Let’s face it: we all love to spend our time away from work doing fun things like going to the movies, drinking cocktails with friends, checking out cool bands, testing out new restaurants, and keeping up with our “Game of Thrones” or “Orange is the New Black” obsessions on cable. However, while these relaxed times are loads of fun, they can also be very expensive, and cause too much of a hit on our budget. That’s where some creative thinking around entertainment can come in handy.

If you need to organize a balance transfer on your credit card to help pay off all those Christmas and New Year outings, now is the time to think about cutting costs in 2016 so that you can kick that debt quickly. Read on for some simple yet effective tips that you can implement today to save some cash while still enjoying your down time.

Utilize Free Events and Attractions

The first thing to keep in mind when looking to spend less money on entertainment each month is that there are always some free events and attractions to take advantage of. Check out your local magazines and papers, as well as online blogs and the like, and you’ll surely come across a variety of zero-cost facilities which are free to enter and enjoy. Look into venues such as public museums, libraries, and art galleries, where you can see interesting exhibits, displays, talks and more.

Even if venues are not free to enter every day of the year, most organizations will offer no-charge entry for certain times of the week or month, or for set occasions. It pays to check out the websites, social media pages and newsletters of the venues you’re interested in so that you’re can be informed as soon as specials become available.

As well, keep an eye out for listings of free events run in your local area at times such as public holidays, festivals, and other special occasions. Most cities and small towns hold some annual events for locals and visitors to enjoy, many of which include entertainment such as fireworks, musical acts, comedy performances, dancers, magic shows, cooking demonstrations, or public talks.

Most areas run local farmers’ markets too. These are generally always free to attend and provide you with a great spot to try out fresh produce and handmade goods from in and around your region.

Spend Less on Subscriptions

Another way to reduce your entertainment budget is to look at how much you spend each month or year on subscriptions. For example, rather than paying high rates for tickets to the movie theater or hefty charges for access to cable, keep in mind that there are other options when it comes to seeing the latest and greatest television shows and movies. You can instead stream content using an affordable digital service, or borrow DVDs from a rental company or from your local library.

Similarly, if you can’t get enough of your favorite magazines and love nothing better than catching up on the latest gossip or news on a monthly basis, it might be difficult to abandon this type of entertainment. However, you’ll find that there are actually ways to save significant amounts of money on your subscriptions by changing to digital editions instead of physical ones. Online services such as Zinio can charge affordable rates for magazines viewed digitally because there’s no need for them to pay for expensive printing or postage costs. This is all money that can go in your pocket instead. You’ll even find that many subscriptions can be purchased at further discounts if you buy when a sale is on or when new-subscriber discounts are advertised.

If you still really want to hold a physical copy of a magazine in your hand, check out your local library. Most facilities keep stock of popular titles all year round, whether you want to read them on-site or borrow them for your reading pleasure at home.

Slash Food and Drink Bills

A common area where people spend much of their monthly entertainment allowance is dining. While it can be fun catching up with friends over a nice dinner or some cocktails, there are more affordable ways to enjoy time together. A quick way to spend less is to plan ahead and change locations.

For example, rather than meeting at an expensive venue, plan a lovely picnic lunch instead, where you can pack your own food and drinks at considerably less cost. It’s also fun taking turns to host catch-ups at home — enjoy pot luck dinners where everyone brings a home-cooked dish, rather than forking out for a restaurant meal.

If you really don’t like the thought of not going out to eat or drink though, there are also some ways to still indulge but spend less cash. For instance, go out for breakfast, rather than dinner, as this is a cheaper meal; or arrange to be at a bar or restaurant when “happy hour” discounts or “two for one” meals are on offer.