Can you Have Fun in 2009?

here have all the good times gone? That's a question I ask myself more and more lately, wondering how people in this day and time are enjoying life? It seems every one has to work 24/7 just to make ends meet! Unless you are in love with your job, where does that leave the inner you? Families are hard put to keep up with everyday living and there seems to be very little money for vacation, entertainment, and many other parts of life that we used to think of the good things. Movies, shows, travel, dinners out with friends...its almost out of reach for the average family.

Make use of reward and sky miles points to get free stuff and free travel. You have to pay your cell phone bill and buy food anyway so why not use a card that pays reward points for your trouble...just be sure to keep close track of your spending so you can pay it all at the end of the month! The idea is save money not pay interest or late fees! Rewards points can be used to purchase gas, gift cards, and so many other good things. Sky miles add up fast too! One car repair job cost me $385, I paid with my sky miles partner card and that gave me another 385 miles added to the kitty! Since some charges are good for double miles take advantage of it whenever possible! Pay for work related travel with your own sky miles card and get reimbursed, this can help rack up even more miles.

Singles are looking for freebies which is a great idea and a way for everyone of us to continue to enjoy the Good Life! Movies are expensive but matinees are still cheaper than prime time, rent a video, add a bowl of popcorn, make a pitcher of iced tea, chill a bottle of soda pop, or a pitcher of koolaide and for a few bucks you can enjoy an evening with as many friends as your living room can hold!

Everyone wants to go to the party, but why should one person or one couple have to foot the bill? Invite your friends and make sure they know you plan to pass the plate for contributions to help pay the expenses! With everyone chipping in a few bucks its a great cheap night out!

A new word this year is the Staycation---or stay at home vacation. Maybe you enjoy camping, or backpacking, well it's practically free to enjoy these outdoor activities. KISS should be the motto of anyone who wants to enjoy life but not pay a high price! Keep it simple stupid could include a visit to a no fee park where you can enjoy wildlife watching, photography, hiking, picnicking, and many more activities. Some parks have boat rentals for as low as $5 an hour...you could bring along your fishing gear or your sweetheart and make an afternoon of it.

What about free entertainment? Almost every community has something FREE going on, don't forget to check your local news section of the paper and local TV station websites keep track of many community events for you, all you have to do is click! Whether its Art in the Park, a Free Summer Concert Series, or Street Festivals there is always something interesting going on, and if you KISS it wont cost you a dime!

We all want to stay fit---but Gym Fees are getting up there and most want you to sign contract! Wow-that can add up! A bike is a great way to get a workout and if you live within biking distance to your job why not ride to work, it saves money, you get a workout, and you help the environment too--what a deal! You can get everyone on board and organize weekend bike events! Arrange a meeting place, map out a course and have a cooler of chilled drinks waiting at the end, sounds like fun to me!

A yoga mat can be a great investment in your health, yoga is a great way to tone up and reduce stress that makes you healthier to boot. Put on your favorite CD and work out at home, invite a friend to join you and make it even more fun. Taking a walk with fido or a companion is another way to beat the price of a gym membership. A good brisk walk 3 to 4 times a week can do wonders for high blood pressure, and to help shed unwanted pounds. Bring along a refillable bottle of cold water and enjoy!

Another great form of exercise is gardening! The physical labor can get pretty intense with digging, raking, hoeing, weeding, pushing the wheel barrow around, loading and unloading bags of compost and you get beautiful flowers and delicious veggies for your trouble...more money in the pocket and less out!

Lastly...just a backyard picnic and a dip in your own backyard splash pool can seem like a vacation when you've had a really hard week of 21st century stress. Bring out all your favorite festive picnic-ware, get a big watermelon and cool it in a tub of ice and dust off the BBQ, invite some friends and ask them each to bring an item, the beer, the buns, the veggie burgers, and don't forget the onions!

Hopefully we can still find the good times in 2009!