I will be the first to admit I have taken chances in my past with drinking and driving. You always think nothing bad can happen to you, like for some reason we are invincible. The reality is we all have the ability to take another persons life as well as our own. Always do your best to make alternative plans when you are going out and about. One night of fun isn’t worth giving up the rest of your life for.

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60 Fun Things to Do for Little or No Money:

1. Enjoy a concert in the park – Spring and summer begin free things to do in the park season. Concerts and movies are just the beginning.
2. Go camping – Still one of the cheapest vacations one can take, especially through the US National Parks system.
3. Go for a hike in the woods.
4. Go for a swim – Most beaches and rivers are free for swimmers, others require a small fee. It’s still a good, affordable way to spend a day. Better yet, find yourself a good, old fashioned swimming hole.
5. Go fishing.
6. Have a picnic.
7. Take the kids to the park.
8. Visit a museum -There are lots of free museums and many others take a donation.
9. Work on an arts and craft projects
10. Play board games.
11. Dig for fossils or gems. Find out where to dig in your area.
12. Build sandcastles
13. Have a barbecue.
14. Run through your garden sprinkler.
15. Play a pickup basketball or volleyball game in the park.
16. Visit the library. Take out books, movies, music or take advantage of some of their great programs.
17. Take a free online class.
18. Find a fireworks display.
19. Go canoeing or kayaking.
20. Do some birdwatching.
21. Make a kite (see video below).
22. Go for a bike ride.
23. roller blade.
24. Ride your scooter.
25. Visit the zoo. Most zoos are affordable and if you get a summer zoo pass you can visit as often as you like for one price.
26. Read
27. Sell lemonade with your kids
28. Watch a play at a local theater
29. Visit a vineyard (area dependent) – some tours are free while others are affordable.
30. Visit a street fair. Food is cheap, plus craft displays, flea market finds and entertainment abound.
31. Tour a college campus
32. Lounge on a hammock
33. Adopt a pet – Actually adoption fees aren’t as cheap as they used to be but it’s well worth the cost.
34. Tour a fire house or police station
35. Bowling  – A night out for the family really doesn’t cost much, especially if you bring your own snacks.
36. Tour a brewery
37. Bake
38. Make a chalk mural in your driveway.
39. Tour a television or radio station
40. Attend a tv show taping
41. Shakespeare in the Park – If your area has it
42. Make a birdhouse
43. Stroll through a public garden
44. Work on your own garden
45. Visit the state or county fair.
46. Join a book club at the library, Borders or Barnes & Noble
47. Browse the flea markets.
48. Find a drive in movie theater in your area (theres not many left but if you can find one they are awesome)
49. Take advantage of local cultural events.
50. Visit a dairy farm.
51. Visit historic battlefields.
52. If you are in the Washington DC  visit the museums.  Most of the museums are free there.
53. Volunteer at a soup kitchen or another place that feeds meals to the homeless.
54. Have a scavenger hunt.
55. Teach yourself a new language using online tutorials and materials from the library.
56. Start a scrapbook and fill it with items found outdoors.
57. Jigsaw puzzles!
58. Make a working volcano (see video below)
59. Have a campfire in your backyard, roast marshmallow and tell ghost stories.
60. Clean out your house and have a garage sale.

Add to the list. What are some great things you can do with little or no money?

How To Make A Kite

How To Make A Working Volcano

1. You can’t change other people, and it’s rude and not fair to them that you try.

2. It is a hundred times more difficult to burn calories than to refrain from consuming them in the first place.

3. Everyone likes somebody who gets to the point quickly, or at least makes a full hearted attempt to.

4. Bad moods will come and go your whole life, and trying to force them away makes them run deeper and last longer.

5. Children are remarkably honest creatures until we teach them not to be. Everyone starts with a clean slate and is developed by every individual that comes in their path.

6. If everyone in the TV show you’re watching is good-looking, it’s not worth watching. It will just tarnish your perception of the real world and yourself.

7. Yelling always makes things worse.

8. Whenever you’re worried about what others will think of you, you’re really just worried about what you’ll think of you.

