Yesterday, a tween in front of me at the gas station register left before getting his change muttering sarcastically “whoopee, a whole 50 cents.” The clerk and I exchanged motherly eye-rolls because we know from experience that every penny counts. If fact, on the way home, I thought of seven fun things to do fifty cents or less.
–Send a letter. With the price of postage at 44 cents, you can get a stamp and an envelope for 50 cents. Sending a handwritten note is an easy and inexpensive way to make someone smile. (Hint: Try it for Dad’s Day!)
–Have lunch. Sounds impossible, but check out this list of lunch recipes for less than 50 cents per serving. I actually tried the Quesadilla con Huevos recipe and it was fantastic!
–Go on a treasure hunt. Fifty cents actually goes fairly far at a garage sale. For example, I recently purchased two hard cover classics for 25 cents a piece.
–Grab a gobstopper. While they may not be everlasting, jawbreakers do give you a lot of bang for your buck. In fact, there are a lot of old time candies out there for 50 cents or less (think Dum Dums or Smarties). Or, you can go to a buy in bulk store where your 50 cents buys you a lot of options!
–Blow some bubbles. There are a lot of fun and inexpensive options when it comes to bubbles. For example, you can buy a gumball, make your own bubble solution, drink a can of generic root beer, or take a bubble bath.
–Visit a lemonade stand. Buying lemonade from a road side stand is a great way to support young entrepreneurs and quench your thirst at the same time.
–Make a donation. Most charities welcome donations of any size.
Finally, don’t fret is you don’t have 50 cents to spare—there are a lot of fun things to do for free.