Finding Frugal Fun in Philadelphia

Philadelphia's Magic Gardens, where they offer discounted tickets on Groupon. — Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, where they offer discounted tickets on Groupon. Heather McBride | The Waltonian

For most of us, summer is a time of rest and relaxation. We have our summer jobs, but also some time for doing absolutely nothing. This may be enjoyable for a few days, but eventually it is time for new experiences. The next question is: what is there to do? A quick Google search shows that there are a ton of things to do, but it can get a little pricey for a minimum wage summer job. Just because summer is over, that does not mean that the fun has to come to a halt.

Here is where the helpful information comes in: make Groupon and Phillyfunguide your best friends. These websites are wonderful when looking for fun, inexpensive things to do and there is such a wide variety of things to do, you will not know where to begin.
If you sign up for a Groupon account (which is free), you can enter what things you are particularly interested in and they will send you emails with all the deals they have in those areas. They have everything from 50% off at your favorite restaurant to discounts on sky diving.

Phillyfungiude has a wide range of activities, but focuses more on fine arts events, some of which include discounts on art galleries, theater shows, comedy events and dance performances. These websites are great for doing that thing that you have always wanted to do, but you did not want to spend so much money on.

Another way to find things to do are community boards. At Eastern, these are located in a number of different places such as Walton and the bulletin boards in McInnis. There are also community boards located in stores around the area like Starbucks, Panera Bread, Great Harvest and more. These boards are filled with flyers from people in the neighborhood advertising fun events to attend.

The most important thing to remember is this: do things with people you enjoy doing life with. School is just beginning, which means that you are not yet covered in a pile of papers so high that you do not know what day it is. So go out there and do something new and fun before things get too crazy: you deserve it.