How to have an amazing weekend on a budget of next to nothing

Being short of cash doesn’t mean you can’t have a fun weekend. Be innovative. There is loads of free stuff out there, writes Kay Cairns

As a broke-ass graduate, there’s nothing I love more than free shit. My budget has to be super slim to squeeze in rent, electricity, food and the odd Guinness — never mind saving. I’m sure you’re much the same. But where’s the fun in that?

And so I give you, the free weekend. Intriguing, character- building, and totally hipster ways to pep up your off days – for free. Have I said free enough yet?

1. Get some culture into you

Have a museum day. Ireland has some brilliant, albeit wacky museums, from Cork’s Butter Museum – it exists – to the Claddagh Ring Museum in Galway. If you’re looking for something a bit more high-brow, check out the old reliable. Dublin has the National Museums with archaeology, history and modern art to see. And if you’re a bit further afield, there’s the Limerick City Museum, Waterford County Museum and Galway City Museums to explore.

I nipped into Sweny’s Pharmacy, the famous home of the lemon soap in Ulysses. The pharmacy is a Joycean shrine of sorts, with readings every weekday at 1pm and 7pm on Thursdays. A very novel spot of Dublin indeed.

2. Get into the great outdoors

Pack up some food, a thermos and venture out into your surroundings. If there’s a forest nearby, go on a flip-penny hike. This is a fun way to explore (get lost). Assign each side of the coin as left or right and flip the coin each time you reach a fork in the road. Keep Google Maps handy for this one. Or, if you’re a city kid, take a wander around the parks. Phoenix Park is a lovely place for a jaunt. It’s massive, with great cycle routes, pitches to stop and play football, and lots of regular events to take part in.

3. Borrow a dog

Who doesn’t love a dog? Those wet noses, the big fluffy tails, the silky ears? At BorrowMyDoggy.com you can borrow a dog for a few hours from its owners and take it on the walk with you. Your snuggle-buddy will melt!

4. Check out the market

Nearly every Irish town has its own farmer’s market. With yummy fresh bread, knocked-down eggs (cheap, you guys), stinky cheese, fluffy cakes, Bugs Bunny-style leafy carrots… They’re well worth a visit. You might even meet some of your neighbours and make some new friends. Ireland is pretty tiny after all.

5. Host a pot luck

Put your organic, locally grown, super hipster food to good use. Make a Facebook event and ask all your mates to bring some yummy nosh. Best to give it a theme though, like Italian or Chinese. You don’t want to be eating chicken curry with macaroni cheese. Or maybe you do.

6. Whip out the guitar

There’s gazillions of YouTube tutorials on how to play guitar, and lots of ways to get your hands on one for free. Ask your friends if you can borrow theirs, check out www. adverts.ie   or www.donedeal.ie  for free instruments, or if you’re really stuck, Waltons in Dublin have sound-proof rooms where you can bring in a guitar and belt your little heart out. Just for the love of God, don’t play Falling Slowly on their pianos. Not cool. Lifetime ban .

7. Karaoke

Not one for instruments? Invite some friends over for a few rounds of My Heart Will Go On. YouTube has a karaoke channel [www.youtube. com/user/TheKARAOKEChannel] designed especially for this. I didn’t sing along alone to myself in the apartment testing it out for you. And I’m seriously not listening to Celine Dion right now. Seriously.

8. Volunteer

This is an awesome way to get free tickets to events and gigs you could never afford. Tech events aren’t just for the Google glass owners, and you needn’t own a monocle to visit the theatre. Check out your favourite festival’s site to see if it’s looking for volunteers, or pop the crew a friendly email with your CV. Bring a friend for extra craic.

9. Have a swap day

Trade your iPhone for your friend’s or partner’s and get a taste of their music. Swap your bike for a skateboard for the day and learn a new skill while making an arse out of yourself. Or get all your friends together to swap old clothes and play dress-up. Because why not. (Fluorescent wigs optional)

10. Churches y’all

You can’t really go anywhere without bumping into a church. From Christchurch to Cork’s St Finbarre’s Cathedral (left). But churches don’t need to mean mass. Visit when they’re quiet and appreciate their wonder. If you ask, you might even be able to visit the mysterious crypts lurking underfoot.

11. Ask Facebook and Twitter

I put a tweet out to see what other folks do at the weekend. Check out the responses ...