30 things to do instead of shopping (when you're bored)
Bored, restless or killing time? Here are 30 free or nearly free things to do instead of scrolling shops, from five-minute resets to cozy nights in.
Sometimes shopping isn't really about wanting something. It's about having nothing to do. You're bored, a little restless, and opening a shopping app is the easiest thing in the world.
The trick isn't to just say no. It's to have something else ready to reach for. So here's a list of 30 things to do instead, grouped by how much time you've got. Save it for the next time your thumb drifts toward a store.
When you have 5 minutes
- Make a cup of tea and drink it away from your phone.
- Step outside and take ten slow breaths.
- Text someone you haven't talked to in a while.
- Stretch, properly, for five whole minutes.
- Water your plants, or clean one surface.
- Put on a song you love and actually listen to it.
When you can get outside
- Take a walk somewhere you've never walked before.
- Visit your local library and borrow something random.
- Find a free event nearby: a market, a talk, an open gallery.
- Bring a book to a park bench.
- Go for a "photo walk" and snap ten things you like.
- Meet a friend for a walk instead of a shopping trip.
When you're staying in
- Cook something using only what's already in your kitchen.
- Reorganize one drawer or one shelf, not the whole house.
- Watch a movie you've been meaning to see for years.
- Have a long bath or shower with no rush.
- Start a puzzle, or finish one you already own.
- Call a family member just to catch up.
When you want to make something
- Write a page in a journal, even if it's messy.
- Sketch something in the room you're in.
- Make a playlist for a specific mood.
- Bake something simple.
- Learn three chords, three words in a new language or one card trick.
- Plan a future trip or day out, without booking anything.
When you want to use what you have
- Put together an outfit from clothes you haven't worn in months.
- Finish a book you already started.
- Use up a candle, a face mask or a fancy soap you've been "saving."
- Rearrange a room with the furniture you already own.
- Fix something small that's been bugging you.
- Look back through your old photos.
Make your own short list
Thirty ideas is a lot to remember in the moment. So pick five that sound good to you and put them somewhere easy to find, like the notes app on your phone or a sticky note on your laptop. When the urge to shop hits, open the list and pick one.
It also helps to notice why you wanted to shop. Bored? Stressed? Tired? There's more on that in how to stop shopping when you're bored, stressed or tired.
And if you still want the thing?
That's okay. Some wants are real. Just don't buy it while you're bored. Save it, and come back in a day or two when you're in a different mood. If you still want it then, you'll buy it for the right reasons. It's the whole idea behind the 24-hour rule.
The short version
- A lot of shopping happens because we're bored, not because we want something.
- Have a few things ready to reach for instead.
- Pick five ideas from this list and keep them on your phone.
- Notice why you wanted to shop in the first place.
- If you still want the thing, save it and decide later.
If you'd like a calm place to save things until the boredom passes, that's what Favelist is for.
Sharon