Spending time with friends is a terrific way to pass the time without spending a lot of money in and of itself. If you and your buddies are used to going out to clubs, pubs, or restaurants as a form of hanging out, you may switch things up and save some money. There are plenty of places to go and do fun things that don’t cost a fortune no matter where you live.
If you’re having problems persuading your buddies to go on a budget, be honest with them. Tell them up front that you can’t afford to spend so much money right now, and don’t allow them to pay for you. However, there are some fantastic options you can suggest.
1. A dinner gathering with a buffet theme. Invite everyone to a dinner party and ask them to bring a dish to share. If you don’t feel confident in the kitchen, consider learning how to make a new meal with your buddies.
You could make this a regular occurrence for cheap yet fun nights with your friends. The concept is simple: hold a dinner party for a group of friends at your home, where you prepare the entire meal from scratch. After that, each friend takes on the same project, which is to host a dinner for the entire group and prepare it from scratch. Sure, you’re cooking for six or eight people at once, but after that, you’ve got five or seven free meals with pals coming your way. You’ll essentially pay the cost of one large meal and a few hours of preparation time in exchange for a free invitation to a number of subsequent dinner parties with a group of people you enjoy hanging out with.
2. Organize a spa day. Manicure each other. Experiment with different hairdos. Make face masks or exfoliate at home with natural materials. After that, mimosas are a must.
3. Have a day where a movie marathon is planned. Watch every episode of “Stranger Things” on Netflix. Alternatively, watch “Pretty in Pink,” “The Breakfast Club,” and all of our other classic favourites during a ’80s movie marathon. Don’t have a Netflix account? Get a free trial for the marathon.
4. Go on a “Goodwill hunt.” Simply go to your local thrift stores and Goodwill stores to see what kind of savings you can find. Turn this into a game, with everyone involved attempting to get the absolute best deal possible in the hopes of (theoretically) flipping it for a profit on eBay. If you keep your eyes open, you’ll be astonished at what you can find.
5. Play cards together. If you’re not very skilled between you, spend some time learning about games like Texas Holdem or Rummy. You could take turns learning special tricks masters have used such as “The Magician” – Antonio Esfandiari and how he fooled his competitors while playing. Drink rum and play for pennies – or simply use the poker chips as currency to determine the winner!
6. Have a get-together for organising. Set up a day each weekend to visit each of your friends’ homes and join them in cleaning out a closet, a room, a garage, or whatever they need. Serve drinks and food, and swap with one another.
7. Arrange a yard sale. After all that cleaning, why not get together with your friends and earn some money?
8. Concerts in the park are held on a regular basis. Many parks offer free concerts throughout the summer. Take a group of friends. Bring a picnic supper and hang out. This is a really soothing method to unwind after work on a warm summer evening.
9. Volunteering! Offer to help out at the local elderly center with yard maintenance or hang out with the youngsters at the YMCA. You’ll have a new appreciation for each other and something to talk about after a few hours of volunteering together.
10. Play board games with your friends. Bring out the Scrabble or Yahtzee game. You can hang out with large or small groups and play a variety of games. Host a tournament in which participants compete against one another.
11. Not a fan of board games? OK. Why don’t you have a video game tournament? Play against each other, whether it’s the latest dancing game or “Call of Duty,” and present awards (or food) to the champions.
12. Go to a comedy club! If you’re not a big drinker but still want to be in a club but don’t want to pay a bar tab, go to a comedy club. Often, the admittance cost is merely a drink or food minimum, so it isn’t all that expensive. You and your friends can have a laugh without getting drunk or spending all of the money you’ve been keeping aside.
13. Go on a camping trip. Camping is a terrific way to spend one or both nights of a weekend if you have the necessary equipment (or can simply borrow it). When you camp with a group, the whole cost of everything you need – food included – is well under $10, and you enjoy several hours of fellowship, fire-building, wilderness exploration, and fresh air. Some of the best moments with friends are spent late at night around a campfire, trading stories and talking about life.
14. Play a sport with your friends. Go to the park with a soccer ball and kick it around. Take a frisbee and throw it around. Bring a basketball and shoot some hoops at the park. Play catch with a ball and two gloves. It takes relatively little equipment to play a sport with others, yet it provides everyone with a lot of beneficial exercise and fun. It doesn’t matter if you’re bad at a sport; chances are, most of your buddies are as well, and you can beat anyone who’s even halfway competent.
15. Make boozy ice lollies. Ice lollies with alcohol are the only thing more refreshing than ice lollies. Select your favorite fruits and spirits, then freeze them in bespoke popsicle molds. Allow the pops to solidify in the freezer and then enjoy.
16. Go to the beach! Of course, it’s easier if you live near the beach, but it’s still worthwhile if you don’t. It may take an entire day to get to the beach by train, but you will never regret it. In any season, a trip to the beach is a must. Make a camp with a beach umbrella or shelter, additional towels, food, and lots of water. Spend the day in the sea, digging in the sand, exploring rockpools, and playing beach cricket (when the water is out). You know you’ve done it well if you fall asleep on the journey home.
17. Create a bucket list. You can make a list of things you wish to accomplish, do, be, or see during your life. Or maybe next week. Alternatively, consider your job possibilities. Or video games that you’d like to have. Or, life objectives or this year’s goals. Lists are fantastic because they inspire you to think, dream, and hope. Having fun with friends while bouncing ideas off one other improves a list and is a highly insightful way to have fun.
If you just choose to look for them and are open-minded about what you find, there are nearly endless choices for free social activities you may do with your friends. Simply be willing to attempt new things with your buddies, even if you haven’t done so previously. You could discover something new that you adore, but at the very least, you’ll have a memorable afternoon with your friends that didn’t cost you any money.