Just because you’re trying to be careful with money doesn’t mean you have to miss out on a good time with friends. You might think that to save money you have to stop doing all the things you enjoy, but you should still be able to have fun while sticking to a budget. It does take planning, though, and so you have to give a little more thought to how much money you have to spend and what exactly you intend to spend your money on to ensure you don’t waste what little money you have. Thus, a night out with friends may not be quite as spontaneous as before.
One of the reasons for this is that you should decide beforehand how much money you are able to spend without breaking the bank and only take that amount with you. You should leave any debit or credit cards you possess at home, as otherwise you might be tempted to draw some money out of the cash machine when really you should call it a night.
If you’re going out drinking it is amazing how quickly your money can disappear and so instead of buying a round of drinks for everyone you may prefer to buy your own drinks. At least that way you will be able to keep track of how much you’re drinking and therefore how much money you’re spending.
Because it is so expensive to drink in pubs and clubs you may prefer to buy a few cans of lager and bottles of wine that you don’t have to wait until you get into town to drink. It’s obviously much cheaper to purchase alcohol from a supermarket than to buy it in a pub and so you could save yourself some money, especially if you never actually make it as far as the pub!
Alternatively, you could look for cheaper activities to do with your friends on a night out that don’t involve drinking. You could always go out to eat as there are plenty of restaurants that offer special deals and you’re bound to find somewhere that serves food reasonably cheaply, unless you decide to make a home-cooked meal as this will work out even cheaper. You could go to the cinema or stay in and rent a DVD, which again works out cheaper.
It is clear that you don’t have to spend a fortune on a night out with friends to have a good time; you don’t even need to leave the house, which will certainly benefit your bank balance!