Living a frugal lifestyle can sound like a lot of work to those considering it, and having to give up some of the things you enjoy in order to save money isn’t a pleasant idea. However, once you start to do your research, you’ll find that there are many different ways to enjoy some down-time for little or no money, especially online!

Let’s take a look at some options for those looking for online fun on a budget.

• If you’re a fan of music, there are many different music streaming services that offer a free option for listening. These services, such as LastFM, Spotify and others, usually make their money with advertising revenue that is interspersed with the music. If you don’t mind an occasional commercial, you can get your music fix for free online.
• If audio entertainment is something you enjoy, you can also check out the thousands of free podcasts available online. While many of these shows are hosted by people you may be unfamiliar with, there are more than a few hosted by well-known names in entertainment. Podcasts are free to listen to, and there is almost certainly a selection of shows to choose from on whatever topic interests you, whether it be learning, personal development and growth, or just plain entertainment, and again, these are free to consume on your smartphone, tablet or computer.
• Similarly, if your tastes run more toward video content, you can find a wealth of free video entertainment on YouTube. If you haven’t spent much time on the platform, YouTube has literally billions of minutes’ worth of videos on every subject imaginable. Type one of your favorite topics into the search bar on YouTube, and you can spend quite a bit of time enjoying yourself with no cost.
• If reading is more in line with what you like to do for enjoyment, there are a multitude of ebooks available on sites like Amazon that are either free, or priced at just a dollar. You can get lost in a good book at no charge, even if you don’t own an ereader, because the Amazon Kindle app is free to use on smartphones, computers and tablets, and will allow you to read literally millions of books on a budget.
• Another area of relaxation time that has a lot of free options available online is the world of gaming. No matter what kind of game you enjoy, the chances are very good that there are several high-quality games in your genre that are free-to-play, or “FTP”. In fact, some extremely popular games like World of Warcraft and Fortnite allow you to play indefinitely with no monthly fee…and you don’t even have to buy the game! Of course, there are a large number of games available for a minimal cost as well, with some well-reviewed games costing less than five dollars.
• Another area that can have a lower cost than you might realize is a different type of gaming…online casinos. Gambling might sound like a bad idea when it comes to frugal fun, but as with anything else, it’s not the activity that’s the problem, but potential over-indulgence. If you enjoy games of chance, you must look at it as an expense. Budget exactly how much you want to spend for entertainment purposes, and once that money is gone…stop. If you play for an hour for $10, that’s not any different than paying $10 for a movie ticket or a good book. You’re paying for the entertainment. And it doesn’t have to be expensive at all; there are many minimum deposit games available online that will allow you to play for a very small amount of money.
• Instead of consuming, become a creator! There are almost limitless opportunities to create your own works and find an audience. Writers, artists, musicians and others have found an outlet online, whether it be through social media, other websites or even their own blog. Whatever your interests are, there are people online that will love what you do. And there’s a possible bonus to this method of online fun; not only is it inexpensive (or free!) to do, if enough people like what you do…you could wind up making money instead of spending it, all while enjoying using your talents.

Think of the online world as an almost-endless playground, because in some ways that’s what it is. It’s almost impossible to not find free or low-cost entertainment options in any category or on any subject if you search for them.

Make some time, think about what you enjoy the most, and then type that into your favorite search engine. Just make sure that you have some leisure time to spend before you do, because a whole new world will open up in front of you…frugally.