This is an austere age for many of us. We may have been laid off, or have been re-employed but with a pay cut, or be graduating from college with many thousands of dollars of debt. It’s enough to depress anyone.

And often, what people turn to for solace is retail therapy. You know, that trip to the mall, or even Target or Walmart, to drown your sorrows with a new outfit, electronic gadget, or even housewares (because sometimes you just need a new set of towels for both bathrooms). Since people in tight financial situations don’t have a lot of discretionary money to spend, they usually finance their comfort with credit cards. Only this just makes a bad situation worse. So what are some solutions? Are there any?

Here are some random suggestions about ways to enjoy life while watching your budget:

• Do you love to read? Join your local library. Or join BookCrossing, and start scouting for releases. Some cities even have Meetup groups, and people happily share their books.
• Check with your local hobby or yarn shops to see whether they’re offering any free or low-cost instructional courses. Many do, since it’s a good way to bring in potential customers and get them to return.
• Do you have board games sitting in your closet collecting dust? Gather some friends together — even a couple will do — and have a game night. And if you’re missing pieces, innovate. You can use thimbles, poker chips, or coins to mark your spot on the board.
• Organize a gourmet dinner club. Gather a group of friends and take turns hosting dinner once a month.
• Attend a free showing by local painters or visit an art gallery.
• Check your local free weekly paper or chamber of commerce to learn about free concerts and shows.
• Do you play an instrument? Do your friends? Gather together at each others’ homes to play and learn new music. Or volunteer in your local civic orchestra.
• Bring friends together in your home for a “bad art” party, where you get to play and talk and have permission to not care about the outcome.
• Look for ads in free local papers offering coupons for discounts at local restaurants, sports games, and museums.
• Have a progressive dinner party; start out at one person’s home for appetizers, then move onto the next for the main course, and a third for dessert.
• Head to your local high school gym, football field, or Little League field and watch free games.
• Find or organize a team to play your favorite sport — volleyball, ultimate frisbee, softball — or start a walking, running, or cycling club.
• Volunteer as an usher at local events; you can catch a lot of plays and concerts this way.
• Feeling spontaneous? Find out if your local performing arts center sells “rush” tickets. Then arrive about 15 minutes before the performance to buy “rush” tickets at a fraction of the price.
• Attend the full dress rehearsal performance before a show opens.
• Love to own music, but find new CDs a bit steep in price? Spend a weekend visiting yard sales and flea markets for used CDs; buy pre-owned ones at music stores; offer to buy used CDs or cassettes from friends; take the special deal from the mail order offers (read the fine print to learn what you’re obligated to).
• Many towns and cities offer free walking tours. Contact your local chamber of commerce to get a map, then set out to see the sites on your own.
• Go to a church supper, or a pancake breakfast hosted by the local non-profit or firehouse.
• Volunteer; your community needs you. There’s a child who needs a mentor, an animal shelter that needs extra hands, nursing homes full of lonely people, trees that need planting, organizations that need your skills. Contact your local United Way to find the right project for you.

These are just a few ideas to get you started. It is possible to have fun without spending a lot.

Besides, most times buying stuff just reminds people how hollow their lives feel. Why? Because the fulfillment you seek is not tangible. It is a state of being. It resides inside you, and external amusements and goods won’t nourish or cultivate it. You can’t take stuff with you. So be here, now. Peace.