Seeking Out Free Activities
Visit a community center. If there's a community center in your area, try taking a trip there. Community centers offer provide entertainment options, like movies and games, for free. You can get a group of friends together and make a trip to your community center. Community centers sometimes host free events, like free carnivals. Look up the calendar to your local community center online and see if there are any events happening. In addition to going to events with friends, free events can be a great way to meet new people.
See if you qualify for free admission anywhere. Are you currently a student? Are you under 18, a senior citizen, or a member of a well known club or organization? If so, you may get free or discounted admission. Check what kind of specials local establishments offer. There may be certain days of the week you can get into a museum, amusement park, or other attraction for free or very cheap. If you live in a city with a lot of museums, many museums offer free admissions to locals certain days of the week. If you're looking for a way to socialize for free, get a bunch of friends together and go to a museum on one of these days.
Look for free events in your area. You can find your city or town's event calendar online. You can also do a quick online search for free events in your area. Not everyone costs money. You can often find free art galleries, concerts, or festivals. If there's a free event coming up, this is a great way to socialize on a budget.
Use any memberships you have. Are you a member of a local gym? Are you on the board of a local theater? Do you have a membership at a local art gallery? If so, you may be able to get you and a guest in for free. For example, if you have a gym membership, see if you get any guest passes. If you do, get a group of friends together to go swimming.
Take advantage of nature. If you want to go out without spending money, take advantage of the natural beauty in your area. Enjoying the outdoors is always free. Get a group of friends together for some outdoor activities. Go to the beach with friends. Get a group together for a hike through the woods. Have a picnic at a local park. Go for a bike ride through your town or on a nature trail.
Having Fun at Home
Have a movie night. Between the price of tickets and the cost of snacks, seeing a movie in theaters can be pricey. Instead of spending a lot of money going out, have friends over for a movie night. Have people bring over DVDs or take advantage of your Netflix account. If you're into seeing movies as they come out, newer movies are often available to rent online. You can rent the newest releases using a service like Amazon, so you can see new movies shortly after they hit the theaters.
Play board games. Board games are a cheap way to entertain guests. If you're broke, but want to do some socializing over the weekend, bust out a deck of cards or some of your favorite board games. Have friends over for a game night. If you're low on money for snacks, make some baked good or other snack foods using the ingredients you currently have in your kitchen. You can also encourage friends to bring over their own snacks and drinks for the night.
Plan a potluck. Going out to eat is fun, but it gets pricey. If you and your friends want to get together for a meal, why not offer to host a potluck? Everyone can bring their own dish and you can all share. This will cut down on spending for everyone involved. Instead of going out and buying ingredients to make a dish, go through your fridge and pantry. Challenge yourself to make something without spending any money. If you really want to make the night about saving money, you can make a rule that no one buys ingredients for their dish. This can be a fun challenge that will keep everyone's spending in check.
Have a TV night. If there's a show you watch regularly, you can have a standing invitation to have your friends over each night the show airs. You can also host a party where you marathon watch your favorite TV shows on Netflix. Staying in and unwinding in front of the television allows you to socialize without spending too much money. As with a movie night, invite everyone to bring their own drinks and snacks. Try to whip appetizers and sweets using only the ingredients you currently have in your kitchen.
Organize a swap meet. A swap meet can be a fun event where everyone saves money and reduces clutter in their home. Encourage everyone to go through their closets and find clothing and other items they no longer need. Then, you and your friends can all trade items. This can be a fun way to socialize, cut down on clutter, and gain new things you may need. Encourage people to bring drinks and appetizers to the event. This can make it more fun and prevent you from having to spend on refreshments.
Ask people to come over after an event. If all your friends are going out to an event, but you can't afford it, this can be disappointing. However, you don't have to feel left out just because you can't, say, afford a movie ticket or a ticket to a concert. Make your place the spot for the after party. For example, say all your friends are going to a concert. If the invitation is extended to you, say something like, "I can't really afford that right now, but thanks for the invite. I would love to see you guys, so if you want to come hang out at my place afterwards, that would be great." Oftentimes, an event will get out early. Your friends will probably want to stay out and socialize, but bars and other places can get pricey. People will probably appreciate you giving them somewhere to go afterwards.
Avoiding Spending Money
Eat before you go out. Oftentimes, you go out without the intention of spending money but end up getting hungry. Social events often revolve around food. You may, for example, go to a free concert thinking you won't spend a time, only to be tantalized by the smell of the hot dog stand. You may go hang out at a friend's place and end up pitching in for pizza even though you planned on not spending money. Eating before a social event can help you resist this temptation. Have a big meal before you go out. Stick to healthy foods that won't leave you hungry later, like whole wheats, fruits and vegetables, and lean proteins. This can also be helpful if you're trying to lose weight. You will fill up on healthy foods and won't waste calories on junk food.
Avoid bars. If you do end up spending a little money socializing, try not to do so at a bar. Bars are notorious for having high prices. The cost of alcohol at a bar is much greater than it would be simply buying alcohol at a store. If your friends want to get drinks, suggest you have drinks at someone's place rather than out at a bar.
Pay attention to hidden costs. Even free events can have unexpected costs, so watch out for these. Try to eliminate hidden costs when you can. You may, for example, have to pay for parking at a free concert. You can eliminate this cost, however, by taking public transportation.
Encourage friends to be understanding of your money issues. It's not easy having to budget while wanting to be social. Your friends may sometimes struggle to understand the issue. Try to encourage them to lighten up and spend. If your friends are trying to pressure you into spending money, say something like, "I know you guys want me to have fun, but I'm really trying to save right now." It can sometimes help to explain your financial situation. For example, "I'm trying to pay off my credit card right now" or "I really need to save up for that new car."
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