9. Every problem you have is your responsibility, regardless of who caused it. Accountability is the means to the end of a problem.

10. If you never doubt your beliefs, then you’re wrong a lot.

11. Managing one’s wants is the most powerful skill a person can learn.

12. Nobody has it all figured out. Don’t always look to others, but rather reach down deep and trust what you know is right.

13. Every passing face on the street represents a story every bit as compelling and complicated as yours. You are never alone.

14. Whenever you hate something, it hates you back: people, situations and inanimate objects alike. Come to terms and accept and appreciate things for the differences they bring to you. Differences and hardships help you grow.

15. People embellish everything, as a rule. Take what you hear with a grain of salt and form your own opinions. Most importantly never knee jerk react to any information that you are taking in.

16. Anger reveals weakness of character, violence even more so.

17. Humans cannot destroy the planet, but we can destroy its capacity to keep us alive.  And we are.

18. When people are uncomfortable with the present moment, they fidget with their hands or their minds.  You can see this in everyone, including yourself.

19. Those who complain the most, accomplish the least.

20. Putting something off makes it instantly harder and scarier.

21. Credit card debt devours souls and your will and desire to push forward. Live within your means or change your means.

22. Most of what we see is only what we think about what we see. We create our reality.

23. A person who is unafraid to present a candid version of themselves to the world is as rarer and more valuable then diamonds.

24. The most common addiction in the world is the addiction to comfort. It wrecks dreams and breaks people.

25. If what you’re doing feels perfectly safe, there is probably a better course of action. Risk is part of growth and success.

26. The greatest innovation in the history of humankind is language. The greatest tragedy of humankind is how many of us lack to truly communicate and resolve issues.

27. There is no correlation between the price of a brand of batteries and how long they last. I just thought I would let you know

28. Breaking new ground only takes a small amount more effort than you’re used to giving.

29. Life is a solo trip, but you’ll have lots of visitors. Some of them are long-term, most aren’t. Appreciate the time that you have with everyone.

30. One of the best things you can do for your kids is take them on road trips. I see this as a parent and I remember it from when I was a kid.

31. The fewer possessions you have, the more they do for you and the more you appreciate them.

32. Killing time is a tragedy. It’s priceless, and it never grows back.

Here’s a puzzle for you: What do you see in this grid above? What do you think it represents?

Okay, it’s not a difficult puzzle. The answer is “one year.” The columns represent days and the rows are the twelve months of the year, so each day of the year occupies one square.

“Okay,” you ask, “so what’s the big deal?”

When I look at this grid I get a chill because I’m used to thinking about one year as a long time. Chances are, you do too. But when a year is represented like this, and you can see every day of the year at a glance, suddenly a year doesn’t seem so long anymore.

This grid is the layout of a typical table blotter calendar that you can find in any office supply store. It’s quite an ordinary, everyday thing. Why should it be any different from a regular yearly calendar that shows the same thing month by month? I’m not sure. Perhaps it is because we’ve also been conditioned to think of a month as a long time. Perhaps the irregular number of days in a month and the space between months all contribute to that illusion.

In any event, confronting the grid and contemplating its meaning is a sobering experience for me. You cross out a square with each day passes, and no power in Heaven or Earth can bring that day back for you. Once it’s gone, it’s gone forever. And when another year has passed, all the squares will be crossed out, irrevocably lost. You move on to another grid.

How many more grids do you have? For me, perhaps forty more, if I am lucky. And what is the number forty? It can be expressed as a five-by-eight matrix. The number of table blotters I have left fill the matrix, representing my life. With the passing of each year, one square from this tiny matrix disappears, never to exist again.

If I am lucky. If not, then my matrix – yours too – contains considerably less squares. For all I know I may have just a few more table blotters remaining. The same is true for you.

When you see it this way, you come to the inescapable conclusion that, indeed, life is too short. We hear this platitude so frequently, it has all but lost its power. But now, seen from a fresh angle, the message regains its dark potency. We, all of us, really don’t have that much time in this plane of existence. If life is a lesson, it’s a crash course. Use your time wisely and value it.

