Do you spend more on the weekends than you do on weekdays? Maybe it’s time to take a step back and reevaluate how you spend your time on the weekends.
Recently, Free Money Finance inspired me with a post on the 8 Weekend Money Traps that Money Magazine listed as the worst offenders of unnecessary, sometimes over-the-top weekend spending. If you frequently fall into these money traps, consider finding alternative weekend entertainment to save yourself a ton of wasted money.
Do you fall into these weekend money traps?
1. The Movie Theater
Going to the movie theater is expensive, especially if you buy popcorn, drinks and snacks, in addition to your ticket. Money Magazine recommends streaming or renting a movie from Redbox to watch from the comfort of your home, a much more economical choice. And you can always pop your own popcorn!
If you really, really can’t wait for the movie to be released on DVD, find a cheaper way to see it in the theater. Many theaters have a special bargain matinee pricing. My family goes to these matinees and we share a large popcorn (and take bottles of water) to save money.
2. The Car Lot
Holy cow! Do people do this for entertainment?! (Hangs head.) Yes, I know they do because I used to be one of the worst offenders. Not a good idea. at. all. At the time my husband and I used this for “free” entertainment, we were in a never-ending cycle of purchasing, financing, and paying off cars.
Unless you need to buy a car, avoid the car lots at all costs! You don’t even have to “shop” the car lots when you are looking for a car. You can call dealers and inquire about pricing and features prior to going and looking. Or you can shop for a quality used car on Craigslist.
Driving through car lots can inadvertently lead to unplanned, uninformed purchases. (Check out my this post if you’re in the market for a used car.)
3. The Mall
I’m probably weird in this respect, but I don’t find the mall to be entertaining at all unless I’m simply people watching (now that can be super entertaining!). You may go to the mall when you’re bored and don’t have anything else going on or just want to get out of the house. I get that. But going to the mall can cause you to spend money you never, ever intended to spend on things you really don’t need.
The next time you’re bored and want to get out of the house, go to a park for a picnic, take a drive to a nature area and hike, or visit friends or family instead of hitting the mall.
4. Restaurants
As Money Magazine suggests, plan ahead for your weekend meals to avoid last minute decisions to go out to eat. If you eat out a lot, check out this list of alternatives to going out to eat.
5. Open Houses
I totally get this one. I love, love, love looking at real estate. I’ve spent many a late night perusing realtor.com. But I do not allow myself to attend open houses. Just like the car lots, open houses make you feel like the grass is always greener on the other side. This could lead to spending thousands upon thousands of dollars, whether it be for an unnecessary home purchase or renovation to your current home.
6. The Furniture Store
Furniture stores are similar to open houses because the displays always look so cozy and put together (and clutter free to boot!). I mean, who wouldn’t want their home to look like a picture from a home magazine?! And the stores make it easy to buy with their offers of free financing and delivery.
Do you really need furniture? If not, stay out of the furniture stores. If you truly do need something to sit on in your home, buy used. Since many people spend time at furniture stores, they buy new furniture and need to sell their lightly used furniture. Let those people spend the money at the furniture store and you can buy their used stuff for a fraction of the retail price (I use Craigslist for my used furniture purchases).
7. Big Ticket Events
While the draw of going to the football game (or concert) and watching it live is exciting and fun, the costs go beyond the ticket price. Transportation, parking, food, drinks and souvenirs are extra costs we don’t consider when planning to attend a big event.
If you like to attend big events, whittle it down to one or two each year and choose carefully! Otherwise, plan to watch the big game on TV with a group of friends instead of plunking down hundreds of dollars to watch it live.
8. The Weekend Road Trip
The cost of a weekend road trip can add up to hundreds of dollars by the time you pay for gas, food, snacks, hotels and, sometimes, entertainment.
As Money Magazine suggests, if you really want a weekend road trip, take a frugal one! Plan to visit friends or family (and stay with them) and take along a cooler with lunches, snacks and drinks.
I definitely fall into the restaurant trap. I don’t know why, but for some reason, I always feel like I deserve to go out to the eat on the weekends (that or just general laziness).
I love movie theaters. It’s something I used to do every weekend, although not as much anymore due to time constraints. One thing we do to cut down on movie theaters are to go to cheaper “historical” theaters. There’s one near my house that is a pretty old theater and always has $6 movie tickets. Sure, the screen isn’t as fancy as a big megaplex out in the burbs, but it’s near our house and gets the job done.
I highly doubt it’s laziness, FP! 🙂 I understand the draw of the restaurants on the weekend. We go out to eat once or twice a month and consider it a “treat”, but used to go out once every weekend too. Now we typically get together with family/friends for a meal and that seems to be a good way to get out of the house and socialize, have great food, but not have to cook an entire meal (we all contribute a dish).
