Fun Things To Do With Friends on a $10 Budget

Trust me, it’s never easy to have to be an “adult” in your twenties and try to budget your money. As someone who just turned 30, though, I  can tell you that it doesn’t get any easier in doing so, having to decide between going out with friends on the weekend for the normal debauchery or staying in and watching re-runs of TV shows and old movies. But just because you’re counting pennies until your next paycheck comes in doesn’t mean that you’re stuck doing absolutely nothing all day. Sure, everyone wants to get out of the house and around people, which is why I’m giving you a few things that you and your friends can do with just $10 in your wallet. That might sound absurd, right? Wrong. Keep reading to find out how you can still have fun without dropping a ton of money while doing it. Trust me, you can still have fun by tossing out the credit cards and sticking to this small budget, it just takes some discipline and planning.

8. Play Putt-Putt Golf

Much like you used to do when you were younger, go grab a colored golf ball and generic putter and get some friends to try their luck at a hole-in-one. Instead of dropping big money to play the nice courses for real with real clubs on an 18-hole course, playing putt-putt will not only create some competition between you and your friends, but it will also have you moving around and not thinking about other things or, what some may call, fear of missing out on something else. You may not be spending a lot of money, but you’ll be making good memories with good friends—which is always the best thing to do.

7. Go Thrifting

I know, this might sound a bit “too pedestrian” for you to do, right? Wrong. All of us like new things—even if those new things happen to really just be someone else’s old things. So instead of spending hours going to the mall and trying to find that perfect coffee table or accessory that you need for your living room or bedroom, head to the thrift store and see what they have. While you’re there, don’t be shy in trying on some of the clothes that are hanging on the racks, as there are usually some incredible, vintage tees. Trust me, you’ll find yourself taking pictures with your friends wearing things that can only be described as goofy. Just a few buddies enjoying some good laughs in bright, neon clothes. Nothing wrong with that, right?

6. Buy Your Favorite Groupon

Sure, Groupon’s can range in price, but there are a few on there that you can definitely get on the cheap—trust me, I have a friend who is the Queen of doing it. Keep an eye out for what you really want, like massages or other things that might help you get out of the house and relax. Some of them might be wine tastings that your friends can take part in, too, or tickets to different weekend festivals that are all under your $10 budget. It’s the best time to be out of the house, so don’t waste it in just sitting around, dig deep for your favorite Groupon activity and get to it!

5. Carve a Pumpkin

OK, so this is obviously season-specific, but seeing how it is fall right now, it makes plenty of sense, right? Everyone remembers being young and picking out their favorite bright orange pumpkin to carve, so why not keep the tradition alive? In my opinion, there’s nothing better than taking a Saturday or Sunday afternoon to drive to a pumpkin patch and enjoy the fall foliage and take some pictures of the sun hitting the red, orange and yellow leaves, while getting the best pumpkin around. After making a day-trip, come home and have a carving party with your friends, even cooking the pumpkin seeds to enjoy later that night over a scary movie.

4. See a Movie

Can you tell that a lot of this list is all about just getting out of the house and not counting the minutes tick by every night? For that reason, rather than cozy up on your couch and order another movie on Netflix or on-demand, actually get out and go to a theatre like the good ol’ days when you were in middle and high school. Sure, tickets prices aren’t as cheap as they used to be—with you likely spending a full $10 on your ticket alone—but it’ll get you away from your house and around other people for the night, so take advantage of it.

3. Go Bowling

It might sound silly, but going bowling every once in awhile can be a lot of fun—whether you’re drinking or not. Since I know kids these days like to do most think inebriated, though, I’ll give you the option to get a bunch of cheap alcohol and play a few games at the bowling alley with some friends to get through a usual, lazy night. I’ve done this a few times with friends over the past year or so—especially as the weather gets cooler and rainier outside. It might not be the ideal place to tell people you’re going on a Saturday night, but, trust me, it’s a lot of fun.

2. Sweatpants Saturday

It’s seriously shocking to me that more people don’t take advantage of this “holiday.” OK, so sitting around in sweatpants all Saturday morning and afternoon might not actually be recognized as a holiday, but it should be something that you do quite often with friends. Heck, I do it nearly every single weekend with mine, as a handful of them bring a six pack over and we all chip in for a couple pizzas to drink and eat during football. That might not necessarily be your thing, but it definitely beats posting up at a bar for a couple hours doing the exact same thing—but spending at least $30. Plus, you’ll actually be able to relax and not have to deal with a bunch of people screaming at one of the handful of TVs, so take advantage of your house to entertain people.

1. Go to a Coffee Shop

As a writer, want to know the best thing that I’ve learned about coffee shops over the years—since I work from them every single day? It’s that they really don’t care how long you’re posted up in your seat. Sure, you’re going to have to spend some money on coffee and/or snacks or meals, but that’s always below that $10 budget that you’re aiming for. No joke, when it’s Saturday afternoon and rainy out this fall, don’t just sit around and do nothing inside all day, grab your laptop or call up your friends and waste a few hours at your local roasterie. You may become a bit cliche, but it’s actually pretty chill—and cheap!

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