I just watched a documentary called “10 Questions For The Dalai Lama”. It was an awesome documentary that took you through the history of the Dalai Lama, the training that he has undergone as well as his way of life. His views on life are truly extraordinary. For example, he talked about some peoples lack of being able to ever be truly satisfied in life. He said “if you always have the feeling of one more, one more, one more, you will never be satisfied in life”. As I personally reflect on the time times that I was happiest in life it was when I was taking the time to appreciate the things I have or just recently gotten without anticipation of more. I feel appreciation and gratitude are the true keys to living a satisfied life and you must take time to slow down and appreciate all the good things you do have without always focusing on what you are lacking. Focusing on what you lack is a vicious never ending cycle that will do nothing but leave you feeling unfulfilled.

One of the other things he discussed in this documentary was life satisfaction from the means of material things. In his view if you have very little you have very little to worryabout if you focus your mind right. If you have a lot, then you have a lot to lose and therefore a lot to worry about. I personally feel it’s about balance and how you choose to focus your thoughts. Many times the people in life that have a lot have always been focused on acquiring more and there fore never truly appreciated the journey of life and what they have gained along the way. The person that has little tends to appreciate those little things that they have acquired on the journey much more leading to higher levels of satisfaction and happiness in life. No matter what your views are the one thing that is made clear in all schools of thought is to your thoughts on what you have and truly appreciate what ever life brings your way. Let it fill you up, because it is all those little things that define you and you should be proud of them and show gratitude towards them every day.

This way of thinking is more important then ever given the current state of the economy. Many of us have lost homes, jobs, taken pay cuts and many other things. However, on the flip side of the coin there are many things that we still have that are worth so much more that can never be taken away from us, like our children, family, friends, skills, will, desire, motivation, education and LIFE. What ever life throws at you always make sure you get leverage on yourself so you are always living life with passion and not regret. Life is short it will go by in a blink of an eye if you let it, slow it down and enjoy the journey.

At the start of the new millennium the Dalai Lama apparently issued eighteen rules for living. I these rules are truly amazing and we can all learn a something from them. Here they are.

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.
3. Follow the three Rs:
4. Respect for self
5. Respect for others
6. Responsibility for all your actions.
7. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
8. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
9. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
10. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
11. Spend some time alone every day.
12. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.

10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

11. Live a good, honourable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.

12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.

13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.

14. Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.

15. Be gentle with the earth.

16. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.

17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

Here are some things that most of us know, but do nothing about:

If you want to get more writing done, you should write more.

If you want to know anything, question EVERYTHING.

If you want to feel better, do the things that will make you feel better. Be true to yourself.

If you want to stand out, don’t do what everyone else is doing. Don’t blend, it is way to boring

If you want to be stronger, then do things that will make you strong. Let the superman or woman out from within.

If you want to be patient, practice patience.

If you want people to get to know you better, you need to make sure that you’re worth knowing.

If you want friends, be friendly. It all starts with a smile

If you want to lift heavier weights, put down the light ones.

If you want to watch less TV, turn off the TV. You have a remote, you don’t even have to get up.

If you want to lose weight, it’s best not to live in America, but it’s also possible to eat fewer hamburgers and move more.

If you want to change the world, then start by setting the example and create that ripple and start that change.

Want to take a million mile journey, then take the first step… It all starts with you.

If you feel like people take advantage of you, make sure you know the difference between turning the other cheek and being a doormat.

If you want to be trusted, don’t lie.

If you want to be a good listener, be quiet once in a while. I am still working on this one, but making progresss

If you want a better job, don’t work forever at a crappy one. Always go and get what your worth, settle for nothing less. Have a plan.

If you hate the path that has led you to this moment in your life, walk in a different direction.

If you want more money, save more and find a way to make more. Complaining pays poorly, unless you’re a pundit.

If you want to be humble, don’t spend time practicing arrogance.

