College is the last hurrah before you enter the real world and become a real adult. So it's not unusual for college students to spend their weekends hanging out with friends, taking vacations and spending money frivolously. But having fun doesn't have to be at the expense of your bank account. You owe it to yourself to make smart money decisions while you're young. These good decisions can stick with you throughout your adult life. Here are seven ways to have fun in college without spending a dime.
If you like being active and the outdoors, get with a few friends and check into community sports. Your college campus may have information on local sporting teams you can join, or you can visit a local rec center for information. You might be able to join a bowling team, a volleyball team, a baseball team or a football team. You can squeeze in exercise at no cost, plus meet some fantastic people.
If you're bored and broke, nothing says fun like board games. Get with a few friends and plan a monopoly tournament, or sit around and play other fun games, such as Taboo or Catchphrase. If you want to make the night interesting, create your own board game with some friends.
If it's nice outside, there's plenty you can do at the beach. If it's warm enough to get in the water you can go surfing or swimming, or you can hang out on the sand and read a book. Have a cookout or play volleyball. Grab your bike or rollerblades and sail down the boardwalk, or sit down and listen to a free concert.
Chances are there's at least one television series you've been meaning to watch. If you don't want to spend money, but you're tired of sitting home, call up a few friends and choose a series on Netflix to watch from the beginning. You may not be able to watch an entire season in one night, but watching the series can become a regular weekend thing where you hang out and entertain yourself without spending a dime.
Do you have an interest in art? Do you want to learn home improvement projects? Or maybe you've always been interested in taking dance lessons? Depending on where you live, you might be able to take advantage of free classes offered throughout a community center.
Not every activity or event costs money. If you check your local city guide, you'll probably find a variety of free events happening in your local town. These can include free concerts in the park, the symphony under the stars, parades, or free museum events. Go and watch a local sports team for free, or check out a concert at a college or university.
Plan a video game tournament with some of your best gaming friends. You can order pizza and grab a few drinks and spend the night seeing who's the last man – or woman – standing.
Whoever says you have to spend money to have fun doesn't have an imagination. There are plenty of ways to have a good time without breaking the bank, but you have to get creative and think outside the box. What are other ways to have fun in college without spending money?