All too often, our society equates having lots of money with having fun. It can be difficult to think of maintaining a social life while being on a budget. When you are faced with limited funds for movies, concerts, restaurants and a slough of other costly activities, creativity is necessary when planning outings with friends.
A few years ago, I served in AmeriCorps, a U.S.-based volunteer program. Every two weeks, I received a very modest living stipend that often covered the bare necessities, leaving little expendable cash. I had to adjust my spending habits to match this newly reduced income, which supported me through my 10-month AmeriCorps contract.
I was surprised to discover, although I was living off less money than I had made so far in my career, my social life thrived more than it ever had. I was spending more time with friends than I had when I worked a traditional (salaried) job with a higher income.
I learned a lot about myself during my AmeriCorps service and explored new opportunities I wouldn’t have if I’d had a bigger budget at the time. Some of the budget-friendly things my friends and I discovered were:
- Community calendar – Most cities and even many small towns have a community newspaper with a calendar of events, many of them free. My friends and I have found tons of random free activities through these calendars, including reiki sessions, poetry slams, movie screenings and yoga sessions.
- Museums – Check your local art, science and history museums for special admission days. Many offer a free or reduced entrance fee once a month. If museums aren’t usually your scene, they are still worth a look, as live music and food tastings are common.
- Meetup.com – This site is fantastic for finding free things to do and for making friends. There are groups for virtually every activity you can think of, and many do not charge a membership fee. I have seen meetups for hiking, scrapbooking, practicing foreign languages, recreational sports, political discussion groups, cooking classes, etc.
- State parks – Getting friends together for a hike in your local state park is the perfect way to spend a sunny day. If you all are looking for a cheap weekend getaway, consider camping. Many parks offer free camping sites or charge under $20 a night. Split between several friends, the camping fee becomes nominal for each person in the group. Late night talks around the campfire with my friends are some of my all-time favorite memories.
There are many reasons why you may wish to cut down on spending costs besides necessity. Perhaps you want to establish an “emergency fund” in case your car breaks down. Maybe you are considering saving for a down payment to purchase a house. You may even be cutting down on spending as an exercise in personal growth or an opportunity to eschew materialism in favor of exploring meaningful activities that don’t include a price tag.
Whatever your reason for sticking to a budget, reexamining your spending habits and how they factor into your social life is a worthwhile venture in self-reflection. You and your friends may discover interests you didn’t know you had. Your friendships might even strengthen as you find more meaningful ways to hang out. Give a week of budget-friendly socializing a try. You may find yourself with more friends – and money!
Editor(s): Katy Macek
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