4 Ways to Save Money Without Sacrificing Your Social Life
It’s no secret that a person’s social life can be incredibly expensive. From eating out and drinks to transportation and clothing, you can watch your bank account dwindle as you try to keep up with social events in your area.
If you live in a large metropolitan area like I do then you’re constantly being tempted with events, new restaurants, parties and even work functions. There isn’t a single day that goes by that there isn’t something going on in Miami, and I learned the hard way how much money it was costing me to keep up with the party scene.
Fortunately, there are multiple ways that you can save money without being a hermit. Here are some of the ways you can save a lot of money on being social, backed by personal experience.
Use Facebook to Keep an Eye on Free Events Near You
Facebook is a very cool tool for helping you keep an eye on free and low-cost events in your area. More specifically, Facebook tends to notify you of local events your friends and colleagues are interested in. If you actually look at the event pages, you’ll start to notice that many of the events are either free or cheap – especially if it’s some sort of promotion like a grand opening.
By actually paying attention to the Events tab on Facebook I have ended up at free parties, gotten free massages and scored coupons for restaurants.
Try Meetups
Meetups are usually free events filled with people of similar interests. You can meet at a coffee shop, go to a networking event or find free workouts depending on what you’re into.
The easiest way to find meetups is to go to Meetup.com and search for your interests. Just keep in mind that not all meetups are cost effective. For example, there’s a meetup in my area for young professionals once a week. It’s free to get into the party, but I’d still have to pay for alcohol and food which means that, unless I don’t drink or eat, my bank account would take a hit. On the other hand, a free yoga class in the park wouldn’t really cost me anything but an Uber pool ride.
Eat before going out
One of the best ways to save money on social events is to avoid buying food. You can do this by making sure you eat something before you leave. By the time you get to your friends you’ll be full and it’ll be easier to turn down buying food.
Enjoy nights in with friends
Because I grew up in a place like Miami, there’s this assumption that in order to have fun you need to go to a bar or a club. This is fine if you don’t mind spending $10+ on a watered down drink.
Once my friends and I got a bit older we actually just started hanging out at each other’s places. We’d watch movies or a game, order a pizza and split the cost. This has turned out to be way more cost effective – and actually more fun – than going out to a club.
Final Thoughts
Saving money doesn’t mean you need to be a social recluse and avoid having fun. There are plenty of ways to have fun, enjoy your friends and explore events in your town without breaking the bank
Jenn Cartwright
Jenn is the lead credit coach and head of customer success at Credit Secrets.
She transformed her own credit story from a modest beginning into an inspiring tale of financial triumph using the Credit Secrets program.
Originally a customer back in April 2017, she not only soared her scores from the low 400s to the 700s within 6 months using the Credit Secrets program, but also delved deep into the credit cosmos, exploring courses, consumer laws, and even co-hosting webinars with the nation's leading credit expert, John Ulzheimer.
Now, she funnels her passion and expertise into ensuring everyone has access to clear, concise, and actionable information to improve their credit scores and unlocking their financial freedom.
