6 Cheap Entertainment Ideas For When You’re Bored At Home

Ad – collaborative post but all thoughts are my own

I write a lot of content around productivity and personal development. Two subjects I adore and work on regularly in my own life so not only can I improve myself but also teach others through my blog too. I’ve touched on the subject of toxic productivity before and how damaging it can be, especially in light of a pandemic.

So today I wanted to talk about some cheap entertainment ideas for when you’re bored at home. Perhaps it’s one of those slow work days. Perhaps you’re sick and stuck in bed; not tired enough to sleep but not well enough to do much else either. Or maybe it’s just…

One of those days.

We all know them. We’ve all had them. I’ve had quite a few, fairly recently and they suuuuuuck. The thought of doing something even remotely productive or something that was going to allow me to “better myself” was like asking me to eat puke. It wasn’t going to happen.

It was one of those days. I didn’t want to do anything. I was bored. I was in a funk. So I needed some entertainment to get me through the day. And you know what? We all need those days from time to time. We all need a wake up call to freaking sit down, relax, stop tweeting or blogging or hustling.

So for whatever reason you find yourself bored at home, here are some low-key ideas to help keep you entertained (especially if you’re on a budget):

Play free online games

I absolutely love gaming. But it’s no secret that games cost a LOT of money. With games being £50 a pop sometimes, you could find yourself spending hundreds and hundreds a year on new game releases for PlayStations and your laptop. And whilst it’s always great to save up for a game you want, you’ll probably want something to play in the meantime.

There are a ton of great free games online that can be played. I’ve been playing a selection from plays.org recently and really enjoying them so they’re definitely worth checking out if you want to find some new free games to play! They have everything from simulation to arcade to base defense and more.

Personally, I’m a sucker for simulation games. I’ve spent hours in the past building up my own restaurants and bakeries and don’t get me STARTED with how much I love The Sims. But for something that isn’t quite so immersive but addicted enough to take up a good 45 minutes of boredom time, the simulation games on Plays.org are great fun.

I particularly liked Tap Supermarket. Good gosh that game gets stressful! It’s a basic game and the premise is you need to keep the supermarket operating smoothly. You have to ensure customers are seen to at the checkout on time, that shelves are re-stocked, stock is available as well as using your money to open new counters to make your supermarket rating go up.

As the game goes on, the shop gets more and more busy so you have more to do and it’s a bit frantic but definitely a fun game! It can be played on desktop or mobile which is great for commutes and things as well! I also enjoyed Open Restaurant which had a similar premise, except you’re running a restaurant, seating customers, taking orders etc. and have to reach a certain income for the end of the day, otherwise the game is over.

Get books from the library

You can’t get much cheaper that library books! I think libraries are such underrated resources and services and if you’re on a budget or need to seriously save some pennies, then the library should be your first port of call for anything you might need. Arguably reading could come under the “personal growth” category but sometimes you just need to delve into a good fiction and float away.

Listen to podcasts on Spotify

I love Spotify and I can’t believe so many podcasts are completely free to listen to considering the time and effort it takes to create them! So they’re definitely something you need to think about utilizing when you’re bored AND on a budget! Whatever you fancy listening to, you’re bound to find it on Spotify.

Try a free home workout on YouTube

I used to watch a lot of YouTube, a handful of years ago when I wasn’t as busy with work and in a pretty bad place mentally. And although there are still a handful of creators on YouTube that I love and watch, I mostly use the platform for home workouts now. Which, again, is amazing considering the time and effort it takes to create them.

If you’ve been here long enough, you’ll know how much I love Yoga With Adriene. However for more hardcore workouts, I also use Holly Dolke and Lily Sabri. I’ve also recently discovered Sharona’s Hill who does AMAZING workouts to Disney music, musicals (such as Mamma Mia) and Queen! She’s great if you want something a bit more fun and her Disney workouts would be great for kids to join in with as well.

Do something crafty with whatever you can find

If you prefer to do something with your hands (rather than watching a screen or reading) then these next two suggestions will be perfect for you. Why not try getting crafty (if you’re crafty) with anything you can find? See what joys you can make with what you can find in your craft cupboard.

Experiment in the kitchen

Or if you enjoy cooking, like I do, then maybe experiment in the kitchen to curb the boredom with whatever you can find in the cupboard! See if you can create a gourmet meal for 2 with limited resources!

What do you like to do at home when you’re bored which doesn’t require money? Let me know in the comments!