30+ Frugal Things to Do While You're Social Distancing • The Crunchy Ginger

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This means if you make a purchase from a link on my site, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. I will never recommend a product or service that I do not personally use or like.

Like millions of Americans and folks around the globe, I am practicing “social distancing.” Virtually every normal activity in my life has been temporarily shut down. No school, no going to the office, no swim lessons, no gym, no church, no museums or libraries or play dates… After a brief period of panic about what the heck to do with my whole family stuck at home for an ever-increasing period of time, I have decided to reframe this as an opportunity! There are plenty of projects I’ve been putting off or adding to my “someday maybe” list. If you’re in the same boat, here are some frugal ideas for what to do while you’re social distancing during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Spring Cleaning

What serendipity that being stuck at home social distancing coincides with the time I’m supposed to deep clean my home. Literally my least favorite project. Here are a few places you (read I) have likely (definitely) been avoiding…

Fridge
Pantry
Garage
Hall/coat closet
Under the beds
Media storage/cabinets
Patio/porch
Basement/attic/crawl space
Desk or home office space
Craft/art/tool storage

Organize Your Clothes Closet(s)

With the changing season, now is also a good time to address what’s going on with your wardrobe. Spend a little time going through your clothes, trying things on, and sorting them out. What to keep, what to consign/sell, what to donate, what to repair, and possibly what to repurpose.

If you’ve got kids, tackle their closets, too. What fits, what can be passed down? My boys grow so fast I can barely keep up. There are like 3 different sizes all mixed up in their drawers and half the pants have holes in the knees. Which brings me to…

Patch Those Jeans and Fix That Button

I have a pile of clothes that just need a little 10 minute repair, but when do I ever have the time?! Even without a sewing machine, a quick YouTube search will show you how to make simple repairs and breathe new life into your well loved clothing.

Do an Audit of Your Bathroom Products/Makeup

That lipstick you never wore, the deoderant you wore once and hated, that ancient, mostly empty bottle of sunblock… If you’ve been turning a blind eye to your medicine cabinet, makeup drawer, or bathroom cabinet, seize the day! News flash: cosmetics have a “use by” timeline once open. Somewhere on the package you will likely find a little symbol that looks like an open jar with a number of months, usually between 3- 36. Be honest. Be realistic.

Try Your Hand at Some DIY Body Care!

I love being able to whip up some body butter or lip balm for myself or a quick gift. If you have never tried it, making your own body care products is simple and fun. It’s a great time to learn a new skill or stock up on homemade gifts for birthdays or mother’s day. Lotion bars are an excellent beginner project and will come in handy with all this extra handwashing we are all doing!

Prep Birthday Cards

Speaking of birthdays, I am notorious for sending out late birthday cards. Before I had little ones, I loved to create cards for all occasions. Time constraints being what they are, my paper crafting now consists of grocery lists on post-it notes (which I always forget at home). These days I can hardly manage to get anything in the mail at all!

Take an hour to address and stamp a stack of birthday cards or make your own with your kiddos. Then, set a reminder in your calendar to drop them in the mail a week in advance!

Plant a Garden

This social distancing directive also coincides with spring gardening! Prep your garden bed or create one for the first time. We live in an apartment, but have signed up for a community garden plot. Depending on where you live, now is the perfect time to start sowing some early seeds or to plant some starters indoors in an egg carton or small container. This is also a great way to get kids involved and incorporate some hands-on math and science skills.

Even if you have zero outside space, a very useful and attractive herb garden can be planted in hanging baskets or a kitchen window. Who doesn’t love a pinch of fresh dill or thyme within arms reach?

Research a CSA

I am in love with my CSA farm share. Community Supported Agriculture is a fantastic production model in which you commit to buying a “share” of a local farm’s harvest at the beginning of the growing season. It is a wonderful way to support local agriculture and reduce our carbon footprint. Now is the time of year when many farms are signing up new subscribers. We subscribe to Pumpkin Ridge Gardens in the Portland area and I can’t say enough good things about them. You can find CSAs in your area by searching this database.

Spend Time in the Kitchen

I see all these articles about batch cooking or making a dozen freezer meals in two hours or whatever. I always think, “Yes! Great idea!” But then I never have the time. What a perfect opportunity to give it a shot! This whole social distancing thing will not last forever. And when life returns to full swing, it will be a relief to have a head start on meal prep.

Make Some Broth

Since you’re gonna be home, social distancing provides plenty of time for making your own broth. Cook a whole chicken and use the bones to make a delicious bone broth. It’s packed with nutrients, plus it would be excellent to have on hand in case you or someone in your family does get sick.

Home Canning

In addition to freezing, canning is another great way to store and preserve food. Even if it’s not harvest season where you live, it’s still a great time to learn how to can or to dust off your canner. (Frozen berries make excellent jam!) Canning isn’t difficult, just a bit time consuming. Perhaps diving in while you are deep in your social distancing could be just what you need to take your mind off things!

