The Best Things in Life Are Free
There is the old saying, “The best things in life are free,” and most of our pleasures are free. With 89 months left in our 100 month journey to Financial Independence (FI), we are honing in on what we love to do most. We are making more time for our true pleasures. Moreover, it beats focusing on obligations that we are not excited about that often cost money leaving us unfulfilled.
HouFIni, what do you possibly mean by this? As an escapologist seeking to break the golden handcuffs where FI in not an illusion (ni), many pleasures are free. Some of which we can not detail here in this Family FI setting 🙂 HouFIni, providing examples of the best things in life are free wuold be most helpful.
The Pleasure of Outside
Certainly, one of the things we do as a couple or family when we are together is get outside. Going outside for a beautiful walk to take in the sunrise, sunset, or fresh air is amazing. In particular, hikes are also a great way to have deep conversation while being in nature. We typically find that the longer the walk or hike, the easier it is to go beyond the surface conversation. Being outside with each other allows for more immersive conversation. Bonus, it does not cost you anything. Except, making sure you have water and a snack if it is a really long excursion. However, even bringing snacks from home is often relatively little cost at best.
Admittedly, spending time outside was always a core of our family activities. Specifically, mainstay activities include shooting hoops in the driveway, throwing the football around, and playing soccer by the side of the house. Further, playing games in the house is enjoyable, but that’s another story. The cul du sac was perfect for games of wiffle ball, kick ball, street hockey, and Nerf football. Many a child young or old spent hours playing in those games.
Similarly walking and/or running outdoors, when the whether permits are lifelong passion for our family. It’s a great way to stay active and maintain a healthy lifestyle too.
Utilizing Neighborhood and Parks
In any case, living steps away from a forty acre plus park allowing for access to soccer fields, basketball hoops, tennis courts, playground equipment makes life easy. Indeed, it was like having your own outdoor country club. Admittedly, while this was free to us, the hidden cost is your property taxes. However, not everyone lives as close to these amenities and even if they do, not every takes advantage of them. Subsequently, proving that many of the best things in life are free.
Within walking distance or a short drive, we have amazing parks. Even in the midst of urban centers and suburban centers there are places we enjoy getting lost in nature. The importance of having a mix of aesthetically pleasing spaces to support your mind, body and spirit cannot be understanding. Parks are a great way to connect with yourself and/or build community.
Building Community and Life Skills
Further, one benefit of playing outside or getting outside is the community it builds. Having kids from the neighborhood or school over to play games is a great way to build friendships. Games are always a great way for kids to learn to solve conflicts on their own. Everyone has their own version of instant replay based on their angle. I’ve watched my own children develop their sportsmanship and honesty through playground play and through the evolution of organized sports. It helps to be a good role model. It also helps to know when to just cut bait and realize there are bigger things in life than getting the call you want. Even if there are times you know you are in the right, sometimes it’s better and more productive to move on. Developing life skills through play, such as teamwork, communication, honesty, practice, unselfishness are invaluable.
Additionally, games are great at building competitive spirit. Instilling the drive to win, but not to win at all costs, has lifelong benefits. Creating a culture of winning and discipline in honing and perfecting skills are life skills. Admittedly, understanding that your skill sets vary from game to game are also important to your future.
Growing up, given our schedules, Friday evening sports practices meant a regular practice, followed by parent versus kids games. These games included older and younger siblings as well. The family dynamic took the games to a whole new level, in a good way. Suddenly, Friday night practices took on a family friendly positivity that everyone looked forward too. Some would say, Friday Night Lights family games had bigger bragging rights than Saturday league games. Our family is still close to all these families today.
Potluck Meals and Games
Further, for much less than going out to dinner, we enjoy getting together with friends and family over a meal. Such nights do not need to be expensive or elaborate. Most times, the potluck meals we eat with friends are far better than expensive restaurant meals. It’s great to rotate who is hosting.
The evening is filled with great conversation, board or card games, or even physical games as noted above. This plan works for any age range or relationship level. If you are single, getting together with other friends or couples beats hanging out at the bars. Plus it’s a lot easier to have conversation than trying to yell over a loud and crowded bar. Enjoying playing games is a fun activity at any age. Plus, games are a great way to activate brain development and critical thinking skills. Additionally, laughing with your friends has many positive health benefits. Laughing is definitely in the best things in life are free category items.
Particularly for cash-strapped families, potluck meal nights are a great way to go out while having your kids entertained by playing with other kids. As a parent, you know your kids are in a safe place and you get to have fun too. It’s a great way to unwind from the week and share work frustrations in a safe place.
Our parents loved (now deceased) or still love (alive and kicking) getting together on a regularly with their friend groups for a potluck and game night. It provides older adults with great brain stimulation and socialization. Undoubtedly, knowing you have people in your corner is an important part of life.
Family Movie Night
Our family still enjoys family movie night on occasion. We have a stack full of favorite family movies. Watching the movies at home (sometimes repeatedly) is less expensive than going to a movie theater. Introducing our children to the Star Wars films or reading a watching the Harry Potter films are great memories. The Mission Impossible series has filled our quest for adventure and our kids have been to many of the cities in the films.
We were able to introduce age appropriate movies to our kids. Plus, we were able to talk our kids through classic films to better understand middle school and high school. The Breakfast Club or Mean Girls to name a few. Contact us for our list a favorite movies.
Even on family vacations, after a long and busy day sometimes we all just come back to our room and put on a movie. Family movie night was an inexpensive bonding experience.
