Get out and do something this new year

Looking for a new goal to complete by the end of the year? How about chasing more experiences and doing more things that require you to get out of your house? This year, let’s all be productive and create new memories! Let’s all get out and do something!  

This New Year, I have started using the hashtag #getoutanddosomething to hold me accountable and force me to do and experience more things outside my house. This would mean going to a park, the local library, the mall, or traveling to a new destination altogether. Are you in on this project?

All you have to do is do something once a week, a total of 52 things per year. Doable, right? What’s more: you don’t have to pay for any of these things you want to do! Here are a few tips on what you can do this year to get out and do something. 

Free activities to do (to Get out and do something) 

Making new memories and finding new experiences doesn’t have to cost anything. Here is a list of things you can do to get out and do something without spending any money. 

Visit your local library to pick up books or attend an event

If you keep saying you don’t have time to read, this is your excuse to find time to do so! You can read everywhere: while in the bathroom, waiting in a queue, or just chilling around on one of your trips. If you’re really not a reader, you can also visit your local library to attend an event. In my local library, they have author-signing events and talks. For those with little ones, they have storytelling sessions every weekend, and some even have classes on offer. All for free. 

Our local library also rents out state park passes, computers, and WiFi hotspots. Check out your local library to see what they have to offer. Talk to the librarians too. We love the audiobooks that we can borrow from the local library and it is now a must whenever we drive to work or for a trip. This is how we read more books every year. 

Other book-related posts:

• Best Personal Finance Books to Read
• Best Travel Books to Read
• The Best Books to Improve Your Life

Reading books transport you to new places

Books help transport you to new places. Whether you are a fiction or a non-fiction reader, these books can give you ideas about where to go next, and help you plan your trip. Guidebooks are a must for those who prefer to read about a destination first and then plan around a trip by researching online. 

There are plenty of new books being published every single year and you won’t really have enough time to read everything you may want in your lifetime. However, you can at least read whenever you can to help lower your reading bucket list and maybe increase your travel bucket list! 

Plan weekend trips to explore and experience more places

If you work a full-time job, then weekend trips are a godsend. It’s a chance to unwind, relax, and discover new cities and their must-see spots. You can even extend your weekends by taking days off and combining those with long holiday weekends to have multiple trips to new destinations yearly. 

You don’t even have to go somewhere far on your weekend trip. The next town or city over from where you live can be a good spot to explore. You can even use the weekends to explore your own city! Be a tourist in your own city and visit museums, parks, and other touristy things that you’ve never been to before. You just won’t know what’s out there unless you actively seek things out and discover them! 

Some places are actually free on certain days of the week so unless you planned and researched, you may not even know! Save your money and use it for other activities. Planning is 100% free and all it takes is your time and effort!

Here are some trip ideas and tips on how to travel on weekends: 

• How to travel every weekend
• Treat Your Weekend as a Vacation
• How to Spend Three Days In Tulsa OK (Itinerary)

Walk around the mall or a park 

Did you know that mall walking is a thing in the US? Some malls even open early in the morning to let mall walkers get their exercise and steps. During the holidays, malls are decorated accordingly, so you can look at the decorations. Some malls change their decorations yearly so it’s good to keep coming back. You don’t have to buy anything while at the mall, you can just use it as a base to walk and look around. 

Parks are also great places to explore. A vast majority of them are free of charge, with the exception of some state and national parks. For those with little ones, playgrounds are a must, and every park has its own experiences and must-dos. Spend a bit more time exploring your local parks. Not only will you get a bit of exercise in, but you’ll also discover a new place along the way. 

Cheap things to do to get out and do something new

There are some experiences you need to pay for in order to enjoy. These involve going to concerts, purchasing something, or supporting a small business. Save for these types of experiences. In the end, experiences are the ones you will remember and reminisce about the most, and not material objects that you covet. 

Here are a few paid things that you can do in order to fulfill the #getoutanddosomething goal for the year. We mix and match many free and paid experiences for the year to not break the bank to reach our goals. You can’t always expect not to spend money since some experiences are worth paying for. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Prokaj Family (Prokajovci) (@ajourneywelove)

Get out and do something new:  try restaurants in your area

Are you or is someone in your household a foodie? Great, then get out and try some restaurants in your area. The more mom-and-pop and diverse it is, the better. If it is easy to recreate at home, then, by all means, learn how to do it at home. Too exotic for you to try at home? Then all the more reason to get out and go back to try more things. 

Visiting restaurants obviously requires money to spend in order to purchase food. We would not recommend doing this on a weekly basis, but do it when there’s an occasion to be celebrated. Do it for birthdays, anniversaries, or as a treat for an achievement like a graduation or the end of a semester. Some higher-end credit cards even give you monthly credits that can help offset your costs for dining out, which can help with your budget. 

Watch live shows (concerts or theater) to get out and do something 

Watching concerts and live theater is one of the things we love doing to get out and do something. There is a meetup group that I am a part of that offers discounted tickets to certain shows, which we take advantage of. Nothing beats live theater. These experiences come with a price but it is cheaper than having to fly to New York or London to watch performances of said caliber. 

Another way to get out and do something? Watch a concert by your favorite band! I’ve traveled to several cities just to watch concerts and always made the most of the trip by combining it with sightseeing. Sure, you can listen to your favorite bands through streaming services or CDs but nothing beats listening to them live and actually seeing them perform. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Prokaj Family (Prokajovci) (@ajourneywelove)

Travel to new places you’ve never been before

Traveling does not mean booking an airplane ticket or going on a cruise or a train. You can travel to new places you’ve never been before by going to the next town or city over and seeing what they have to offer. As I mentioned above, it could be a park, a new restaurant to dine in, a museum, or other experience you may need to pay for. This gives you a reason to get out and do something new while exploring a new place! 

Get out and do something new

This year, get out and do something new. What I’ve provided is just some tips on what you can do outside your house. This forces you to get out, do something, and move around. Aim to just do it once a week and before you know it, you’ve done 52 new experiences for the year. 

Write your experiences in a journal, or document them on social media. You can follow our #getoutanddosomething posts on Instagram, @ajourneywelove to get more ideas. Some of our posts revolve around travel but also on books and other activities with our boy. Have fun making new memories this year!