There are few things more invigorating than getting out and getting a little culture. Likewise, there are few things more frightening than the thought of growing old and gray with a list of things you never got a chance to experience. You can keep saving up for the perfect time, or use these tips to get cultured for the low.

Here are 10 cost-effective ways that you can get cultured:

1. Get a library card

Not having enough to do has always put me in a bad mood. Growing up, I complained endlessly about my extreme boredom. As I got older, I began getting the same response from several people – “the library is open.” These days, libraries have aisles upon aisles of books, movies and magazines. They also have about three times as many tables and chairs as they do people. You can find a quiet place to read about almost any subject you desire. And you can even take a movie home for the night. Aside from the few moments it takes to sign up for a library card, a membership to the library in your city will usually cost absolutely nothing!

2. Volunteer 

It’s festival season, but just because you’re short on funds doesn’t mean you have to glare enviously at your Instagram feed while everyone else has all the fun. Festivals such as Broccoli City and SXSW give people the opportunity to earn a ticket in exchange for volunteer service hours. These opportunities do fill up quickly, so you might want to start looking keeping your eye out for 2017.

3. Attend local cultural events

Grab a Sunday paper and chances are you’ll find a million and one things to do around town. In the summer months, there’s no shortage of Caribbean heritage festivals, wine festivals, food truck rodeos and more. You can always find good music, tasty food and crafty handmade items at the vendor booths. I’m willing to bet you can find something local today nearly every weekend between now and Labor Day.

4. Take a free class

Step up your game and whip your wrist at a free cooking class at a Williams-Sonoma in your area. Or finally perfect the smoky eye look you adore at a makeup class at Sephora. Or, get your B. Smith on at a Michael’s or Home Depot workshop.

Photo: Sammy Kimani
Photo: Giphy

5. Get on Groupon

If you have a few dollars to blow, there are always great deals for low-cost fun on aggregator sites such as Groupon and LivingSocial. They’re also great for finding out what’s happening in your city. When you sign up, you can save on things such as Paint ‘n’ Sip nights, museum tickets and strange adventures like Colonial ghost tours (if you’re into that kind of thing).

6. Window shop at an art gallery

You might not be in the market for a $700 painting, but you can always check out the merchandise. Instead of paying $12 to get into an art museum, find a nice gallery and look around.

7. Get a part-time job 

Get paid to attend concerts, plays and sporting events by landing a job at a popular venue. You might not catch all of the action, but you’ll likely be able to see most of it. If you don’t want to be confined to just one venue, get a side gig as event staff for a company that provides services in multiple areas.

8. Attend canned good cover night 

Seek out events with alternative covers. Join the fun by paying for entry with something you already have at home, such as can goods, school supplies or other charitable items.

9. Open the App Store 

Check your app store for cool things to do. Yelp might help provide pretty good reviews, but there’s not always a list of upcoming events. Query your city’s name and you might find an app designed specifically for cultural events in your area.

10. Sign up for seminars 

If you have free time on weeknights or Saturday mornings, search for opportunities to learn something new. People offer free seminars for everything from travel clubs and real estate licensing to spiritual growth and fitness. They will almost always try to sell you something but the experience is free. Get all the information you can and sneak out before the sales pitch.

These tips will ensure that you have fun AND save a buck or two while the weather is nice!

get cultured
Photo: Giphy

On Saturday, May 21st, we’re hosting our inaugural conference about how creativity and technology are changing our daily lives, from our hobbies to our work. Will you be joining us? Tickets here.


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