Being on a budget and without a significant other doesn’t mean you can’t have fun on your own and stay healthy. Get creative and try one of these or add your own to the list.
1. DIY dinner and a streamed movie
What do you have Disney for if you’re never going to watch it? Connect with your inner Disney princess (or prince) for evening entertainment. Even though there’s no Prince (or Princess) Charming on the sofa beside you while you watch, you can settle for Prince on your playlist while you prepare your meal: a gourmet feast of your favorites for one. You deserve a quality home-cooked meal, so spoil yourself the same way you’d like to be spoiled. Treat yourself to your meal then dim the lights and voila, dinner and a movie, without having to negotiate about the movie’s content or the type of cuisine for your meal.
2. Music under the stars
Take a drive from the city to the country where countless stars and cleaner air replace the city’s smog and big lights. Choose jazz, classical, or whatever type of tunes float your boat while you drive then arrive and look up for the celestial diamonds. Let them take your breath away and remind you of how, where, and who you are in the great scheme of things. Your problems will seem to diminish beneath all those stars. Their beauty is beyond the limit of words. Turn off any tunes that are distractions and listen to nature’s symphony: a cricket concerto.
3. Book club
Get your read on with the help of an under-utilized library and strive to read a book a week. Start with the popular bestsellers and reflect on the discussion questions at the back of the book. Whether fiction or nonfiction, the goal is not about trying to show how deep, intelligent, or educated you are. It’s simply about enjoying the book, maybe with a glass of chardonnay and some time for yourself. Appreciating things because they resonate with you means you don’t need constant validation through likes, subscriptions or shares. Read for your own enjoyment or interest. You do not need to justify your choice or genre or author to anyone. You can afford to be choosy and particular to the point of being slightly selfish. Best of all: it’s free when you put it on your library card as a patron! Just remember to bring the book(s) back so someone else can experience the same delight. You are also helping redefine the public library as relevant and one of the few places where you can just come and be in silence without having to buy anything.
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4. 10,000 steps for a good night’s sleep alone
A neighborhood stroll before breakfast, on your lunch break, and after dinner for a good night’s sleep alone is the ultimate self-date on the cheap. It’s beneficial because it aids in digestion by getting your body moving. If you can take one of these walks outside, the fresh air can improve your sleep and help you maintain a healthy weight, making it even more worthwhile.
5. Move your body
Dance in the living room like a rock star, go bowling, skating, hiking, or putt-putt golfing. All of these are classic date spots, but you can re-claim them as solo spots. The point isn’t to be seen people-watching and wishing you were on a “real” date. The goal is to feel empowered and comfortable doing these activities alone, perhaps even making others a bit envious of your strenght. You can extend solo time beyond the gym or the movie theater to other places. This will allow you to shift your perspective and notice that more people are secure enough to enjoy their own company. That’s a mental note that is so refreshing.
6. Game night out
Multi-million-dollar contracts and spokesperson commercial deals weren’t always the focus of professional sports. Orginally, it was about the love of the game and having fun. Don’t give up hope, just change your venue to high school and cheer for the home team. It could be football, basketball, baseball, soccer, swimming, or tennis, and the list goes on. If you are a true all-around sports fan, there’s always something going on. At the high school level, some may want to do well to get a college scholarship or make it to state finals, but that just drives them to play their best. They might influence you to join a team as a volunteer coach or play a sport yourself as an amateur seeking a good time.
For any of these six ideas for solo fun, the prerequisite is feeling good about yourself with or without company. The bonus is getting to learn more about who you are. Whether you’re with company or alone, remember that the choice to spend time with others (or by yourself) is always yours. This choice should come from a place of strength and security, not desperation and avoidance. So, the next time you are out, and the host/hostess asks if it’s a party of one, you can reply, “Party of one. Party of fun!”
