Debt Dumpers 2025

[Twilghtsprkle]

I've been brainstorming some ideas for things we can do that are very low cost/free as a family (but most of these would also work as a date night idea!).

Bake something, go for a hike/walk somewhere other than the neighborhood, cook a meal, movie night at home with popcorn, crafts (painting, coloring, etc), puzzles and charcuterie board, go to the shelter and borrow a dog for the day (we go for a walk and then get a pup cup!), volunteer somewhere. I'm sure there's more there, but that's what I came up with for right now.

I don’t know how good your local library is, but ours has many free things. Museum passes (you have to reserve them though), ‘adventure’ kits (pasta making, karaoke, metal detecting, etc), a streaming stick with their Netflix & movies anywhere account - plus they have a WiFi hotspot you can borrow if you don’t have internet, and yard games. Of course they also have events you can sign up for in the library as well.

 

[LoveDaisy]

I've been brainstorming some ideas for things we can do that are very low cost/free as a family (but most of these would also work as a date night idea!).

Bake something, go for a hike/walk somewhere other than the neighborhood, cook a meal, movie night at home with popcorn, crafts (painting, coloring, etc), puzzles and charcuterie board, go to the shelter and borrow a dog for the day (we go for a walk and then get a pup cup!), volunteer somewhere. I'm sure there's more there, but that's what I came up with for right now.

This time of the year we like to take a drive to look at the decorated houses.

I’m sure every area has its thing but we meet a bunch of friends and go to the lobster trap tree every year. https://www.lobstertraptree.com/

Our friends also do Sunday funday and rotate who hosts. Everyone brings a food dish and we enjoy hanging out with each other.

I also love cookie swaps this time of year. Low cost, lots of fun and you leave with a box full of cookies.

 

[Tygerlilly]

I don’t know how good your local library is, but ours has many free things. Museum passes (you have to reserve them though), ‘adventure’ kits (pasta making, karaoke, metal detecting, etc), a streaming stick with their Netflix & movies anywhere account - plus they have a WiFi hotspot you can borrow if you don’t have internet, and yard games. Of course they also have events you can sign up for in the library as well.

Ah yes! Our library has so many things I never knew we had access to! We joined a local homeschool group that meets there occasionally and they clued us into all the amazing things they offer.


And of course Christmas light looking is on our special holiday list of activities. I make hot cocoa and put them in to-go coffee cups for everyone, we load up in our jammies with blankets, and roam the neighborhoods. We also have a free light display put on by a volunteer group we usually toss a few dollars in their donation bucket.

 

[Bellex917]

As we enter the last month of 2025... anyone ready to set goals for 2026??

 

[Tygerlilly]

As we enter the last month of 2025... anyone ready to set goals for 2026??

I already started! I'm making a master list of all the things, both financial and not, that I want to accomplish. Throughout the month I'll fine tune it down to a more realistic list of things so I don't overwhelm myself and then get discouraged.

 

[Nettlelondon]

Not budget related but when I had my 58th birthday a couple of months ago I decided to create a list of 60 things to do before I reach 60. Very few of these are travel related as there is no point in saying "I want to visit Australia" (which I do) as I can't realistically do that whilst my mum is alive / living independently as it will just be too stressful and there is no point having things on a list that could be completely out of my control.

Some of them are relatively straightforward - read 60 books, see 60 bands (I go to a couple of music festivals a year and that is well within the remit of those without to much difficulty) but others are a little more challenging
- perform 10 push ups (never manged 1 in my life)
- perform downward dog again (not been possible since my surgeries)
and the one I suspect will not happen is "climb a spiral staircase in a castle without having a complete meltdown"

I haven't finished drafting the list, so any suggestions welcome as long as they don't involve jumping off of or out of anything - I am terrified of heights and I know myself well enough.

Many of them have no financial impact but the one that does is "get DH to retire". We have relatively large pension pots waiting for us more by luck than judgement, and work for DH is becoming increasingly frustrating for him as his clients are being idiotic (a project that HAD to go live on 1st July meaning he worked through planned vacation still doesn't have full requirements specified, never mind actually being deployed for example).

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

and the one I suspect will not happen is "climb a spiral staircase in a castle without having a complete meltdown"

On our anniversary cruise we stopped in Cork, Ireland so we went to Blarney Castle, which we did on our honeymoon too but at 28 it was easy. At 58, well I did it and I didn't cry at all. LOL I skipped kissing the Blarney Stone. No need to do that twice.
We also stopped in Belfast and of course growing up with Led Zeppelin's Houses of the Holy album at home, I really wanted to visit the Giant's Causeway. I am terrified of heights too but I did it. I didn't go nearly as far out toward the water as I would have liked but we have good pics.
I didn't know at the time there was anything wrong with my thyroid. I just felt weak and not myself.
Anyway, I'm glad I did it.

I was in Venice on a tour of Italy at age 23 and would love to go back for my 60th. Dh has never been and it's just so unique.
We did a Med cruise together that stopped 3x in Italy but no stops in Venice. Also Hawaii and Costa Rica are on our bucket list.

ETA: Have you ever climbed the Leaning Tower of Pisa? It's not in a castle but the leaning really adds to the adventure. It's not such a tight spiral like some castles.

 

[Nettlelondon]

I haven't been to Pisa, it is on the travel hit list - and could possibly achieved as that would be a relatively short trip but that is a whole separate list!

 

[Tygerlilly]

ETA: Have you ever climbed the Leaning Tower of Pisa? It's not in a castle but the leaning really adds to the adventure. It's not such a tight spiral like some castles.

I had no idea you could go in that much less up it!


We are adding multiple long weekend trips to our year next year. Nothing extravagant, mainly exploring more of our state (we've never done Western Oklahoma and there's a lot of awesome outdoor activities that way that would be a perfect Sat-Mon trip, including some camping/cabin stays, the salt plains, etc.

We're starting to get better about packing food or grocery shopping when we get there to help keep costs down while staying somewhere. Our last trip (a week at GWL in Houston) we bought several of the fully cooked microwave reheatable meals and took a cooler that we refilled with bags of ice from the ice machine. The meals cost about $25 for all 5 of us to eat on and we're pretty tasty! We bought fruit and veggie trays to snack on, donuts/pastries from the grocery store, a case of water and flavor packets and soda for us adults, other snacks, and several different microwave meals and I think spent $150 for everything. Meanwhile, we decided to do pizza and wings and cheese fries from the lodge one night (kiddos birthday) and it was $83!