To save money, people are increasingly turning to free leisure activities. Sports coaches say that since autumn, more people have been turning up for free events, with some classes filling up within an hour.
Traditionally, Lithuanian museums invite visitors to see their exhibitions for free on the last Sunday of every month. Since the end of summer, the initiative has attracted a record number of visitors – more than a hundred thousand. According to the Ministry of Culture, this significant uptick in turnout could indicate that people are eager to look for free activities.
“Probably wherever you can save money, you try to save money. Not only by switching off an unnecessarily light bulb, but also by looking where you can get a free service,” says Deputy Culture Minister Rimantas Mikaitis.
Museum managers say that Free Sundays are becoming especially popular with families.
“It’s fun for people, and especially for those who want to visit with a big family, there is also a cost-saving aspect,” says Jolanta Marcisauskyte-Jurasiene of the National Museum of Art.
“It’s mostly families, with friends, they come in larger groups. They have time on weekends – and especially when it’s a ticket-free weekend,” says Vydas Dolinskas, Director of the Grand Dukes Palace Museum.
It is not just free museums that are attracting visitors. Sports activities are also gaining popularity. Julija Grise, the coordinator of the free fitness classes Judek Sveikai (Move Healthy), says that lists fill up within an hour.
“January is normally when everyone starts exercising. This year, we had about 2,900 participants in January. For comparison, in September we had over 3,300 participants,” says Grise.
“I am very happy to have this opportunity. You can’t make yourself exercise at home, but here you come and talk to people,” says Dalia from Kaunas.
Instructors in Vilnius say they have also noticed more interest. Egle Joana Satkute, a yoga teacher who has been offering free classes for three years now, says that several hundred people wanted to sign up this autumn.
“Some of the participants are very blunt about it: they came here specifically to save money. That is, they wanted to spend their money elsewhere and knew how much yoga classes cost,” says Satkute.
Climbing coaches say they see similar trends.
“We see that large families come with their two or three children, and sometimes they bring their neighbours’ children,” says Kipras Baltrunas, founder of the climbing gym Vertical.
Coaches say that students and older people are also increasingly interested in free exercising. (LRT/Business World Magazine)