Original post: 9/25/22; Updated post: 8/17/24
We know from research that happiness is more often born by spending money on experience and not possessions, with friends and not alone. Here are seven frugal and fun experiences with friends.
1. DIY Taco Bar
Go to your local grocery store and grab your favorite taco ingredients. Get tortilla shells and chips, an assortment of meats and toppings you like to use for your tacos, and the fixings to top them off. Then, designate a table for your smorgasbord and cover it with aluminum foil. Spread your tortilla chips on the aluminum foil and place the meats, toppings, and sauces on the table for a DIY taco buffet. Enjoy!
2. Host a Game Night (board games)
Ask all your friends to come over for a game night and bring their favorite board/card game! You can get creative and get games specific to getting to know people as well! Our favorite, as you can imagine, is Monopoly. There are plenty of great ideas shared by the Game Night Gods in this article: 21 Best Game Night Games for Game Night.
3. Host a Sports Night
Grab your friends and watch your local sports team or watch some sports teams on TV. Spice it up by using these free printable football bingo cards.
4. Go on a picnic
Try to find a secluded area near water, lots of nature, and great views of mountains or cities. Make sure to check the weather beforehand, bring a blanket to sit on, bring the bug spray and sunscreen, and grab food and drinks that will fit the mood.
5. Meet up for a grill out
Plan a grill out with friends. Save money by keeping an eye out for buying meat in bulk and have everyone bring their side dish. Have plenty to do at the BBQ. Lawn games such as cornhole and spikeball are a big hit, and bug spray is a must. Look at The Ultimate Checklist for Hosting a Summer BBQ Party for a detailed list of ideas.
6. Attend Free Concerts
Look up free concerts near you and grab your friends to go to them! Even if you don’t know the artist/bands, experiencing the culture with live music is unlike anything else. Take advantage of the Ticketmaster filtering option for free concert tickets and plan.
7. Grill Out
Plan a night where everyone meets for a grill out. Save money by keeping an eye out for buying meat in bulk and have everyone bring their side dish. Have plenty to do at the BBQ. Lawn games such as cornhole and spikeball are a big hit, and bug spray is a must. Look at The Ultimate Checklist for Hosting a Summer BBQ Party for a detailed list of ideas.
8. Take a Day Hike
I like to use All Trails to look up the best hikes near me. The recommendations can be filtered to include parks, places, trails, and activities.
Follow Modern Husbands
Start, Strengthen, or Rebuild Your Marriage. Our Marriage Toolkit empowers couples with evidence based ideas from 40+ of the nation’s leading experts in managing money and the home as a team.
Winning ideas from experts to manage money and the home as a team. 2023 Plutus Award Finalist: Best Couples or Family Content
Winning ideas to manage money and the home as a team delivered to your inbox every two weeks. You'll even receive a few free gifts!