Sometimes it can seem that we have nothing to do or that money’s too tight to have any kind of social life, but you socialising on a small budget can be done and we have some tips on how you can go about that. Of course sometimes the pendulum can swing the other way, and we can’t stop for the amount of birthday parties, engagement parties, weddings, and openings of an envelope! All of these can be a major drain on our finances, and it can be a big concern because we want to enjoy ourselves but be cautious about how much we spend can without it impacting on our enjoyment? So is there a way of balancing the budget at the same time as balancing the drinks tray?
Go For The Cheap (And Stealthy) Options
Nobody knows what you’re drinking, so if you can only afford a tonic water with a bit of lemon in it, it’s a good way to get away with having a drink in your hands without spending a lot of money. If you are planning on going out for a long night with lots of beverages, then it’s always cheaper to drink at home before heading out. Or if you’re having dinner out, you could split an appetizer with a friend rather than have one to yourself.
Save Your Money For The Nights Out
In other words, don’t spend your money on anything else! You can live off good quality food that is cheap by heading to the greengrocers and getting fruit and vegetables that are close to going off so you could still enjoy a nutritious meal. There are fantastic and healthy meals you can make, such as porridge which will keep you full and energized. If you can find ways to save money during the week so you can splurge at your friend’s wedding, then it’s worth the effort. If your social life is vital to you then you might find socialising on a budget is the way to make that happen.
Don’t Get Caught Up In The Round Buying Mentality
This is Kryptonite for a lot of people who are struggling financially but still want to have a thriving social life. If you can avoid getting caught in the pattern of having to buy rounds then this will save you a lot of money. And that’s not to say that you should have drinks bought for you but you duck out of buying them, because that’s not particularly fair! Instead you might just be better off being honest and saying you are strapped for cash.
Talking finances with friends can be a difficult subject especially as you want to enjoy yourself on a night out, but if you can make little changes that don’t impact your overall night out then you will see that your bank balance hasn’t been impacted that badly!
Socialise at home
You don’t need to go out to have a good time and you can organise for your friends to come round, to enjoy a meal, or snacks, watch a movie, play games, or just catch up, and in the process spend less money. If everyone brings a drink or a food dish, or you agree on a budget to split between you, and stick to it, you can enjoy time with your friends and not blow your whole budget for the month on expensive meals or nights out.
Find free things to do
There are plenty of ways you can arrange socialising on a budget without having to spend much money. Going for a walk or visiting somewhere that doesn’t cost much to visit, take your own coffee or snacks and spend quality time with the people you enjoy being around.
Basically, you can be stealthy about not spending too much money on nights out or socialising or you can be honest with your friends and say you don’t have much cash to splash and you may find you aren’t the only one, and that actually, arranging a cheaper night out but still having fun can done.
What do you do for a cheap night out or when you need to spend time with your friends but the budget isn’t playing ball?