I spend 3-4 nights out per week with my friends. These come to hefty restaurant bills, bar tabs and cab fare when all is said and done. Usually I’ll spend $25 or $30 each night which will come to about $75-$90 after three nights out. Add in a brunch the next day and I might spend more than $100 on a weekend, which adds up to roughly $400 mo.
Wait a second, $400 PER MONTH?
Now before you put your judgy-mcjudgerson pants on, it never seems like that much as it happens. I mean, with your average restaurant plate costing about $15 and a glass wine or a beer costing about $6 to $9, it’s really easy to get the bill to $30. Frankly $30/night out is practically a frugal choice! In any case, when attempting to reign in the budget, entertainment, particularly dining out, is one of the easier categories to make adjustments to.
But are there ways to scale it back? Sure you can always opt for cheaper restaurants or closer venues so you don’t pay for a taxi. Going out for specials (ie. 1/2 wine night) or taking advantage of liquor sales and champagne offers to host a party at home will also put money back in your pocket. If you insist on the dining-out experience but don’t want the bill, I’ve heard some PF bloggers suggest eating at home and then just meeting your friends at the restaurant and having water while they all order and spend money around you. Personally, I feel like that tops the weird scale for frugality, but I’m a YOLO blogger so maybe I just don’t know better.
Lately I’ve been going sober one or two nights out. Taking alcohol off my restaurant bill has saved a lot of money, and I’ve found my enjoyment of a night of dancing isn’t diminished and the next morning is certainly easier. My friends and I have also started hosting one weekly girl’s night at a person’s home instead of a restaurant once a month. These are small actions, but they’re probably saving me $100 month and I don’t have to give up any fun (as you know, I can’t say no to fun).
Now if spring can just arrive so I can get back to walking everywhere and stop paying for cabs..
We used to spend a ton on going out. We don’t go out as much as we used to, but that’s probably a good thing! :)
I have scaled back on going out mainly because I now prefer to interact with a small group of people, and enjoy sharing a bottle of wine at home while we chat and can hear each other clearly. Once in a while, we would go out but not as much as right out of college. Most friends have families so the added cost of a baby sitter is quite high just to go have a drink.
Your spending seems about average. I budget ~$200 for restaurants then ~$100 for booze a month, which totals close to your spending. As long as you can afford it, I don’t see it being an issue. For me, those two categories make up less than 10% of my monthly income so I don’t see a reason to sacrifice it right now. You are responsible with your money so I am sure if you lost your job or were in dire straights, you would change your “going out” spending as needed.
I usually take a flask with me. I still buy a drink or two, but the flask comes in handy and almost always has better quality stuff in it anyways. Of course, having a baby has kept us from going out as much since it becomes a hassle to find a baby sitter.
Going out dancing is definitely not my idea of a good time anymore – not at the ripe old age of 30! =) But when it was, I probably saved a decent chunk of change by being DD a lot of the time. It wasn’t specifically for $-saving purchases, more about not enjoying alcohol and wanting friends to be safe, but it made a big difference… and no one had to pay for cabs, either!
I budget about $50 when I go out to eat, but knowing I’ll spend closer to $75 because I’ll want an appetizer and a dessert.
That doesn’t include alcohol because I don’t drink…..
I also find that with purchases like that in general, I keep saying to myself: That stuff never happens .. it’s a one-off
But it ALWAYS happens and I keep saying it’s a one-off (like buying household equipment, pots and pans, etc)…..
I’ve learned to just budget for it.
I used to party on the cheap when I lived in Spain, as 20€ could be enough for a night on the town and the cabfare home. Now I don`t go out nearly as much as I used to, as 14€ beers and 15€ for a glass of wine are the regular. But one way to part on the cheap is to become a regular at a place. My friends and I have been to this bar/ pub which has excellent food for about 4 years now, and we´ve gotten to know the bartenders, so now we get discounts on the alcohol!:D
Me not drinking for 2 weeks has already saved me a lot of money. Usually instead of going out for dinner with friends, we just do drinks. It’s a bit cheaper. Otherwise we stay in and get a cheap bottle of wine and some chips. But I definitely agree with being the person out when everyone orders dinner and you just get a water. I had a friend do that once and it kind made it the most awkward dinner ever.
Cutting back on the alcohol is definitely the easiest way to save when going out. Not to mention drinking less keeps you from making “bad decisions” you’ll later regret :)
Hey I’m all for if one can afford it go for it if that’s they way one wants to spend their money but don’t whine about debt when you can’t pay for it. I have mates like that.. who drink a case of beer on the weekend but complain they can’t pay the bills, really? I wonder why. I don’t think I’d hang out with my mates and order water I’d simply say, no mate I can’t go. If I went out every time my mates went out I’d be broke because I have circles of mates that don’t hang out together. So I have to be wise with my money and know when enough is enough. Having a good time is great but the money has to be there or this guy isn’t going out. I’d rather stay home and have friends over, likely would save us all money lol.
We usually don’t go out to eat with friends. Unless it’s the once a year IHOP. Everyone else is to broke. We just party at each other’s home and bring snacks and eat beforehand. It’s fun nevertheless.
We go out to one or two expensive dinners a month, all budgeted for, of course :)
And having a get together at home can definitely same some dough. But it really doesn’t replace getting out of the house. As a maried dude with a kid, I’m not one to go out clubbing and bar hopping, so that probably saves me a chunk of change every month. But if I find a great restuarant with good food and a great Pinot Noir, I practially empty my wallet on the table!
For us, though, we always split meals (portions are always so big), we split wine tasting, and we usually eat dessert at home. When we have a get together, it’s usually are our place, so we make a main dish, other’s bring over the rest, including drinks.
My young co-worker brings a small bottle of vodka in her giant purse and adds it to all her drinks. It’s tacky but I love it. Why not?
I also agree with Jacob to split meals. Greg and I almost always split something!
I recently started working at a bar for some extra cash, as my regular job slows down quite a bit over the winter. Although I had my reservations at first, I have to say the real benefit is that I always have somewhere fun and lively to be on Friday nights and many Saturdays, with a DJ and lots of free drinks (customers love to buy bartenders shots) – and not only that, but I actually leave with about $100 more in my pocket than when I arrived! The downside is that sometimes I have to work when there are other fun things I could be doing, but I actually feel my social life (and my financial one) is much improved since starting the bartending gig.