If you have friends with whom you have always spent lots and lots of money, going to the mall, out to dinner or taking expensive vacations, curbing your spending while in their company can be very hard.

I have found that many of my friends wish they would spend less money on drinks and partying, but they say something like ”I work like crazy in Paris, I deserve a break from my crazy job”. The job pays well, but you spend so much in fun and entertainment that at the end of the month little is left on your account. While I love meeting with friends, every time I come back home it is hard to go out with every one on a smaller budget than them.

I like inviting and being invited once in a while too, so if I am picking up the tab, I want value for the time I just spent. What I saw from my friends is simply that they are out of ideas when it comes to having a good time without busting your budget.

One solution is simply to offer alternatives to your expensive outing. Suggest a picnic in the park in summer, or a BBQ at home, if you want a change of scenery you can hike in a nearby national park or go to the swimming pool. In winter, a potluck dinner and board game night is very enjoyable.

Try to always have something in mind if your friends want to go out. They suggest a movie at the theater, why not rent one from Netflix and have homemade popcorn instead? I enjoy making pizza, and people enjoy coming over for pizza at my place. Have more social options listed too, like a music festival, or a museum you would like to go to. Staying at home all the time feels lonely. If you keep people entertained, they will not have the need to spend money on trips to the mall or expensive meals.

My ideas include and are not limited to:

If you are staying home

Rent a movie and pop some corn

Make a special dish, like sushi or pizza, for everyone

Have a ”make your own pizza party” where you prepare some dough and then everyone puts the topping on his pizza, and you bake and share one at a time.

Same thing for Pad Thai, sushi and any exotic dish that requires a bit of preparation, not too much cooking, and that friends will be glad to prepare together.

Game night

Potluck dinner

Barbecue in the garden

With kids, a night watching the stars and learning about astronomy

With adults, a night about one’s passion, photography, card reading, anything that one can teach and the others can enjoy learning. One of my uncles is a specialist in oil-mining. Not a subject anyone would relate too, but he gave many family conferences over the years!

If you are going out