Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Add Good to your Google News feed.
Google News Button

Financial Fitness Task 20: Make a List of Free Activities You Enjoy Doing #30DaysofGOOD

Not everything comes at a cost.

Hillary Newman
By Hillary NewmanJan 28, 2012
Hillary Newman
See Full Bio

Things are easier said than done, or so the old adage goes, and we couldn't agree more. That's why we do The GOOD 30-Day Challenge (#30DaysofGOOD), a monthly attempt to live better. Our challenge for January? Financial fitness.

Today's task: Make a list of free activities you enjoy doing.

Saving money can be hard, as we know from the assignment to spend no money for a full day. Coffee receipts, restaurant bills, and bar tabs add up. To keep our savings in our piggy banks, we suggest making a list of free things you enjoy doing. We've pulled a few ideas together to get you started, so take a look and add to the list in the comments section.

Come back tomorrow for the next task in our financial fitness challenge.

Propose an idea here for a project or workshop to promote financial fitness in your community. The top-voted idea will win $500 to implement the project.

good challenge30daysofgood#30daysofgoodfinancial fitness

The Latest

lottery winner, Walmart employee, Rebeca Gonzalez, California Lottery, winning ticket, good news, lucky story, work story, jackpot, day off
Past Events

Her manager at Walmart forced her to work on her day off. It made her a millionaire.

Adhara Pérez Sánchez, child prodigy, high IQ, autism, genius, bullying, Mexico, University of Arizona, STEM, inspirational story
Past Events

9-year-old with autism shocks the world with an IQ higher than Einstein

heroic teens, house fire, good news, everyday heroes, Island Echo, Hampshire, fire safety, community, elderly rescue, lifesaving
Culture

A 97-year-old was relaxing when 5 teens suddenly appeared in her home. Then they saved her life.

swiffer, cleaning hacks, money saving tips, life hacks, economy
Life hacks

6 Swiffer hacks for an immaculate home that'll save you money, too

More For You

siblings, brothers, sisters, sibling relationships, adult relationships

Do brother or sister pairs stay closer over the years?

Photo credit: Canva, mimagephotography (left, cropped) / Pio3 (right, cropped)

Which sibling pairs are closer, brothers or sisters? Research answers the age-old debate.

The sibling dynamic brings out the best in some people. At least in theory, if two people share blood, shouldn’t that result in a feeling of closeness? Growing up, I always envied my peers who had legitimate friendships within their families. In contrast, I fought constantly with my immediate older brother—we’ve only settled into a healthier, more comfortable relationship as adults, with teenage angst in the rear view.

But everyone’s situation is different. Some people lose touch with siblings as time flows on, pulled apart by life's responsibilities. For others, the maturity of adulthood heals once-festering wounds. Sibling dynamics ebb and flow like any friendship, but is there a discernible difference between brother and sister pairs throughout life? If you consult the research, you’ll find some interesting trends.

Keep ReadingShow less
concrete, EC3, battery, concrete battery, prototype, MIT, scientists, science

A concrete battery-based prototype in arch structure.

Image courtesy of MIT EC³ Hub

Solar power times 10: MIT's new concrete battery may revolutionize green energy storage

One of the major challenges facing renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar energy, is storage. It's one thing to collect the energy; it's a whole other massive undertaking to find ways to store it until needed.

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology may have completely resolved this issue. They've discovered a scientific breakthrough in concrete, and it could change everything about how we store and use green energy.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kantaro Inagaki, Shiba Inu, walking across Japan, San-Chan, travel vlog, viral video, TikTok, Japan travel, wholesome story, dog adoption

(L) Man walking down empty road; (R) A Shibu Inu in the woods

Canva

A man was walking across Japan alone for 256 days. Then he met a tiny Shiba Inu.

For 256 days, Kantaro Inagaki walked across Japan alone, documenting his incredible journey for a growing online audience. But on day 257, his solo adventure took a heartwarming turn that would make him and his new companion internet famous.

