I often feel frustrated on the weekend when I realize there is so little to do for free, especially activities to do with friends. Spending money kind of gives you an activity to do together. That's why bars make so much money, even though you know you are paying as much for a glass of wine as you usually do for the entire bottle having somewhere to go makes it a fun activity rather than just - well, sitting around at home drinking wine.
Here's a list of my favorite ways to entertain myself on the weekend for free:

• Go on a bike ride: This is my number one free activity (of course I did have to pay for the bike). I'm not going to lie though, often we go on bike rides to try out a new restaurant and therefore spend money. But at least we're getting some entertainment out of the free ride there and back.


• Go to the lake front trail: OK, this is another bike-riding activity but a different one and it could also be a walking or rollerblading activity. Many cities have a place like this for people to walk or bike.


• Go to the library: I love to go to the library to check out books or sit around and read magazines. This is a great way to spend free time but usually a solo activity, not a social one.


• Go to the zoo and botanical gardens: Here in Chicago we hare very lucky to have both of these places for free! I know most zoos aren't free, but I think it is more common to have gardens with free entrance.


• Go to the dog park: I am aware that some people might find it strange to go to the dog park without a dog. However I will not be held back from watching cute animals just because I happen to have a cat! The dog park can offer hours of free adorable entertainment.

I would love to hear what everyone else does!

I have a reputation at work for being cheap. Not wanting to eat out, not spending a lot on clothes, and always taking advantage of leftover breakfasts and lunches from meetings. If you are more frugal than the people around you they will probably start to notice and likely tease you about it. It might make you feel embarrassed and just want to do what everyone else is doing to fit in. But I say embrace the cheapness! If they want to tease you who cares? And I've found a benefit to having this reputation- I have had coworkers offer to buy me starbucks if I go pick up their drink. They would never think to strike this deal unless they knew I would go for it (I'm not one to pass up a free iced latte). If someone receives a coupon they don't want guess who is the first one they offer it to?
Taking control of your spending is not always the easy road to take. I sometimes feel jealous of my coworkers with better and newer wardrobes. It almost makes it more frustrating that I can afford to eat out every day or shop a lot more if I wanted to but I know that's not the best use of my money and what is really going to make me feel happy. So instead of dwelling on what I'm not doing I try to focus on what I am - and know that it's best for me despite the judgments others may make.

OK I know what you're thinking - empty land is not a usual purchase for the early 20s blogger set. Buying a lot often means farmland or the very wealthy building the mansion of their dreams.

To start off my story: I have always loved all forms of design. I inherited this from my father who is an architect that primarily works on custom homes. His tastes are very similar to mine and I grew up a Frank Lloyd Wright inspired home filled with mid-century modern furniture. I have always dreamed in living in a home that my father designed. One just because I know he could create the most amazing, Dwell-worthy house I could imagine but two just because I love the idea of being at home in something that he created.

Of course building a custom home is expensive, and I'm nowhere near ready to even buy a condo at this point. But what is (sometimes) cheaper than a house? The land that it sits on. I realized that buying a piece of property for my future home would be a step that I could pursue now, and begin to pay for as I save for the house that will go on it. My property is in an area I would describe as "soon to be up and coming" and I feel that prices there will rise at a much faster rate than my savings. So may as well start with the property now and if it no longer works for me in the future I can always sell it. For this reason I feel confidant that it was a good financial decision for me, and I like knowing that when it's time to build the house I will not have to bear the entire weight of a loan for a lot as well as the construction.

Previously I prided myself on being debt-free - but now I am actually happy to announce I have entered a new (though debt-ridden) stage of life. This week I purchased a lot (as in a plot of land)! Clearly this is a big financial move that requires a lot of thought and planning but I didn't want to write about it here before it actually happened. Now that it's mine I'm planning to write a series of posts about how I came to my decision and the process of looking for a lot. I see a lot of blogging about purchasing real estate but never empty land. So if you're interested stay tuned for many posts on this topic in the future!