Euro ’24: Cheap and Free Things to Do That Aren’t Watching Football

Annie 4th Jul 2024 No Comments

Reading Time: 5 minutes

While we’re all glad to see England through to the Euros semifinal (at time of writing), not all of us want to watch the football matches. In fact, for non-football fans, the Euros can be a time to enjoy more peaceful dinners out or other activities as everyone stays at home to watch the match! We’ve put together a bunch of cheap and free things you can do while your loved ones are engrossed in the football.

Go to the Gym

Read a Magazine

Go to the Cinema

Stay in to Binge Watch a Series

Get a Cheap Dinner with a Friend

Enjoy a Walk…to a Free Doughnut

If You Need Help

Go to the Gym on a Free Pass

Check out your local gym for free daily or weekly passes to try out the facilities. If you’re not already a member, you could take advantage of trying out a new yoga, pilates, or dance class, or take a look at the cardio and weights machines on offer.

Chain gyms, like David Lloyd Fitness, Anytime Fitness, Energie Fitness, Xercise4Less, Jetts Fitness, and Freedom Leisure all offer up to a three-day free pass. Check out their websites to see what’s on offer.

You could also make the most of a free two-week trial with ClassPass. This isn’t a gym, but gives you access to all kinds of fitness classes both at gyms and online. It’s usually £69 a month but your first month is free and you can cancel during the trial to avoid signing up to the paid subscription. Unless you find something that you love, of course!

Read a Magazine with a Free Trial of Readly

Readly is a fantastic app with access to over 7,000 newspaper and magazine titles. That includes back issues, too – so if you find a publication you love, you can go through all the past issues as well!

A monthly subscription is usually £12.99 but you can try the app out for two months (62 days) totally free. Grab a coffee and a snack, find a peaceful spot in your garden or living room, and enjoy a good read in peace while everyone is out watching the footie.

If you prefer real books, take a trip to your local library and borrow some for free. There are lots of free things to do at the library too, so it’s always worth checking out!

Watch a Film with a Friend for Cheap

There are many ways to nab a free or cheap cinema ticket, and some absolute bangers of films are out at the moment too. Grab a friend and make a night of it, head to the cinema and watch something fun like Inside Out 2, take your children to Minions 4, or get engrossed in Jodie Comer’s latest blockbuster, The Bikeriders.

Check your mobile phone contract to see if you can nab cheap tickets first. Vodafone do two tickets for £8 on Mondays, while O2 Priority runs an offer with Vue for £9 any day of the week. You can also look at discount sites like Groupon for cinema discount deals, or take a look at your local cinema for their bundle or discount options. Sometimes, if you’re a regular cinema-goer, it can be money savvy to sign up to a cinema’s membership to take advantage of free tickets, too. We love this article in the Radio Times which lists loads of ways you can get hold of free or discounted cinema tickets.

Stay in to Binge a Series with a Free Streamer Trial

If you prefer to stay in to catch up on the latest TV and films available on streaming, take a look at free and cheap deals to try out a new streamer. Apple TV offers a free seven-day trial, allowing you to watch whatever you fancy for a whole week! You can also claim 90 days for free when buying an Apple device, or with certain other offers such as with certain eligible purchases from Currys.

Disney+ is harder to get free trials on than it was before, but not impossible. If you’re ready to upgrade your O2 phone (or take out a new contract), you can claim six months of Disney+ as your added extra, for example. Three mobile and Sky offer a three-month free deal each, while EE and T-Mobile offer a huge six-month free plan for customers.

Amazon Prime is a massive online streamer, though be careful as it’s easy to accidentally buy or rent paid-for titles on it, too. If you don’t already have a Prime membership, you can sign up for a free 30-day trial. Once you’ve got your trial set up, you can also add channels like Paramount Plus for a 7-day trial too – just remember to cancel before the end of the trial to avoid being charged.

Grab Dinner with a Friend

Always reliable for cheap and free food, get yourself down to Morrisons to claim a free jacket potato with beans in the cafe – just ask for Henry at the till. There is no minimum spend required and it is one per customer, so you can go with a friend and they can claim their own, too. This saves you £4.25 on a filling hot meal, and the offer runs for the duration of the Euros, ending on 14th July.

If you and your kids aren’t particularly into the footie, make it a family affair. We’ve got a ton of restaurants listed that offer cheap or free kids meals, to keep your bills down and help you have some family fun time together without breaking the bank.

Enjoy a Walk… To a Free Doughnut

If it’s not just football but all sport and fitness that makes you turn a little green around the gills, never fear! We’ve got a lovely deal for you, and you can feel better about it if you take a little stroll to claim it, too.

Domestic Violence During the Euros

Of course, we can’t mention the Euros without talking about the more serious side. Domestic violence cases severely spike during football tournaments like the Euros. This is often linked to the drinking culture associated with football, alongside the strong emotions people feel when their team wins or loses. Combined with the hyped up atmosphere of watching with a crowd, whether in the pub or at a stadium, emotions and actions can become severe.

If you feel like you’re in immediate danger, call 999 and talk to the police.

If you need to talk to someone about what’s going on at home, and how it makes you feel, the Samaritans are available 24/7 every day of the year. Call

The National Domestic Abuse helpline is run by Refuge and is free to call on 0808 2000 247.

The Men’s Abuse Helpline run by Respect is available for men experiencing domestic violence on 0808 801 0327. Men can also get in touch with ManKind on 0808 800 1170.

LGBTQIA+ people can call Galop on 0800 999 5428 for advice and support.

If you feel like you’re in immediate danger, you may be able to find a refuge. The Shelter website has a lot of useful information about refuges and how to find a place.

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