Uncommon Cents

It’s still summer here, albeit barely, and many would argue where I live is practically endless summer. Before the summer’s over for everyone else in this half of the world, I thought I’d list five outdoor activities that are frugal–free or cheap, at least relatively–healthy, and hopefully, fun. Here’s some ideas:

Running~Running is one of the lowest cost, most time efficient forms of exercise around. A pair of running shoes and some clothes are all you need (and you need shoes and clothes anyway, right?). As a guy who rides a bicycle for seven hours at a shot, I can say that there’s no way I could run for anywhere close to that long–it’s a way to get a pretty quick exercise in. In fact, I have to do a run later tonight as part of my goal to finish the Honolulu Marathon this year.

Cycling~I’ve been a cyclist for a long time, and yes, it can be an expensive sport. That said, once you have a bike and appropriate equipment (gloves and cycling cleats are way up there on my list), it can be a reasonably inexpensive sport as well as a great source of exercise and transportation. Remember to use resources like Craigslist and eBay to keep your expenses down, and there’s also mail order vendors like Nashbar and Performance Bike (and online coupon sites–like our buddy Kyle’s Rather-Be-Shopping.com–to check out as well!).

Swimming~Here in the Aloha State, we definitely have some of the best beaches in the world; we also have public pools that are often open nights, weekends, and holidays. Yes, one must be careful when swimming, but this also another just about free sport that gets you great exercise too (and it’s very easy on your joints!).

Hiking~This can be a fun activity for a family or a real challenge for someone who’s serious. Hiking boots and some hiking clothes are a necessity; maps and a GPS are desirable. Still, this can provide breathtaking views and photo opportunities as well as great exercise, fresh air, and sometimes an incredible challenge.

Geocaching~I’m new to this myself; it’s like a scavenger hunt for GPS wielding Geeks. I’m not going to explain this myself, but Geocaching.com has a ton of information on this topic–there’s a bunch of caches in my zip code that I have just started to explore myself!

Remember that if you want to do one of these activities, you may want to do some research on each topic (and maybe get your health checked out). There’s tons of information on all of these at your local public library or, even closer, the World Wide Web! Most importantly, have fun!

Tags: Frugality, Social aspects

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