No sweat: No money? No problem.

1. Participate in your local gardening food share program. Exercise your green thumb, get to know your neighbours and help provide garden-fresh produce to your community. foodshare.net

2. Get some free live culture. Many opera houses like the Canadian Opera Company offer several free lunch and early evening concert series. Listen in on established and emerging artists from across Canada and around the world. Besides concerts, the Pacific Opera in Victoria, B.C. offers a free class where you do the singing and a master critiques your best Figaro!

3. Learn to convert Fahrenheit temps into Celsius, already. Here's a simple equation: subtract 30 from the Fahrenheit number and then divide by two. Done.

4. Master the art of the perfect boiled egg. Cover an egg with cold water (about 1 inch above it) and cook over medium heat with the lid on until it comes to a boil. Then reduce heat to a simmer, remove lid and cook for 3 to 4 minutes for soft-boiled eggs or 7-8 minutes for hard-boiled eggs (depending on the size of the egg).

5. Get a free hair cut or colour, courtesy of bumble and bumble. Sign up to be a hair model by clicking on the 'Hear From Us' button and then get your 'do done by an aspiring Jose Eber.