Hanging out with friends is a great way to have a good time without spending too much money. But if you and your friends are used to constantly going out to restaurants, pubs, or trendy clubs when you’re together, you can change your schedule just a little bit to change things up a bit and save money at the same time .
No matter where you live, whether in a big city or in the provinces, there are plenty of fun activities to do with friends that don’t cost much.
If you’re having a hard time convincing your friends, be upfront with them and tell them straight up that you can’t spend that much budget on going out — or let them pay for you either.
But here are 20 cool alternatives you can offer them to have a good time together without losing your savings.
These ideas should help you get everyone on board: they’re all fun, fun, can be done anywhere, and really don’t cost much.
And above all, they allow you to focus on what is really important: the essential is never what you do or where you do it (and even less the money you have spent to do it! ) but rather the quality of the time we spent together.
What matters is having a good time, laughing together, having fun, listening to music, dancing, letting go, clearing your head away from the daily routine, tell anecdotes or the latest gossip from work and above all, to share.
According to a study, laughing with friends makes you happier than getting married or going on vacation . In other words, these moments with friends are very important for your well-being. All the more reason to focus on the moments spent together and the giggles exchanged rather than the restaurant or the last trendy bar that you tested together.
Now that you are convinced that a cheap activity to do with friends is more than enough, as a program, discover right away 21 nice and cheap things to do with your friends to have fun , have a good evening and have fun with friends to build memorable memories:
1. Make an escape game at home with a downloadable kit that you just have to print out to be able to start installing the game. There are kits dedicated to children that allow you to dive into a varied and very exotic game world. If your kids dream of playing pirates, wizards, imagining they are superheroes, doing a heist or getting ready to fly off into space, this is really the ideal activity to entertain them! Obviously, these escape game kits are available for adults and can liven up a great evening with friends for very fun and original moments with loved ones.
2. Participate in an indoor blind test. Do you always listen to music when you are with friends, do you love to discover new songs between you and do you like to take part in quizzes? In this case, why not take part in a blind test with friends in the dining room to test your musical knowledge, have fun playing music and have a laugh together? Blindtests are more and more popular, but require time and a lot of organization if you want to organize one yourself. By playing a blind test indoors, you can take advantage of a setting worthy of a television set, with a desk and a buzzer in front of you, and all you have to do is slip into the skin of a candidate to buzzer faster than his shadow, without forgetting to sing whenever we feel like it of course. What is pleasant is that in addition to creating a good atmosphere, the musical titles are varied enough to please everyone. Title, artist, as soon as you guess one or the other, you get points… unless you manage to get jokers. What is certain is that after a blindtest with friends, we will have only one desire: to do it again as soon as possible!
3. A dinner together. Organize a dinner with friends and ask everyone to bring a dish to share. It will save you a lot of time in the kitchen, it’s very user-friendly and it’s perfect for those who don’t know how to cook or who have a very small kitchen. You won’t need to prepare much while your guests are there, you will just have to reheat the dishes a little, and it will also be an opportunity to discover new cool recipes!
4. A spa day at home. Manicure each other. Try new hairstyles. Make yourself a face mask or try this homemade scrub recipe . You can also try relaxing massages, try yoga postures if one of you is taking a yoga class, all while listening to some music in the background. And don’t forget to drink a good aperitif!
5. A series marathon. Log in to your Netflix account and watch all episodes of Orange is the New Black from the beginning. Or choose a series of old movies that you love. Prepare some popcorn, and let’s go for an entertaining afternoon or evening!
6. Test DIYs. You know all those super cool Do It Yourself things that you keep seeing on Facebook or Pinterest and that you’ve been wanting to do for months? Well, really do them for an evening with your friends! All you have to do is buy some equipment or gather some scrap material and you’re good to go. And don’t forget to also try making those ham rolls and Nutella star you all drooled over last week!
7. Go to the park. Prepare a gourmet picnic, enjoy the sun and the good weather and have a good time together! It often does not take more to have a great time. The huge advantage is that you will benefit from the sun’s rays, you will not have to do any housework and you will be able to make noise without risking disturbing the neighbours! It is the perfect activity for those who have small apartments and no terrace to enjoy the good weather. Going to the park with your friends is even better: you will have even more space, and you can even take advantage of it to play a game of football or lie down in the grass to chat quietly.
8. Do some tidying up. Set aside a day each weekend that follows to go to each other’s houses and help each other sort out a closet, a room, a garage, whatever. Put on some music, prepare good things to eat and drink, and barter things between you.
9. Have a flea market. After all that tidying up, why not have a flea market together? It’s a great opportunity to spend a good day together and make some money!
10. Go to an outdoor concert. In summer, many free concerts are organized, often in parks. Go with your friends! Enjoy the music and bring a picnic to share. It’s a great way to unwind after a long summer day at the office.
11. Play board games. Break out the Harry Potter Dobble , the Yatzee, the Time’s Up and the Taboo. Laughter guaranteed! And what’s great is that you can find new games to play together every week, because when it comes to board games, there’s just so much to choose from!
12. Have a video game tournament. Board games not really your thing? In this case, what if you organized all kinds of video games for both young and old? Organize a real tournament and compete against each other.
13. Play a game of soccer, basketball, tennis or badminton. Most parks have sports fields that you can use for free when there are no games. Just remember to bring your ball, and the matches between friends are yours!
14. Go camping for a few days. It’s cheap and it’s an opportunity to spend a great holiday together on a small budget while discovering a new place and fun activities.
15. Take walks in the woods. Again, it costs nothing, but it’s a great idea for getting some fresh air, taking a break in nature and recharging your batteries with friends. The more adventurous can of course draw inspiration from this giant Escape Game Tomb Raider in the middle of the forest to prepare puzzles, answer questions or try to find the way without a plan.
16. Take a bike ride . Next time the weather is nice, head out for a long walk in the great outdoors.
17. Play bocce.
18. Go on a guided tour of your city. Most cities have a historic district that deserves to be discovered. Go and inquire at the tourist office to find out more!
19. Organize a fun game where you all have to take a picture of a stop sign, a bicycle storage, a blue gate, a red mailbox… Make two teams and then give yourself two hours to try to find everything. The first to find the whole list win! (why not the right to skip their turn of the dishes or to be served dinner).
20. Note the free days at the museum. There are several times a year for most museums in France, and it’s the perfect time to go on a cultural outing without paying for your entrance ticket!
21. Start a book club, cooking club, knitting club, or arts and crafts club , whatever, as long as it’s something you and your friends enjoy. I have a friend who started a cooking club with her friends. Each month, one of them receives everyone and cooks a dish from a foreign country. It can be an opportunity to discover new dishes, new combinations of flavors and new spices, all while having fun!
22. Playing cards. Poker, tarot, rummy, belote, card games are always an opportunity to have a good time together and are perfect for winter days, summer days or rainy afternoons!
