Cheap and Free Ways to Spend Furlough Days
Don’t Let Days Off Without Pay Drain the Household Budget Further
Mar 9, 2009
Having to take a furlough day without pay can put a big dent in the household budget. While it can be tempting to go on a three-day weekend or turn to shopping trips to get away from the harsh realities of the current economic crisis, there are cheap and free ways to spend furlough days.
Take Classes Online or Try a Webinar
Government workers and other employees on furlough may want to take the time to explore the variety of classes that are available online. Workers may take classes online that support their current jobs or supplement their skill sets with additional training. Other options are to explore online classes in a different line of work or area of interest. Or, instead of classes online, try a webinar. Many webinars are free and can be a great way to explore a hobby, such as a scrapbooking webinar or webinar that teaches how to build websites.
Pick One Job and Do It Yourself
One way to make up for the lost pay of a furlough day is to use the time to take on one chore that usually requires paying someone else and do it yourself. Ideas include handling some personal care services at home, such as manicures, pedicure and hair coloring. Another option is to cut back on the frequency of paid housecleaning services and take on a few extra chores on off days. Create a cleaning plan to make up for cutting back on cleaning services. Using the day off to make a meal plan and grocery list can help to cut grocery costs.
Support Local Schools by Volunteering
It can be hard to find time for volunteering in a 40-hour workweek, but furlough days can present an opportunity to volunteer in local schools. Budget cuts in school systems mean there are more opportunities than ever for parents and community members to make a contribution to the local schools. Whether it’s in the classroom or outside the classroom, there are many options available for volunteering.
Catch Up on Check Ups
Just as it’s hard to find time for volunteering, it can be hard to justify taking time off from work to go to routine medical and dental visits. Although these visits cost money, routine visits such as physicals and well-woman exams usually have set co-pays. Instead of using valuable paid time off, consider using a furlough day as a way to get caught up on medical visits.
Free Time to Relax
Take time to relax and enjoy a day without any commitments and without any guilt by spending a furlough day with a hobby or a craft. Whether it’s working on a scrapbook, sewing project or woodworking project, take a day to enjoy some time at rest. Take advantage of the fact that other people are at work by going somewhere that usually draws a crowd on the weekend, like a state park or museum. For a peaceful afternoon at home, check out the local library’s magazine or DVD section.
While the idea of taking a day off without pay can be scary, there are many cheap and free ways to spend the day while enjoying the time off. Use the day wisely, whether it’s getting caught up on doctor’s visits, taking an online class or webinar, spending time on a hobby or volunteering. Many options for furlough days can even save money, such as taking on a personal care service or making a weekly menu and cleaning plan.
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