Socialising - what do you lot do?

Seaxwyn

One of my best discoveries has been the local Cycle Forum - the name is misleading, it's just a group of people who go cycling on Tuesday nights in the summer.

We go on rides around the local countryside, always stopping at a local pub, sometimes for a swift half, other times for a major session.

It's completely free, and has a big advantage for female DFWs in that the group is predominantly men and many of them have old-fashioned ideas about who should pay for drinks.

I'd highly recommend it for free socialising. I wasn't a keen cyclist before I started - in fact I hadn't been on a bike in years. Now I love it. It also completely takes my mind off debt for a few hours each week.

sali_mali

I was reading another thread earlier (can't remember who by but it's on Money Saving Old Style) and they had a good idea. They invite a group of friends around once a month - friends supply bottles of wine each or whatever and they cook for them. Then they swap to another friends house the next month. That would be excellent (drunken) fun with the right group!

EDIT: here's the original thread http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=451075

And here's another that will help http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=450699

lizardking

Socialising doesn't always have to be about getting drunk, when I'm saving I usually go out for a few hours with my friends, sticking to pints of fresh orange and lemonade. Still get to enjoy their banter and usually head home when they get to the repeating themself stage.

Its worth checking out any groups or activities around the area like the suggestion of the biking club, I've recently started kayaking and its only £3 each time I'm out with them and they supply the kayak, boyance aid, helmet so theres no initial outlay and its great fun.

janthemum

Since lbm cant remember last time I went out, sad its not as debts will come down then ill be laughing.

Dithering_Dad

As far as excuses to your friends/colleagues go, you don't necessarily have to tell them that you're skint, you can just say that you are saving up for something special such as a new/first home, an amazing holiday in Australia, or even just trying to get some money together to buy a diverse portfolio of shares (though I think my pals would laugh if I tried that one).

I'm lucky at the moment in that my pals seem to have all gotten married and had kids in the last few years, so everyone is watching the pennies and so we socialise by having barbies and house parties, with the kids in one room and we go in the other.

I also have a group of friends from my former employer who I meet up with to go mountain biking. Apart from the cost of getting to the venue, everything else is free.

lynzpower

Ive gone to the pub for pub quizzes- and drank softs - not being drunk improves performance and makes us more likely to win the cash pot or case of ale up for grabs

In summer, picnic, frizzbee a footballl & blanket, cold ciders and sunshine- a few of us pile down, cant wait for weather to get better

Everyone bring some food for a barbie

Big house party , everyone BYO - Ill nip to supermarket buy some crisps- that'll do

Loads of free festivals around london, pack a cool bag check out some free music

Meals round each others houses

Freebie meals out with mystery shopping, free cinema tickets as and when they come up

with the smoking ban coming in - I can see more people doing this sort of socialising as a matter of course

postingalwaysposting

i have never been one for socalising anyway so saving hasnt really effected me. I must add though if i had my last £30 it would be spent on my interent connection, this i cant do without :rotfl:

Helonearth

I think my top tip for nights out is to offer to drive. Your mates will pay for your entry into wherever you are going and buy you soft drinks all night, so it's basically a free night out for you, plus your mates all love you for providing a taxi service!
If you then all go back to one person's place to crash, you even get to have a drink there! I think this is especially good for girls as it means you don't have to worry about dodgy cabs and you know there is a sober friend to make sure you don't do anything silly.

joeblack066

mmmmmmmmm....diet lambrini..........(carb free, yay!!).

Cheapest soft drink in a pub/ club.........Lime and soda.........25 - 40p a time. I can have a whole night out for £2!!

newlywed

What's cherry lambrini - what have I missed and where can I get it????

We have a night in, sometimes get a DVD or a bottle of wine (co-op often have wine on half price offer for about £3 so I just pick one of those)

We also do picnic with friends, go to the park with football, juggling stuff, frisbee etc and just chat, laze about in the sunshine.