7 Ways a No-Spend Weekend Can Still Feel Like a Treat

You don’t need to drain your savings account just to have a story worth telling on Monday morning. The average U.S. consumer unit spent $3,609 on entertainment in 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, a category covering more than just weekend outings.  

But here’s the secret: that jaw-dropping figure isn’t a rulebook; it’s a warning label. The line between an unforgettable weekend and financial regret is surprisingly thin, and most people are crossing it without even realizing it.

Give leftovers a tasting menu

Pull out the little bowls and give last night’s dinner a new look. In her Supperstruck guide, food writer Crystal Smith suggests serving an extra-small side so everyone can have a little of each. Try that idea in the living room with a small bowl of soup, a sandwich cut into quarters, or a handful of vegetables with dip you already have.

Add a few bites of fruit and cheese if they’re in the fridge. Build the spread around the dishes you’re most excited to eat again, and bring them out together so everyone can pick their first bite. If you’re eating solo, make a plate with the same care and start with your favorite bite. 

Put on a double feature

Give movie night a start time and pick both films before you settle in. The Library of Congress provides free online streaming and downloads for dozens of public-domain titles from the National Film Registry through its National Screening Room and official YouTube channel.

Raid the cupboard for snacks, pour them into bowls, and dim the lights. Give yourself an intermission to stretch or grab another handful. If you’re watching with someone else, let each person choose one title so you can spend the evening watching the movies you came for.

Make brunch feel like a café visit

Start Saturday by opening the fridge before you open a delivery app. “Look in your fridge and pantry first.” Check the freezer, too, and let what you find set the menu. Put eggs on toast, warm frozen fruit for oatmeal, or pull out the pancake mix you already have. Then give your breakfast the café treatment.

Set the table, pour coffee into your favorite mug, and sit down while the food’s still warm. If pancakes win, bring the whole stack to the table and let everyone help themselves. The best part might be lingering over that last sip of coffee.

Get away with a library book

Give yourself an hour with a story you’d happily spend the afternoon inside. Borrow a book or graphic novel before the weekend, or check your library’s catalog for something you can open from home. To borrow e-books and e-audiobooks from the New York Public Library, cardholders use third-party partner apps, primarily Libby and cloudLibrary, or the main NYPL online catalog, depending on which service licenses the title.

Check your own library’s options before you count on a particular book or app. Then claim the comfortable chair and put your phone out of reach if you’re reading on paper. If you choose an audiobook, get it playing and settle in for a chapter or two without trying to squeeze in a chore. 

Walk somewhere worth seeing

Pick a destination before you lace up your shoes. Head for a viewpoint, take the route with the interesting buildings, or see what you can photograph along a familiar block. Check the site’s own page for entry and reservation details before you head out.

Choose somewhere you can reach on foot, so the outing stays free from the moment you leave home. Along the way, give yourself one small assignment: take a photo of a detail you usually pass without a second look, then pick your favorite shot when you get back.

Make something from what you have

Set out the pencils, paper, or fabric scraps you already own and give yourself an hour to play. The Library of Congress Free to Use and Reuse collection offers more than 100 themed sets containing 25 to 50 historical photographs, maps, posters, prints, and films each.

Pick a picture you’d enjoy sketching, or browse historical maps and gather your favorite details into a digital mood board. If you’ve got paper and ink, print the image you want to work with. You can also prop up the screen and draw straight from it. Permit yourself to stop at one sketch, especially if you spent half the hour happily flipping through old maps.  

Bring the concert home

Pick a performance you’d be curious enough to sit down and hear from the opening notes. Start with jazz if that sounds like your kind of Saturday, or give a classical performance a listen.

Pick your seat, pour a drink or put a dessert you already have on a plate, and let the music take over the room. Save the scrolling for later so you can catch the parts you’d miss with the concert playing in the background. If a piece sticks with you, play it again before you call it a night.