If your travels take you to the nation’s capital city, you’ll quickly discover how expensive it is to book a hotel room, dine in the fancy restaurants and attend first-rate entertainment events.

However, if you happen to be in town on certain no-ticket-cost days or nights, you can help balance your budget by taking advantage of one or more of the absolutely free offerings in the city.

These are just a few of the many happening in and around Washington. Some are seasonal and/or require advance reservations and have limited seating. Before you show up for a free concert or other performance, check out all the necessary information about schedules and locations.

Speakeasy DC: With reminders of earlier days of Prohibition hangouts, this improv theater at 2639 15th St., NW, presents professional and amateur storytellers, jokesters and stand-up comedians on the second Tuesday of the month. Here they test their skills on appreciative audiences. It’s free, but donations are appreciated. (www.speakeasydc.com) Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts: Free nightly shows on the Millennium Stage at 2700 F St. NW. Events include theater, dance, orchestral, jazz, popular and folk music. There are also youth and family programs, as well as multi-media shows. (www.kennedy-center.org/)

Twilight Tattoo: For you civilians, this isn’t getting inky needles stuck in your arms. On Wednesdays at sunset hour, enjoy the stirring band music and precision marching of various Army units, presented at Joint Base Meyer-Henderson Hall, Virginia.

Among participating musical units are the Third U.S. Infantry Regiment and the U.S. Army Band. At various presentations, spectators may be entertained by Army singing groups, fife and drum corps and expert drill teams.  (twilight.mdw.army.mil/schedule)

National Theater: Especially if you’re traveling with kids and grandkids, the National Theatre has free Saturday morning performances geared to the young and young at heart. The shows at 1321 Pennsylvania Av. NW, presented at 9:30 and 11 am, may include storytellers, jokes, games, singers, ballet, jazz, bands, puppets and magicians. (thenationaldc.org)

Smithsonian American Art Museum Take Five: Listen to smooth and free live jazz performances on the third Thursday of the month in the Kogod Courtyard, 8th and F Sts., NW. Additionally, the group ArtJamz encourages members of the audience to try their creative painting skills while enjoying the music.  (americanart.si.edu/calendar/.../five)

National Gallery Of Art Sculpture Garden: Jazz concerts Friday evenings at 7th Street and Constitution Av NW. The free concerts feature jazz performers of many styles, including blusion, zydeco and Afrofunk, from 5 to 8:30 p.m. in the Gallery’s beautiful Sculpture Garden. (www.nga.gov/content)