Movie theaters do vary on ticket pricing. We choose to go to the smaller theaters that aren’t as fancy as well. Plus, the one we go to offers up a popcorn bucket for $20 each year. You can fill the bucket for $4, which is easily enough popcorn for 4 people. I just take paper bags to divvy it up.
That popcorn deal sounds awesome!
We aren’t big eat out on the weekend folks…we actually have more time to cook. But we are movie theater and event folks, especially now that Little Bit has started Girl Scouts and her troop keeps doing things like Kid’s Museum and pumpkin patch visits on weekends. And last week we spent nearly $70 at the state fair (though buying tickets for admission and rides ahead of time saved us at least $30).
With the movies, we’ve found the second run movie house gives us the movie theater experience while still being pretty cheap…less than $7 for the 3 of us.
It’s true – the weekends are a great time to take the opportunity to cook more. And WOW on the movie theater you go to – that’s an amazing price! I’d go more often at that price. The cheapest theater we have here costs us around $24 for the four of us.
Well, you have to wait a while for movies to get there…they only show the movies that have left the regular theaters but haven’t quite come out on DVD.
Oh, I remember a theater like that where we used to live. We could see a movie for a little bit of nothing. But, you know, it’s still getting out of the house, so it’s really cheap entertainment even if the movies have been out for a while.
Great article with good tips for saving money. Ultimately, I think living on a budget is important and entertainment should be part of that budget as long as you are living on less money than you make.
Thanks Dennis! Agreed, budgeting the fun in is really important! The key is definitely spending less than you make. 🙂
Hey Amanda,
Great tips for avoiding extra spending!
I’m definitely someone that tends to get caught in the moment occasionally. Sometimes I do spend too much on weekends. I think it’s about balance though. My new strategy for saving is to commit to a regular, feasible amount and not worry about the rest. I use to worry about every dime but I found I was avoiding people and fun in my life because of it. That said, it’s definitely important to spend and be aware of what you able to spend on a weekend. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thanks, Graham! Your plan sounds like a great one. There is a fine balance between planning/saving and living our life today, for sure! 🙂 Sometimes I have found myself being too frugal and avoiding some fun opportunities that I shouldn’t really pass up too.
Whenever I get through the weekend with my checking account intact I high five myself like I just completed the NYC marathon! The movies are the worst – there is no such thing as a matinee or child ticket discount anymore! Maybe a dollar or two. It’s like $50 here for our family of four to go to the movies… before popcorn! We always bring our own sandwiches and snacks. I never ever get to go to a mall and when I do I feel it is extremely fun and exciting for like 15 minutes or so. Then I get overwhelmed. Then I get a panic attack. Then I need to escape – lol.
So funny, Linda! I love your celebratory high five! Movies really are expensive, but taking your own food and drinks helps offset the cost. We tend to go to the movies in the winter more when we feel like we need to get out of the house. I think we probably enjoy it more since we don’t go that often – it’s more of a treat. Oh, the dreaded mall. I took my daughter a few weeks ago and all I did was sit with a coffee and my laptop, but it was such a culture shock! It had been over years since I’d been there and I felt like such an outsider (I may have looked like one too). I understand the overwhelm and panic. I experienced it first hand. 🙂
Tristan and I must be very boring people because we prefer to stay in and spend no money on the weekends! The most expensive activity we regularly feel drawn towards is long scenic drives – the petrol does add up $$. Admittedly, we do spend money every Sunday – because that’s our weekly food shop day :).
We actually made money last weekend! I got a few more of our unwanted things sold.
Jasmin
Jasmin, I’m certain you guys aren’t boring – but you are very smart! It’s really great to find activities you enjoy that don’t cost a lot. We love to be out in nature and that’s typically free!! I love the weekends when we bring more in than we spend. We had one of those last weekend too! 🙂
The mall AND big weekend events are the worst for us! Easy money spending traps. This weekend was Oktoberfeset. $10 to get in, and then you spend a million dollars on all the delicious food and drinks your eyes can behold. We are paying off $600k in student loan debt so we literally cannot afford to get sucked in. We try to keep ourselves busy spending time with family and friends, hiking, biking– literally anything to keep us from those money pits!
Those special “fests” can really get you – especially on the food and drink! Spending time hiking, biking and visiting family and friends is a great way to enjoy yourself without spending a ton of money! I think it’s great that you guys are documenting your debt payoff journey. Thanks for stopping by, Amber! 🙂
Ironically we plan on going to the movie theater next Friday…but hopefully can get in relatively early in the day as we have the day off!
It seems to me that you are planning ahead for your weekend spending, DC! When you plan for the expense and it works for your budget, it’s not really a money “trap”. It’s those impulsive, unplanned weekend “activities” that can really cost you.