If you want to be happy, don’t do things that will make you sad. Check out my post “Do You Love Life? 79 Reasons To Help You Start”

If you want to be smarter, engage your mind and don’t be a mere spectator.

If you want to go somewhere, take the first step.

If you want to be confident, walk like you’re wearing a cape.

If you just want to be like most people, stick with wishful thinking.

It’s easy for most of us to pretend that there are things we can’t figure out.  But when we are truly honest with ourselves, we usually know the answers. We  just don’t always want to admit it.

I also came across this excellent video on how to answer all life’s questions. Enjoy! Live Life With Passion, Not Regret!

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They are out there lurking in every part of the world, just ready to latch on to you and feed on your ENERGY! I like to refer to these creatures as Energy Vampires. Ever feel like some people in your life are totally draining the life out of you? If so you have probably come into contact with one of these creatures.  These Energy Vampires feed on  your energy everyday leaving you feeling drained and even somewhat depressed at times. Garlic and holy water is no match for these types of vampires, even though you may may get a few laughs trying to use them on these people. The only true way to deal with this type of vampire is to learn how to spot them and avoid them. The attached video gives you some easy to follow tips on protecting your most valuable internal resource, your energy.  If you have any other tips, tricks or even a story that you would like to share, please use the comment section below.

Looking for something to do this weekend? New to town and looking to find activities that will help you meet new people? Look no further, the following sites will get you way ahead of the game no matter what you are looking for.

• Meetup.  Meetup is an incredible site for finding like minded people who share your interests – the site is very intuitive and has a host of well organized events in your area. You can get information on a particular even as well as see who is attending.  I’m involved in a few Meetup groups, although I don’t attend them all I love to be able to see what’s being planned attending the event if it sounds interesting to me. Many cities have dedicated “New In Town” Meetup groups, and when I’ve attended I’ve found them to be extremely inviting and welcoming. Offers a great place to meet people when you are new to an area.
• Craigslist.  This is a great website that will help you find just about anything, including things to do.  Whether you are searching for classes, events or just friends to hang out with they have it. If you are looking for activity partners just go to the section  “strictly platonic” and post an ad or read other peoples ads. If you are looking for a date they even have categories that cover that as well. Whatever you’re looking for, Craigslist has it and then some.   
• Twtvite.   A newer service on the scene is Twtvite. Twtvite uses Twitter to publicize events and RSVPs.  You don’t even need a Twitter account to use it, you can just show up – but you’ll want to get on Twitter so you can keep in touch with all the cool people you meet.  Just go to the site to see what’s being organized in your town and to see whose attending.  Instant things to do, instant Twitter followers and instant new real life friends, it’s all good. 
• Myspace Shows. If you like being adventurous and checking out new music then Myspace Shows is the place to visit. When new to the area it will help you find great local music as well as meet new people. What is cool about utilizing this site is that the people that I have met have the same taste in music. It causes me to be a bit adventurous and check out bars and clubs that I may not normally have happened upon. I also always browse Ticketmaster since they have a lot of concerts listed as well, but generally not as many as Myspace Shows. If you are looking to meet new people in your area it is usually a bit easier meeting them at smaller local shows like the ones Myspace Shows offers as compared to the larger events that Ticketmaster offers. 
• Metromix.  This is an awesome source for club parties and local bar events. They offer a ton of information on local night life as well as pictures and information on the venues.  If you are looking for a great place to spend and evening out for some music and dancing this is definitely the place to visit. This site is predominately just focused on night life, so if you are looking for day time activities you will have the best bet checking out the other links in this article. 
• Facebook Events. This is a great resource but requires a bit more work which is why I listed this one last.  Whenever a friend invites me to an event on Facebook, I take a look at who the organizer for the event is and check out their Facebook profile.  Over time I’ve found many local people – local DJs, bartenders, etc. – who constantly post new events to Facebook to get the word out.  The result is that now on any given night, there are usually one or two events I can see going on on Facebook.  Since I can see who is organizing events as well, I can often get on guest lists for free or reduced cover charge.