9 Fun Things to Do This Fall That Are (Almost) Free

Fall is finally here, and as much as we’d all like to spend our paychecks on PSLs, new sweaters, and doing all sorts of Pinterest-y fall activities, most of us are broke. So if you want to have fall fun on a budget, check out this list of fall activities that are free (or almost free)!

1. Apple Picking

This is the perfect time of the year to take your friends or family and spend some time picking apples. Take a trip to a local orchard, or if there isn’t one in your city, make a day trip out of it! You can turn the activity into a game that everyone can enjoy or even a competition to see who picks the best or most apples. Don’t forget to pick up some apple cider while you’re there!

2. Visit a Pumpkin Patch

Find a local pumpkin patch for a fun date or family bonding time. See who can find the biggest, smallest, or weirdest looking pumpkin and take a picture. (Pumpkin patches make great Instagrams. #sorrynotsorry)

3. Carve and Decorate Pumpkin

If you do get a chance to take some pumpkins home, have fun carving a funny or scary face into it. Or if you don’t want to deal with the pumpkins guts, grab some arts and crafts that you have lying around to decorate your pumpkin. Then place the pumpkin somewhere you can see it to give your house or dorm an extra fall feel!

4. Get Creative with Pumpkin

If you carve your pumpkin, consider using some of it to make some pumpkin flavored treats. Try making pies, cakes, roasted pumpkin seeds, or even a pumpkin drink. You can also make things like candles out of pumpkin. There are tons of easy DIY project instructions online. Can you say Pinterest?

5. Play in Leaves

Leaves are falling! Take advantage and let your inner kid out. Find a nice pile of leaves and dive right in. So free and SO fall!

Related: 10 Fall Date Ideas for Broke College Students

6. Leaf Art

After you’re done playing, take a walk around your area or a park to find some really colorful leaves. Pick a bunch of the best ones you can find and take them home to create leaf art displays. (They look great pressed into a frame!) Put them around your dorm or give them to your friends as gifts.

7. Watch a Football Game

Get a group of your closest friends together and throw a football party. Stock up on chips, soda, and pizza while you watch your favorite team, follow up with a game of flag football afterward.

8. Plan Your Halloween Costume

This is always my favorite part about fall. Start planning your costume early. If you come up with an idea and realize you have many of the materials in your own home, you won’t have to spend as much money. If you’re a guy and you plan on being something scary that involves makeup or fake blood, ask a female friend if they can help. If she has makeup, maybe she can pull something off (and if you like her, it’s a great way to flirt). There are also easy YouTube tutorials to reference from.

9. Have a Halloween Movie Night

Grab your best friends and a list of your favorite Halloween movies. They don’t all have to be super scary horror films, unless you want them to be. But there are tons of great kid-friendly Halloween movies out there too. If you don’t have any DVDs, check places like on-demand, Netflix, and Hulu.