Spring Break 2018 — a chance to either get away from homework or get ahead on it, read, travel, shop, try new food, go exploring, get some sun and make memories with friends.

It’s often glamorized in media as this amazing, rule-breaking week where everyone travels to far-off vacation destinations, has the time of their lives and lets Instagram know all about it.

If you don’t have a lot of money, however, spring break can be disappointing. Seeing everyone else post pictures in warm climates while you’re stuck at home might not be ideal, but there are ways to still have a fun spring break without dropping a lot of money.

Some of those ways include:

Take a day trip.

Day trips are great opportunities to explore a new city near you without having to spend money on overnight lodging or hotels. You can load up a car with friends and visit new coffee shops, local restaurants, and attractions for a cheap price in a new city.

Go hiking or nature walking.

While you might have to pay a small fee to get into a local or state park, exploring nature is 100 percent free and great exercise. Hiking is allows you to clear your head of the stresses related to school and get in touch with God’s creation.

Spend time outside in the sun (if it’s not freezing cold). 

Sitting outside for a few hours in the sun not only is relaxing and another free way to reduce stress, but the sun exposure makes more vitamin D, which helps bone growth.

Catch up with family.

Spring break is perfect for hanging out with your family and keeping them up to date with what’s going on in your life. As the years at home are dwindling, this could be a good opportunity to grow closer to your family before moving away.

Play that sport you couldn’t because it’s been too cold.

If you’re lucky and the weather is nice on spring break, going outside and playing your favorite spring sports is a nice way to welcome in the warmer weather. Tennis, basketball, golf and soccer are sports you can play with your friends and don’t require a ton of experience or money.

Go bowling or putt-putting.

These are cheap and fun activities that can be played with a group of friends and encourage some friendly competition. Make things interesting and say the loser or losing group has to buy the winner or winning group something of their choice.

Cook a new dish or bake a new dessert.

Cooking is a life skill that many people lack at this age. Why not use spring break to learn some life skills in the kitchen and make something you and your family or friends would enjoy?

DIY projects.

Pinterest has tons of ideas on fun DIY projects you can do that cost little. Spending an evening making something for yourself or someone else not only saves you money in gift buying, but keeps you feeling creative and productive.

Go to the library and find books to read for fun.

After all the reading you have to do for classes, it might not sound appealing to do more reading outside of school. But if you get to choose the books and read what you’re interested in, reading can be very enjoyable and relaxing. Spring break provides time to start a new series or finish one you’ve put on hold for a semester.

Saving money and having a fun spring break doesn’t have to be an oxymoron. By budgeting, finding cheap deals, and getting creative, you can still protect your bank account while enjoying your time off.