FOC in Singapore ....

Are there things that are free anymore these days? With the economy being as bad as it is, am sure many of us are looking at ways that we can cut our expenses especially our 'entertainment' budget. And I was just thinking to myself how miserable I would be considering that Singapore is such a small place, if I don't shop, go out for movies, eat out ... what else is there to do

So I gave myself this challenge, to find 12 things I can do that will not cost me anything yet it's fun and entertaining. Okay, technically it may not be totally free cuz I might have to spend money to get to the place or may have paid for membership fees earlier in the year. Give me a break here ya. As long as I don't have to pay a cent for the activity itself NOW, that's good enough. So here goes ...

1. Spend the day at the beach and pack a picnic basket with food that you find at home).

2. Look out for free movies like the one at the National Museum of Singapore - Under the Banyan Tree @ Open Air Cinema. There are heaps other free events at the National Museum so go check it out. Easily kill a few hours there.

3. Go to the various museums (now for this, it's free for me because I signed up for Friends of the Museum some months back) especially when they have new or special exhibitions on. So which museums can I go in for free and even bring a guests? Asian Civilisation Museum, National Museum of Singapore, The Pernakan Museum and Singapore Art Museum.

4. Free performances at the Esplanade or any art venues. Lots of free performances for your picking. For instance, coming up is Flipside from 22 May to 14 June 2009 which includes some free performances so check out the website and see if any tickles your fancy.

5. Go on a nature trail either at our Reservoirs or check out the National Parks Board website for free guided walks. For instance, there are free guided walks at the Central Nature Reserve such as Up Close and Personal @ Peirce, Getting to Know MacRitchie, Botanical Wonders of MacRitchie, A Walk in an Ancient Forest and Get to Know Your Native Plants @ Hindhede. Registration is required at least 3 days before the walk. A maximum of 5 pax per registration is allowed. For registration, call 65545127. Walks will be cancelled in the event of bad weather.

6. Volunteer at a non-profit organisation. Can just google 'volunteer Singapore' and you'll find heaps of sites. Otherwise, you could also start at the the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) - a national body, established in July 1999, to promote volunteerism and philanthropy in Singapore, working in partnership with the public, people and private sectors.

7. Check out the different ethnic enclaves in Singapore like Arab Street, Chinatown, Little India and you might be surprised by what you can discover when on these trips. And there's also the different sculptures along the Singapore River that you can enjoy (preferably when the weather is not too hot).

8. Take out the board games and play with your family and friends. Not only do you get to spend time with your loved ones, and it's free (if you have friends over, ask them to bring some food, drinks etc) Alrighty, for those of you from a different generation and wondering what are board games, call your friends over and play them computer games that you have!

9. Take out all those DVDs that you bought and never had the time watch. Well now you do have time. Or ask your friends to bring their DVDs over and have a DVD slumber party over the weekend. But no ordering pizza for dinner ya. Whip something up with things that you have in your kitchen or find any leftovers from the fridge!

10. Read a book or two. If like me, you have loads of books that you have bought and they are still plastic wrapped, well wipe off that layer of dusks and start reading. And you don't have to be cooped up at home, combine this with the beach outing or even read at the Esplanade while you're in between performances.

11. I won't suggest clearing out my cupboard or wardrobe because this activity is suppose to be fun. Call a good friend and let him/her know that you're coming over for a visit so that you can catch up with him/her. Do you have to bring him/her anything? Well since it's a good friend, am sure s/he will not mind if you come empty handed ya *grins*

12. Okay, I am a shoppacholic and other than have to deal with total withdrawal symptoms of not shopping totally, window shopping could be a solution (plus it's a test of my will power to buy absolutely nothing). Go ahead and try all the stuff you want, just remember to put everything back on the shelves before you leave the store.

Alrighty, now it's your turn. Go on, add on to my list and share ideas that you have ....

Update (29 May 2009): Big thank you to LivinginSingapore.org for sharing these ideas to add on the list so here goes...

13. MacRitchie reservoir is easy to explore on your own, even without a guided walk. Just follow the signs for the HSBC Tree Top walk (bring a hat and a cold drink, it's a 10 km circuit).

14. Libraries - they're airconditioned and stock some fun reads like magazines.