1 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:15,120 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:16,360 --> 00:00:20,640 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to become an expert on free adventures. 4 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:24,800 Speaker 1: By figuring out the cool and low cost stuff in 5 00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:29,479 Speaker 1: your community, you can save yourself some money and invite 6 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:33,200 Speaker 1: other people to do things in a very inclusive way. 7 00:00:35,280 --> 00:00:37,880 Speaker 1: My first year after college, I did a year long 8 00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:41,920 Speaker 1: internship in Washington, d C. It was a great experience, 9 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:46,239 Speaker 1: but I also earned very little. Consequently, I made a 10 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:50,519 Speaker 1: point of seeking out free adventures. I'd pick up copies 11 00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:54,680 Speaker 1: of the free city papers from newsstands. These often had 12 00:00:54,760 --> 00:00:58,080 Speaker 1: lists in the back of concerts and fairs and other 13 00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:02,320 Speaker 1: happenings and a course. Washington, d C. Also has world 14 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:06,320 Speaker 1: class free museums in the form of the Smithsonian Institutions. 15 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:11,240 Speaker 1: Add in hikes and parks accessible by public transit, and 16 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:14,800 Speaker 1: I was rarely bored. When I moved to New York 17 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:18,240 Speaker 1: City without a job. After that year, I definitely felt 18 00:01:18,240 --> 00:01:21,520 Speaker 1: the need to find free adventures, so again I'd look 19 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:24,920 Speaker 1: in the city papers and got on various email lists 20 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:28,759 Speaker 1: and such. If a bar was running a cheap drink special, 21 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:33,920 Speaker 1: I just might find out about it now. This obviously 22 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:36,720 Speaker 1: had the upside of allowing me to do fun things 23 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:40,399 Speaker 1: for cheap, but I soon realized it had other upsides. 24 00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:44,320 Speaker 1: If I had found a bar with really cheap specials, 25 00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:48,160 Speaker 1: I could invite people to join me with no concern 26 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:50,600 Speaker 1: that they would either spend more than they wished or 27 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:54,240 Speaker 1: have to decline the invitation because of a lack of funds. 28 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:59,520 Speaker 1: Free and cheap adventures can be more welcoming than the 29 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:03,680 Speaker 1: price the kind. The good news is that almost any 30 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:08,000 Speaker 1: community has some number of cheap and free adventures. I 31 00:02:08,040 --> 00:02:10,840 Speaker 1: was kicking myself the other day when I drove past 32 00:02:10,880 --> 00:02:14,840 Speaker 1: a community fair not too far from my house. No 33 00:02:14,919 --> 00:02:17,480 Speaker 1: doubt the kids would have loved the sites and performances 34 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:21,200 Speaker 1: and the free samples. There are festivals and parades and 35 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:27,200 Speaker 1: outdoor performances. Some businesses offer open houses or freebees as 36 00:02:27,200 --> 00:02:29,839 Speaker 1: a way to get people in the door. You just 37 00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:33,359 Speaker 1: have to be on the lookout for these things. Your 38 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:36,840 Speaker 1: community's free paper or e newsletter if you have one, 39 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:39,960 Speaker 1: is a good bet. Check the listings in the back 40 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:45,320 Speaker 1: or online. Another great resource is your local library. Yes, 41 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:48,520 Speaker 1: your librarian can direct you to events and may even 42 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:52,360 Speaker 1: have passes to museums. That you could check out. But 43 00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:56,440 Speaker 1: beyond that, many libraries have a bulletin board somewhere near 44 00:02:56,480 --> 00:03:01,040 Speaker 1: the front where anyone can post about events. This is 45 00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:03,800 Speaker 1: how you can find out that a local gallery is 46 00:03:03,840 --> 00:03:07,240 Speaker 1: having a student art reception with free wine and cheese. 47 00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:10,360 Speaker 1: This is how you learn about the festival at a 48 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:14,959 Speaker 1: local orchard with free hay rides and cider samples. Then, 49 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:18,240 Speaker 1: of course, once you start finding things you get on 50 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:23,960 Speaker 1: email lists associated with these venues or organizations, you start 51 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:27,680 Speaker 1: hearing about other free stuff. It all feeds on itself. 52 00:03:29,240 --> 00:03:31,560 Speaker 1: Once you start to see these things, you can plan 53 00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:35,720 Speaker 1: for the fun and start anticipating it. That orchard, no doubt, 54 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:40,000 Speaker 1: has a festival every year, so you begin letting friends 55 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:42,920 Speaker 1: know about it a few weeks ahead of time, which 56 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 1: brings us to the point about becoming an expert. Being 57 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:50,560 Speaker 1: in the know allows you to help other people figure 58 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:54,320 Speaker 1: out what to do. Many people struggle to figure out 59 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 1: activities beyond the usual, particularly if funds are tight. Inviting 60 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:03,920 Speaker 1: people to the free fun you've found allows you to 61 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 1: extend an invitation to basically anyone. There are no weird 62 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:15,360 Speaker 1: feelings or expectations or worries. Now obviously, spending money is 63 00:04:15,400 --> 00:04:18,559 Speaker 1: a perfectly fine thing to do, and there are lots 64 00:04:18,560 --> 00:04:22,080 Speaker 1: of great things in life that will cost cash. I 65 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:25,440 Speaker 1: know that what we don't spend in money, we often 66 00:04:25,480 --> 00:04:30,400 Speaker 1: spend in time. But my experience from my intern days 67 00:04:30,520 --> 00:04:33,640 Speaker 1: is that it doesn't take that much time to look 68 00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:36,680 Speaker 1: for free fun stuff. I look at the paper on 69 00:04:36,720 --> 00:04:39,240 Speaker 1: my lunch break and have some idea in mind for 70 00:04:39,279 --> 00:04:42,359 Speaker 1: the weekend. Most times by the time I started work again, 71 00:04:43,320 --> 00:04:47,440 Speaker 1: not every weekend, but enough to enjoy the place, which 72 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:50,400 Speaker 1: can be true of almost any place if you look. 73 00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:57,600 Speaker 1: In the meantime. This is Laura. Thanks for listening, and 74 00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:07,640 Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, 75 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:10,000 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me 76 00:05:10,040 --> 00:05:13,680 Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with 77 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:18,080 Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod 78 00:05:18,800 --> 00:05:23,120 Speaker 1: that's b the number four, then Breakfast p o D. 79 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:26,840 Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast 80 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:30,279 Speaker 1: podcast at i heeart media dot com that Before Breakfast 81 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:33,000 Speaker 1: is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much, 82 00:05:33,240 --> 00:05:41,320 Speaker 1: I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is 83 00:05:41,320 --> 00:05:44,560 Speaker 1: a production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from 84 00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:48,480 Speaker 1: my heart Radio, visit the i Heart Radio app. Apple podcasts, 85 00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:50,680 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.