Free Benefits of the Library
I have always been a fan of the public library. Benjamin Franklin, taking a page from England, established the first lending library in America in 1731. Steel magnate Andrew Carnegie is known as the “Patron Saint of Public Libraries” for taking libraries to a new level in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. My family has benefited from Ben Franklin’s and Andrew Carnegie’s inspiration. I fell in love with libraries in “library school” at the age of three. As a kid being able to take out a stack of books that I could barely carry was an amazing gift.
My love of reading, and that of my spouses was passed on to our children. My kids spent a lot of time at the local library. Reading is a sports like activity in our household. Having a library card is an amazing gift and its free.
Super bonus, my phone has both the Libby app and the hoopla digital app. The apps allow me to check out a digital copy of a book or the audiobook version. Playing audio books in the car in a great personal gift when I have time in the car or out for a walk. When my kids were young, I would have an audiobook ready so that we could listen together to a book while driving to practices and games or on long trips.
I credit reading to doing so much for me and for my family. It is such an amazing life gift to give your children the gift to read and a love of reading. It does not have to be an expensive habit if you use the library. In short, utilizing the public library is part of the best things in life are free category.
Used Book Store
Admittedly, another low cost option for books is a used book store. My children still love used book stores or the annual used book sale that benefits charity. This past holiday, we asked our children what they wanted to do as a family. Both immediately said they wanted to make a trip to our favorite used book store. We spent over an hour as a family (we would have spent much longer but one kid had to catch a flight) in the used book store. At the used book store, we could offer our children the opportunity to grab a stack of books and the total bill was less than $30 for our family. While $30 is not free, buying a stack of used books your children want makes for great Christmas presents. In this case, the $30 dollars was well spent on used books.
In fact, I ended up mailing some of the heavy books (media mail is the cheapest and best option for this) and still pay way less than I would for a new book or two). When your children a super excited about grabbing an 800 page to 1,000 plus book you know you’ve passed on a passion. Unquestionably, I am very proudly fostered my children’s love of reading.
State Parks
We have some amazing state parks in our state. Some of these parks rival some of the most amazing places we have visited. A park pass for a car is less than $35 a year and well worth the money even if you only go a few times a year. Four of our favorite state parks are within two and half hours drive. One has world class surfing. Coast FI anyone? Another has amazing climbs and our local state park has breathtaking views, especially in fall at the height of fall color.
This means that we can do a long day trip to our favorite state park and feel like we’ve been away on a world class vacation.
Spiritual Life and Faith Community
I was raised in an era where you did not talk about religion, politics or money? HouFIni is breaking the money rule and now is going to dip a toe into the faith space.
For us personal and for our family, being active in our faith community is important. I am keenly aware that organized religion is not considered a priority in the United States anymore. Personally, I think that is unfortunate. I am also aware of the flaws or religious leaders and organizations– do not send hate mail or post comments. I’m not proselytizing here. For me personally, having an interior spiritual life has helped ground me. My faith has been a gift. Personally, my faith has gotten me through many a difficult period of my life. Having gratitude for my blessings has been an important tool for me. Riches can come and go. Life has it’s ups and downs.
My faith has also allowed me to practice my religion and be in a community. Some of my closest friends locally and around the country have been a result of my faith. Additionally, the discussions and relationships I have created with people of other faiths have been amazing. Trying to better understand someone based on their religious beliefs has enriched my life.
Volunteering and Being Generous
Giving away time, talent, and treasure can be a rewarding experience. In our lives, volunteering, which costs you time and talent, but not necessarily money, provides fulfillment. As I have often indicated, we are looking to make “paid work optional” in our future, but we will still likely work in some capacity. Why would you want to do that HouFIni? Because some our biggest passions are volunteer efforts. Giving back through the generosity of our time brings us joy. HouFIni, giving back is not really free because you could be making money doing something else? True, but giving back through the generosity of time and talent brings us joy. Again, some of the best things in life our free.
Seeing your volunteer efforts literally change lives in some cases brings immeasurable joy. When you can trace back answering the call of service to creating positive change its not only inspiring but humbling. Escaping the Retirement Police and making paid work optional is part of our Two Part FI Number.
The Arts and Culture
In your local community, access to the arts and culture does not have to be expensive. Many communities provide free days for access to events or museum days. We’ve taken advantage of such opportunities individually and as a family. My father loved going to the local free summer concert series in which the local orchestra played everything from classical music to big band style.
Family FI can be as simple as crayons, paints, or colored pencils and paper. Fostering creativity in your children through relatively inexpensive means helps to activate different aspects of brain development. Creating a musical environment with your kids can be as simple as wooden spoons on pots and pans. Filling glasses of water to various levels and dinging them with a spoon can create great sounds. My uncle played in a garbage band. Literally, my uncle played an upside down metal garbage can with a two by two piece of wood screwd into it and strings. One of his buddies played the water glasses. The whole bad was made out of stuff laying around in your house or garage. They played local neighborhood gigs and were a fun band to listen and dance to. I have great memories of attending their gigs.
Strong Connections to Community Are the Key to Happiness
Researchers at Harvard University studying happiness for 80 years indicate relationships matter. Having a connection to others and a community are generally healthier and happier. To be clear, this is not having the most “friends” or followers on social media. The Harvard study focuses on true relationships and friendships. One does not need to have a lot of friends to receive the benefits of this connection. The key is to actively and intentionally create and maintain positive social connection with others.
Having good friends, including a strong marital relationship, is one of the best things in life are free classifications. Friendships, whether with your spouse or others, like gardening, require regularly cultivation and care.
The Best Things in Life Are Free
Knowing and utilizing the best things in life are free can have tremendous benefits for your journey to Financial Independence (FI). We did not necessarily utilize all of these free or low cost areas mentioned above with the express intention of improving our finances. However, these areas are amazing unintentional and/or secondary FI benefits, particularly in our journey to Family FI.
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