It’s understandable wanting to be money and budget conscious in the months leading up to the holidays (those holiday cocktails and gifts for family and friends don’t pay for themselves). Just because you’re not spending a lot at the moment though, shouldn’t mean you need to skimp on fun.
Without further ado, here are 7 awesome budget friendly things you can do with friends, family or yourself (self love 2020) that are light on the wallet and good for the soul.
1) Go On a Bar Crawl… At Home
We’ve all been at the rooftop of a fancy bar, sipping on a cocktail, only to realise the next morning that (as nice as it was) the sweet, tropical, little tiki umbrella adorned beverage set us back half a pay check - and no amount of maraschino cherries could ever have made this justifiable.
To avoid leaving a giant hole in your wallet (and soul), skip the luxe bar and watered down cocktails and throw your own pub crawl at home instead - we promise it’s not as bizarre as it sounds. Keeping in mind your city’s current COVID restrictions, invite your pals over and tell them each to bring their preferred drink, and set up each room in your home as a different ‘bar’ to visit throughout the night (Wine bar? Lots of candles! Sports bar? Turn on the TV, there’s a game of something being played somewhere!).
Need help with some inspiration? Check out AmazingCo’s At Home Pub Crawl!
For a budget friendly activity with friends, bring the pub crawl home.
2) Picnic it Up
Yes, okay, we hear you- a picnic is indubitably a relatively universal stock standard activity to do on a budget, and you don’t need us to tell you.
However, we strongly believe it is our civic duty (when informing you of awesome things to do on a budget with friends) to reiterate just how good picnics truly are. Whether you’re feeling fancy or lazy, a picnic in the park (or in your own garden) is a surefire way to keep things light on the wallet, without skimping on fun. Head to a nearby outdoor area, pick up some fresh fruit, olives, baguette, cheese (and wine if you’re so inclined), and rejoice in the sunshine with your nearest and dearest.
Weather not so grand where you live? Not to fear - winter picnics are arguably on par with warmer weather picnics - just make sure to rug up and bring thermoses or hot tea or cider!
If you’re wanting to make more of an event out of the day, check out AmazingCo’s Mystery Picnics here, where you’ll need to solve a number of riddles and clues to get your hot little hands on some mouthwatering gourmet picnic food.
Picnics in the park with friends are synonymous for a budget friendly activity.
3) Throw a Movie Night at Home
Frequenting the cinema for a night out nowadays can set you back roughly the same amount of money you would pay to own a small chateau somewhere in rural France - so in lieu of spending a small fortune, bring the cinema to your humble abode instead.
Set up shop wherever you have the biggest screen (or get comfy in bed) and make sure to dim all the lights and pop some microwave popcorn for a serious cinema-esque atmosphere. While your screen may not be quite as large as the real deal, you also won’t have to endure having the back of your seat kicked by a sugar filled seven year old whose mother’s ice cream opening technique sonically rivals an atomic bomb being dropped.
Consider movie night at home pretty serious business? Check out some top tips here to level up your movie night game.
4) Host an Around the World Potluck
While dining out at a fancy restaurant and having a chef skilfully cook you up a storm of mouthwatering deliciousness is undoubtedly one of life’s greatest pleasures, it’s not exactly a cheap activity. Dinner parties, and more specifically, potluck dinner parties, are the answer to all your hungry yet financially conscious prayers.
Potlucks are great because they involve all your guests (literally) bringing something to the table, translating to more food and less work. While it’s typical to ask everyone to bring their favourite dish, throwing an ‘around the world’ potluck lets you, in a culinary sense, feel like you’re travelling the world. And with such a huge huge variety of cuisines to choose from (Italian! Thai! Chinese! Indian!) there’s sure to be something for everyone.
Host a potluck for an easy and cheap activity to do with friends.
5) Zoom Wine and Cheese Night
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again (and again) - video calls don’t need to be a poor man’s version of physically being with your friends. Overall quality and enjoyment of Zoom or Skype calls (is Skype still a thing?) can be increased considerably by just doing things you would normally do when seeing friends (see our favourite virtual activities here).
This means drinking a coffee together on Zoom, watching a movie together on Netflix Party, or (our personal favourite) taking things to the next level and hosting a wine and cheese night with a group over video call.
Before dialling in, get all your friends to dress up, pour themselves a vino and prepare a platter of antipasto- conversing with each other this way will feel a lot more natural than sitting in the same spot in your pyjamas talking to a screen for an hour.
6) Take a Hike … With a Twist
Road tripping is notoriously fun, and even more so when a budget friendly activity awaits at the destination.
For an outdoorsy, financially-kind experience, head to a national park or hiking region with your friends and bask in the glory of the great outdoors. Instead of solely hiking (not that there’s a single thing wrong with hiking - it is a joyous activity), prepare and print out sheets of paper listed with plants and flowers that can be found in the area, then go on a race to see who can find everything first (winner gets to choose what to listen to on the car drive home).
Wanting to make your road trip as fun as humanly possible? Check out our top tips for road trips blog here.
For a fun budget friendly activity with friends, go on a road trip and hike!
7) Paint and Sip in the Park
If you’re on a budget, heading to the park with your pals and a questionably cheap bottle of wine for some outdoor painting is about as enjoyable an activity you will find.
Now, I know what you very well might be thinking. You’re not an artsy person. You can’t draw to save your life. You don’t own any paintbrushes…. My friends, this is entirely the point. It’s funny attempting to paint when your previous artistic endeavours have all led to works of art reminiscent to that a proud five year old would finger paint and subsequently spill her juice box all over. And it’s even more fun with wine (or a full blown picnic with all the trimmings), sunshine (or multiple blankets) and friends!
And there you have it- our list of 7 awesome things to do on a budget with friends!
