free activities

The weekend is a time for fun, but that doesn't mean that your wallet has to go along for the ride. Give your bucks a rest, and consider doing activities that won't cost you any money. After all, the best things in life are for free, right? Get down and frugal with these fun suggestions for Saturday and Sunday:

• Watch Some Hulu Videos: You know the hit show that everyone's talking about that you never got to watch? It's time to catch up with the episodes this weekend courtesy of online free video streaming service Hulu. If you want older episodes that you can't find on Hulu, ask a friend to see if she'll share her Netflix account with you and pick a video you'd both love to watch.
• Plan a Trip: Ah, I can already feel the beginnings of Summer. You know what that means right? Vacation time! Start making a list of places you want to go to, and do some research on the spots you want to visit when you get there. Check out what the prices are like on Bing Travel or Kayak, and start doing some comparison shopping and look for deals. Keep in mind that the best times to buy your plane tickets are generally on a Tuesday or Wednesday, so be sure to hold off buying anything.
• Learn a Language: Have you always wanted to learn French, the language of love? Now's your chance this weekend. If you're looking to learn a language, search the web for sites that will teach you the basics. You can also check to see what language apps are out there in iTunes. There are plenty of YouTube videos and podcasts that people use to teach languages, so be sure to check those resources out.

Read on for more free activities to do this weekend.

Do your wallet a favor this weekend and give it a break. There are plenty of ways to have fun without spending a dime, so read on for some suggestions.

• Create an OKCupid Profile: If you're single and ready to mingle, try going on OKCupid.com to see who's out there. It's free to try and you'll have fun creating your profile. If you're taken, you can attempt to do it for your friend (with her permission of course!). I created a few for friends, and it's always fun to hear their reactions.
• Experimental Cooking: Open up a cookbook or search for a recipe online, and try a dish you've never attempted before. Don't have the ingredients? It's your chance to be daring — just improvise!
• Send a Postcard: We're so used to receiving electronic messages from our friends and family that it's almost rare to receive physical letters. Take the time this weekend to write a letter or postcard to someone who lives in another city. Bonus points if you create your own postcard.
• Weekend Freebies: Thanks to Earth Day and Easter, there is a ton of great deals going on. Get a free tree from Lowe's or do an eco-friendly workshop at Home Depot.
• Play With Photography: Whip out your camera or iPhone and start taking pictures around you. It's a great chance to go outdoors for a breath of fresh air and relax at the same time. Play around with apps such as instagram to give your pictures a cool retro look.
• Download Free Ebooks: Reading is one of the best free activities, and you don't always have to pay for a book! Find the next J.K. Rowling or Stephenie Meyer at Amazon's free ebook collections.

It seems that quite a few of you found last week's guide to free weekend activities useful, so I decided to make five more suggestions for you, because we do all love freebies. Check them out and have a fun money-free weekend!

• Join Meetups: Want to make friends with people who share your own interest? Join Meetup.com, a social networking site that helps people meet up in real life. You can choose anything from networking with professionals in your field to meeting up with fellow doggy owners.
• Read Books: Hang around a bookstore or a library and take your time to really savor and enjoy a good book. Be adventurous — pick a topic that you don't know much about and start exploring a whole new world you didn't know much about. You can also take the time to reread some well-loved books you have lying around the house. It's amazing how fast hours fly by when you have a book in your hands.
• Organize Book Clubs: Loved the most recent book you read? Pass it along to friends and organize a book club so you can gather around and share your thoughts with people who share the same interests. If your pals aren't up to it, organize a book club on Meetup.com or on Facebook.

For more fun things to do this weekend, read on!