How to Hang Out With Your Friends When You're on a Tight Budget

Save on drinks. Going out with your friends often means drinking, especially, if your company likes it. But think that bars charge their customers 600 percent of the actual cost of the beverage you buy. Regarding this, the expression “drink wisely” adopts a totally new meaning for you. However, there are several ways how you can cut your expenses for drinks and hang out with your friends.

Try to do most of your social drinking at someone's home. Even if then you will have to take taxi to get home, it will be cheaper than drinking in a bar. By the way, buy alcohol in bulk. Kegs and cases will be much cheaper than repeated running for another six-pack or bottle. Don't forget to shop where the prices are best!

Many places you like to go out have happy hours in order to attract people after work. But be ready to go out by the time when the prices go up.

Save on shopping. While the first tip was generally for men, this one is for women. Going shopping for the sake of friendship is really a bad idea. Going window shopping also won't make anything good. Go shopping with your friends only when you really need to buy something and don't forget about outlets and discount stores. You can also agree on shopping when a friend of yours needs your help in choosing a special dress etc.

Free activities. You may not believe it, but there are still plenty of free activities that you can enjoy with your friends: go to art galleries, parks, beaches and festivals, local band performances and community days. Just have a look at your local events calendar and you will find plenty of things you can do with your friends and save your money.

Indoor activities. Staying indoor doesn't mean that you're going to estrange yourself from your friends, in fact, you can organize a whole range of indoor activities, that are really cheap. And if you have many friends with different interests, you can make up several activities, including sporting events, game nights, TV nights and eating events.

Look for special admission. Many places offer discounts for admission during a certain time of the day or season of the year. It's done in order to attract clients, when the business is below its peak level. For instance, you can eat a cheap lunch at a restaurant, have fun in an amusement park in the evening or on weekday, watch a movie during the day time for nearly 50 percent less than in the evening etc. Just look for anything that is cheaper during a certain period of time and enjoy these activities.

Have better friends. It's so great to have friends, who can offer you a helping hand when you need to do something. Socializing doesn't mean to be unproductive. You can socialize with your friends, when you're washing your car or working at your vegetable garden.