Restaurants are definitely our weekend money trap. So far, my plan has been to budget for restaurants and try to keep it down to once a week. I have been reconsidering this though, for our sake and for our daughter. You see, when I was growing up restaurants were only for very, very special occasions (I’m talking once or twice a year). As a result, we (my sister and I) were always so excited to go to a restaurant. It was something to look forward to, and an experience that we would remember and cherish. Given how often we do it now, I worry about hedonic adaptation. It certainly doesn’t bring us as much happiness when it is a regular occurrence. I don’t want to keep raising our happiness stakes, so that might be a good reason to cut back some more.
I understand your concern about making it a regular occurrence. I grew up going out to eat once a week, so it was something that was just expected. After my husband and I married, we continued the trend and went out a few times each week (though we did seek out deals – like dollar burger baskets at a local bar!). But, once we started having children and I became a stay at home parent, this was the first thing to go. So far in October, we’ve went out once with family members (grandma bought) and we ordered pizza once. So, our kids still consider it a treat. BUT – now my son can drive and his favorite thing to do with friends is go out to eat (on his dime, of course!).
Hi Amanda,
We go out once a week as a family to have a good dinner at reasonably priced place. It is a planned and budgeted outing.
I can wrap my mind around #1, #3, #4, and #8.
However #2 and #5 really got me – those got me. I didn’t expect people to just buy cars and homes like getting a soda from a vending machine :).
–Michael
Thanks, Michael! Planned weekend activities that fit in the budget are the key to not overspending. Yes, #2 and #5 are real (I’ve experienced #2). Though I do think #5 is a stretch – you definitely have to plan and think about a house purchase, really not something you can buy on a whim. But open houses could easily lead to furniture and home improvement spending.
Definitely, all these are “traps” where I feel tempted to spend. Especially more so when I am out with my friends, when they are all having a good time and spending the cash, I tend to get caught up in the moment and join in. Now I tend to limit myself more on going out, just trying to budget everything better.
-T
On those weekend outings, it’s so easy to get caught up in the moment and think YOLO! I’ve been there too. I agree that budgeting it in and limiting it to what fits in your budget is the best approach.
I had no idea the car lot and open houses were used as entertainment! I think I should start going to these to learn how sales people use sales tactics to reel in a customer. I will never ever buy something from one of these events though (hopefully I don’t run into a salesperson so convincing that I change my mind when I get there).
Great post! Many of these are mistakes that people don’t even realize that they are making.
Thanks, FP! Yeah it’s a thing. But, for most, I don’t think it’s a purchase that happens on the spot, just gets the wheels turning so you begin to think about making a purchase. And once you start thinking about it…
That bit about the car lots reminds me of my high school buddy’s dad. For a solid year this guy was getting a new car once a month. They were all used and cheaper but it was just getting ridiculous.
I do not think I’ve been to the mall yet this year. Marketing is a powerful tool, and there is no point in subjecting yourself to any more than you have to – unless you are trying to spend money 🙂
I know it’s hard for some to fathom, but the car lot as entertainment is a real thing for some people.
The only thing I’m drawn to at the mall is the coffee shops! And the people are so interesting! 🙂
Changing your attitude on the mall has got to be a BIG win! I used to love a bit of retail therapy. Luckily, I realised shopping to cheer myself up left me feeling empty, so switched to walking off bad moods instead- healthier and cheaper. Now, I can’t understand why I liked shopping?!
I don’t go to the cinema all that often, but my friends tend to have a little chuckle when I get my sports bottle of water out. Then I have my chuckle when they get their purse out to pay for drinks and snacks!
I used to like thrift store shopping. I love a good deal. I think that’s why I never really like the mall – everything seems so expensive and I know I can get similar stuff for a fraction of the price used.
Yes – on the water bottle! I always wait until the lights dim… 🙂
Restaurants! Grrr!!!! We have it way too good in Minneapolis these days. Not the chain stuff either – chef-driven but casual spots that are oh so enticing. Yes, we can relate to these traps. On the positive, the car lot and home open houses are not appealing whatsoever these days. Eyes on the prize…
Those great restaurants can be a huge draw, especially if they’re unique and tasty! Keeping your eyes on the prize is the key to avoiding the traps!
Restaurants are probably our weekend money trap. Sometimes it’s planned, but other times it’s just a bit of laziness about cooking. Meal planning definitely helps. If we do go out, we try to use coupons or other deals.
Hi Gary! It’s great when you can find discounts for restaurants. We have a local favorite that sometimes sends out some high value coupons, so we definitely take advantage of those.
Restaurants (or takeout) used to be a bad one for our family. Friday evenings seemed to be when my will power was at it’s weakest. Heading home, feeling wiped from a busy work week, and you get that overwhelming feeling of wanting to unwind….I’d always tell myself, “heh, I’ve got 2 full days to work off the calories from that pizza”! 🙂
We used to go out to eat about once each weekend, MMM, so I understand. It’s hard to fight it off when all you want to do is relax. It’s funny you mention Friday night – that’s my no cooking night, or at least very little cooking. We tend to have grilled cheese and soup or some other simple, no-prep meal ’cause I just don’t want to cook! 🙂