Stress Baking to the Rescue

I have been known to do a little therapeutic baking from time to time. Take advantage of the impulse by trying new recipes or teaching your kids to bake. Math, science, art! Baking has it all.

Many baked goods freeze well- muffins are my favorite! You can flash freeze them on a tray and then individually wrap them in a square of foil. When things return to normal, and mornings are as hectic as they ever were, you can throw a few in the oven for a quick breakfast any day of the week.

Make a Sourdough Starter

No pet? No problem! If you have been curious about making your own sourdough starter from scratch, now is the time! It’s like a science experiment and baking adventure all rolled into one.

I’m no expert at this, but I started my own (her name is Bubbly Betty) a few weeks ago which turns out to be excellent timing! All it takes is flour, water, and a glass container.

The basic idea is that you start with a bit of flour and water and then “feed” the starter more flour and water every day. The mixture will capture wild yeast from the air and the flour and start to ferment. My preschooler loves to help feed Betty and checks her every morning to see the bubbles!

It takes a few weeks (or perhaps months) to get the starter strong enough for bread- Betty isn’t there yet. But after about a week, there are lots of fun things to bake using the discard. (Since you feed it every day, you have to keep removing a portion of the starter so it doesn’t take over your kitchen- that’s called “discard.”) I’ve been experimenting with pancakes and crackers with great success! In fact we’ve made these amazing, easy crackers so many times already, we’ve dubbed them “Quarantine Crackers.” The internet is overflowing with recipes to make from the discard of a young sourdough starter.

Here is a great video and a helpful article I used to get started.

Tackle Your Budget and Do Your Taxes

Ok maybe I misspoke when I said that cleaning was my least favorite thing to do. It’s definitely taxes. If you haven’t gotten all your paperwork together, now is the time! (Looking at you, self.)

But even if you have, there is nothing like an impending economic crisis to force us to take a look at our personal finances. A few years ago when we had a baby, uprooted our lives, and moved across the country we needed a whole new approach to get our financial health in order. We use a tool called YNAB and it was really a game changer. (This isn’t an affiliate link, I just think it’s a super useful tool that I wish I would have had years ago.)

The truth is that many of us are going to be facing some financial challenges as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, so if your proverbial check book is not in order, now is a good time to sort it out.

Check Out Your Library’s Online Resources

Our public library is temporarily closed in response to the whole Coronavirus situation. But, we are still able to make use of the many online resources they have available while we are maintaining our social distance. Ours has movies, animated storybooks, ebooks, audiobooks, language learning, and homework help! Check out what your library offers by going to their website. If you aren’t familiar with your public library, find it here. You may even be able to apply for a card online if you don’t already have one.

Learn a Foreign Language

If your library doesn’t offer it, there are many online tools for learning a foreign language. Expand your knowledge or refresh your skills. If there is anything this pandemic is making clear, it’s that we are all connected. Many of the apps are free (with available upgrades, of course.) Check out DuoLingo or Babbel.

Pick Up an Old Hobby or an Unfinished Book

Remember that scarf you started 5 years ago? Haven’t played that guitar in a while? Bust them out! Nothing makes me feel more centered than getting lost in a creative pursuit. If you have some adult coloring books lying around, now would be a great time to dig those out, too.

I have an embarrassing number of half read books stacked all around my home. I can’t seem to put them back on the shelf because I really do what to finish them…someday. If your older kids are at home, consider adding a family reading time into your social distancing schedule.

Dust Off Those Board Games and Puzzles

Bring back family game night! Get everyone off their screens, make a big bowl of popcorn, and roll the dice. We have all kinds of games shoved in the closet, a few of them have never even been played! Or if you are feeling extra crafty, consider making your own family game.

Schedule a Virtual Coffee Date (and Call Your Mom)

If it’s been a while since you’ve talked to your best friend from home or your college roomie, schedule a phone date. Check in on your folks or family friends who live far away or who may be isolated. Send a quick text or a funny meme. We are social creatures and it’s important to stay connected in whatever ways we can, even if we can’t be in the same room.

Get Outside and Move Your Body

If you are healthy, there is no reason not to get outdoors as long as you maintain your recommended “social distance” from others. Take a walk, go for a hike, ride a bike, or just sit on the porch and really enjoy your tea. The fresh air will do you good.

Stretch. Run. Workout. Play tag with your kids. When your body is moving, your brain pumps out endorphins, which can combat stress and give your mood a boost. Who couldn’t use a little of that.

Get Some Extra Sleep

If you are able, maybe just unplugging and closing your eyes is one of the best things you can do right now. Take a nap. Go to bed early. Sleep in a little. I’m no doctor, but I know that when my brain starts to spin out of control, a good night’s sleep can really help.