Most of the spending we do — from groceries to unnecessary extras — takes place on the weekend. Because we work all week, we typically don’t have time to do any shopping. Trips to the grocery store, Target, and the occasional recreational window browse often lead to extra spending. We try to limit unnecessary spending, obviously, but even items like dog food, tooth paste, and other necessities can add up.

We’re already nearing our budget limit for spending and entertainment, but we’re headed out of town for the weekend for a frugal trip to Washington DC. Because we’d like to have some extra money for a meal and other extras, we’re attempting to have a no spend weekend. That means no recreational browsing, and no shopping even for the necessary items if it can wait. We’re buying the bare bones minimum groceries to get us through the week, and that’s it.

Setting this goal made me realize that we spend more time on the weekends spending money than I’d like to admit. No, we don’t go on wild shopping sprees. But the little bit of spending we do adds up, especially when you consider the fact that we spend $0 on the typical weekday.

To keep ourselves busy, we’ve come up with a no-spend itinerary for the weekend so we can have fun without spending any money. Here’s what we’ve come up with:

Friday: We made a homemade pizz, rented a free Redbox movie, and relaxed on the couch.

Saturday: After breakfast, we’re going to put on some warm clothes and take the dog for a hike at the state park. It’s beautiful and sunny outside today, and I think he’ll enjoy sniffing the hiking trail. The best part is I get to skip the gym for today since we’re getting exercise outside.

Sunday: Unfortunately, our Sunday plans aren’t really fun, but they are frugal. Tony’s parents are coming to visit the week after next, and since we’ll be out of town all next weekend, we’ve got to do some major cleaning and preparing. We want to get a head star on Sunday, clearing clutter out of the guest room, and deep cleaning all the nooks and crannies of our apartment. I’ll also squeeze in a trip to the gym, which isn’t exactly free since I pay $20 a month for the membership, but won’t cost anything extra.

I hope you’re all enjoying a lovely frugal weekend, too!