Inagaki’s journey, which he calls the “Walking Tour of Japan,” began from a simple desire to better understand his own country. “I’ve spent a lot of time exploring the world, but at some point, I realized that I didn’t know my own country, Japan, as well as I should,” he explained in an exclusive interview with Upworthy. “The idea of walking across Japan started as a simple thought, but when it came to me, I felt an overwhelming excitement deep in my heart.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Japanese aquarium, Kaikyokan Aquarium, sunfish, animal enrichment, lonely fish, good news, viral story, animal welfare, creative solutions, Shimonoseki

A young girl watches fish in an aquarium

Canva

A Japanese aquarium's sunfish got lonely. Their low-tech solution was brilliantly adorable.

When the Kaikyokan Aquarium in Shimonoseki, Japan, temporarily closed for renovations late last year, the staff noticed one of their most popular residents was not doing well. A beloved ocean sunfish had stopped eating and started exhibiting strange behaviors, and no one could figure out why. After exhausting the usual medical explanations, a staff member floated a wild theory.

“Maybe it’s lonely because it misses the visitors?” they suggested, according to a post on the aquarium's X account.

Keep ReadingShow less
Will Ferrell, success, comedy, dreams, vocation, work

Will Ferrell's success was due to an "anti-pep talk" from his dad.

via Will Ferrell/Wikimedia Commons

Will Ferrell reveals how his dad's 'anti-pep talk' led him to wild comedy success

Will Ferrell is one of the most celebrated and successful comedians in the world, with several years of making audiences laugh on Saturday Night Live and decades of making popular comedies on the big screen. From Anchorman to Elf, Ferrell’s work has and will continue to stand the test of time.

One would figure that his success comes from constant encouragement from his family and belief in himself, but he actually had the complete opposite happen to him. In an interview on Off Camera with Sam Jones, Ferrell shared that before he started breaking into comedy, his dad offered him some pragmatic wisdom that could leave others bewitched.

Keep ReadingShow less
McDonald's, employee bonus, bad boss, corporate culture, Reddit, viral story, worker appreciation, low wages, fast food, employee gift

Woman at work looks at her laptop

Canva

A McDonald's employee shared their yearly 'bonus' and people couldn't believe it

At the end of a long year, a gesture of appreciation from an employer can go a long way. But for one McDonald's worker, the company's attempt at a "bonus" was so underwhelming it went viral, sparking a wave of online outrage and commiseration.

In a post on Reddit, user u/MMS37 shared a photo of the gift they received from the fast-food giant. "I work for one of the biggest companies in the world. This was my bonus," they wrote.

Keep ReadingShow less
mental health, mental health state ranking, mental health tips, therapy, psychology

Where does your state rank in mental health?

Photo credit: Canva

New report ranks the best and worst states for mental health in America

Many of us are trying to get better. Better at managing our emotions. Better at treating other people with kindness and respect. Better at stewarding our mental health in healthy, effective ways. All of that requires availability, access, a positive environment, and time to address our unique issues. With that in mind, Mental Health America conducted research and released a report ranking all 50 states and Washington, D.C., to identify which have the most mentally healthy citizens and provide the best mental health care resources and access.

Mental Health America is a nonprofit organization focused on promoting mental health and protecting against mental illness across the United States. After analyzing 17 data measures, including surveys, they've published their 2025 report.

Keep ReadingShow less
Jeff Bridges, Jimmy Kimmel Live, celebrity, The Dude, The Big Lebowski, Oscar-winning actor, ICE, Trump

Jeff Bridges performs 'The Dude' on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Image via YouTube from Jimmy Kimmel Live

Jeff Bridges revives classic 'The Dude' Lebowski character to tell Americans to 'calm down'

There's a lot of political strife happening in America these days, and many people can't stand how aggressive and partisan things have become in our country.

Bringing a little levity to the situation was Oscar-winning actor Jeff Bridges. During his guest appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on October 7, promoting his new movie, Tron: Ares, he embraced his iconic character, "The Dude," from the classic Coen Brothers film The Big Lebowski, Bridges. The Dude's message to the American people: "Calm down."

Keep ReadingShow less
© Copyright 2025