Staying social on a budget
Last Modified 16th of February 2021
After a hard, stressful and demanding week at work there is no better way to relax than socialising with your loved ones and friends. Going out for a meal with the other half or enjoying a few drinks at your local bar are what most of us like to do, however with our pockets feeling the pinch of the recession it is becoming far more difficult to afford such luxuries.
For many of us the thought of not having a well-deserved social with our friends at the end of the week is unimaginable and enough to drive even the most workaholic individual to insanity.
Well don’t worry there are plenty of ways to stay social whilst keeping a keen eye on personal finances, in turn leaving us with more money in our pockets.
Humans by nature are social beings so turning down invites and saying no to friends can be quite difficult, however here are some alternative tips to make most out a limited disposable budget.
Tip 1: Host a dinner party
Why not take it in turns with a small group of friends to host an evening meal once a week. Personally nothing beats the homely feel of sitting around a large dining table in the company of close friends. This way you still gain quality social time and only have to cough up for the cost once every few weeks. To add to the experience why not add a slight competitive edge and score each other’s nights to see who is the best host out of group of friends. The cost of the evening can also be spread by asking guests to bring an item of food or drink along with them.
Tip 2: Pre drink
If a night out down to a few local bars and clubs is on the agenda it is a wise decision to a few drinks in the comfort of your home before you head out. Supermarkets tend to have fantastic deals on both soft drinks and alcoholic beverages when bought in bulk. By splitting the cost on such items with a group of friends will make it cheaper still. Alternatively if you prefer to head to your local straight away be sure to pace yourself when drinking and set a budget before you go out. There is few things worse than waking up the morning after to find your bank account a whole lot lighter than you expected.
Tip 3: A movie night at home
Instead of visiting your local cinema to watch the latest film why not rent one and bring the cinema to your living room in comfort of your own home. If you can’t resist the bright lights and the big screen try and use vouchers whenever you can. Also try to go on less popular nights as many cinemas will have better deals available, for example cheap Tuesdays and always avoid spending on snacks in the cinema as these can be inflated in price.
Tip 4: Exercise
Remember as kids we would spend endless amounts of time socialising with friends. Money was never an issue because we didn’t have any! Why not suggest to friends a fitness regime to get fit. Go out for a runs in the evening or go down to the local park and have a kick about. Either way exercise provides great social platform in a naturally social environment.
