Another way to save is to figure out what you love, and see if there is a cheaper way to get it. Everyone mentions how expensive coffee is and how much cheaper it is to make it at home. Boring, right? It doesn’t have to be. You can crush ice from your fridge (it gets out frustration very nicely) or buy a tasty flavored syrup from a big box store and use it to make a mocha frap. You can even get a pretty cheap milk frother to make it extra fancy.
That’s just one example. Instead of meeting friends at a restaurant and chipping in for an expensive meal, have a rotating dinner at each others’ places, pot-luck style. Cook together to make it even more fun if you have the room. A night at the movie theater can be $40 for two people, but watching something on a streaming service is a cheaper option. Are you regularly seeking a spiritual advisor? Instead, what about your friends chipping in for tarot cards and learning to read them for each other? Get a multipack of facial masks/some fun nail colors, and have a spa night where you slice up cucumbers and strawberries in a water pitcher. Boom! DIY spa water.
Lots of malls and parks do community movie nights in the summer with a big projection screen. Some restaurants have a paint and drink night each week where they supply brushes, paint, and canvases, and you just buy a couple of glasses of wine. And speaking of wine, see if any of your local liquor stores have tastings so you can see which less expensive ones taste good. That way, you’re not shelling out the dough just for the pretty label.
