“If you always do what pleases you, at least one person will be satisfied.”
~Kathryn Hepburn
It is clear 2009 will be a tough year and that most people will be cutting back. This post steps away from the harsh reality of Corporate America and provides some simple ways to cut back and even get more out of life. It is meant to provide something for everyone with little expenditures. Many of these simply get us back to the things that were really great anyway. Happy New Years.
1. Just laugh and have fun.
2. Do an art or do-it-yourself home project.
3. Cook a great dinner at home together. It can be as elegant or junk food as you like. Things like rack of lamb, chateaubriand, chili, spaghetti, fresh cooked fish, hamburgers, hot dogs with all the fixings, veal parmesan, antipasto, ice cream sundaes, potato pancakes are much easier to make than you think.
4. Take another family’s kids for a night and vice versa to give each couple a free night and the kids two great sleepovers.
5. Play more sports. Bowling is usually a great equalizer.
6. Watch sports or play games at sports bars, home, etc.
7. Visit museums, parks, or zoos; go on hikes, visit beaches or just go for a picnic. Skip the entire rip off appeal of souvenir shops.
8. Host potluck dinners with friends.
9. Go for a nice ride somewhere without the GPS, get lost and allow you wife to laugh at you, not knowing where you are going and refusing to ask directions.
10. Do #7 but pretend to be lost and then show up where you are going.
11. Hook up with old friends and relatives via Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn and other social networks.
12. Have more sex and make it special.
13. Take an academic, business or fun course or adult education program.
14. Do charity, religious or volunteer work.
15. Just relax and do something lazy or stupid sometimes.
16. Work out and get in shape.
17. Fix something around the house.
18. Join social networks, blog, develop your own website etc.
19. Realize there is about a 1 in 50 chance most of our favorite sports teams will win a championship and find something else to go nuts about.
20. Chill out with your family and/or kids.
