do this alone, with friends, or even with a date!

19. Teach yourself about a different culture. Read books or research online about different countries and cultures. You may not get to take your dream vacation right now, but you can learn about the places you’d love to travel to and be more prepared for when you actually get to travel there.

20. Make art. Paint a picture, make pottery, sketch fashion designs, do DIY projects, or even color in a coloring book. Let your creativity run wild by being artistic.

21. Visit a museum. They are usually inexpensive and surprisingly entertaining, the perfect spontaneous thing to do when you’re bored af. I personally love visiting science museums, but art and history museums are fun as well.

22. Go to local music shows. Help to keep your city’s music scene alive by attending concerts put on by local musicians. Local music shows are usually less than $10 to attend, and your money goes to supporting the bands from your hometown.

23. Treat yourself to dessert. Go to your favorite restaurant and just order something decadent from the dessert menu. You’ll get a delicious treat without having to pay for a whole meal.

24. Read blogs. You could start by reading all 6000+ articles written by us here at College Fashion. Many College Fashion readers link their personal blogs in the comments section, so you can check those out as well!

25. Be on the lookout for discounts. Many businesses offer discounts to students, regular customers, and loyal customers. You can find out about these discounts by checking the website, Facebook page, Instagram, or Twitter page of your favorite restaurants and stores. That way, you can still shop, eat out, and indulge this summer, while still saving enough money to afford books next semester.

Related reading: 25 Unforgettable Summer Bucket List Ideas

What do you think?

What are your favorite activities for summer fun on a budget? Do you think these ideas will cure your boredom? What do you do when you’re bored AF? Let us know by leaving a comment!