There’s always a bachelorette party, friend’s birthday extravaganza, or a night out with friends on the horizon. How do you pay off debt, or invest, and still have a life? Does being good with money mean you should stay at home and do nothing?
Nope. You can be a social butterfly without breaking the bank. There’s an art to socializing on the frugal and having the time of your life doing it.
Here are three tips on how to be social without spending a ton of money.
1. Early Bird Gets the Worm
This old saying rings true to the ol’ pocketbook too. The earlier you make plans; the less expensive things are. For events or concert there’s discounted pricing for purchasing in advance, or more availability of the entry level seating and ticket prices.
Also, for dinners with friends, most restaurants and bars have happy hour pricing. For my recent dinner out with friends our get together was 7pm and that was the cut off for drink specials. I knew this from taking a peek at the restaurant’s menu ahead of time. I strategically planned on arriving just before 7 and ordering from the bar to get cocktails for $5.
2. Make Conversation the Focus
When going out with friends, focus on catching up with what is going on in your friend’s life and enjoying their company. The more you spend going out doesn’t translate into healthier relationships with friends. Having good quality time is what counts the most, not the dollar amount of your bar tab.
For example, you can grab coffee to catch up and only spend a few bucks. Have a potluck, game night, or go for a walk.
3. Get Freebies
Being involved in your church or your college alumni association is a good starting point for having events that are free or low cost. With certain professional networking groups or meetups you can mingle and enjoy free drinks and food. There are surprisingly a lot of free events that come up when you’re involved in your community.
Be social without spending a ton of money with these three tips.
