Weekend Fun without Draining the Bank

The workweek drags on, and for many people, those two little days at the end of the week are the only things that get them through the other five days of misery. Who decided it was a good idea to only have the weekend last two days? Some look forward to going home on Friday and not emerging again until they have to step out the front door Monday morning, but for the rest of us, the weekend is time to get out, and especially, GO OUT.

Weekends are the perfect time to try something new, but it can get expensive fast. Here are some tips on how to still have a great weekend without dishing out cash every second:

Those Who Cook Together Stay Together

Instead of stepping out for a meal with your friends, have them all come over to your place and cook something together. Not only will this give you the opportunity to use some of those recipes you’ve seen on Pinterest, but it also gives you a great time to catch up and have a few laughs.

Just because you are staying in doesn’t mean that it has to look boring. Add some cute dinnerware from places like Pier1, World Market or Macy’s and give the table some pops of color to make it look and feel fancier than your average stay-at-home dinner. If you want to put a smile on all of your friends’ faces, surprise them with either a homemade dessert or a box of chocolate-covered strawberries, like Sharis Berries, and end your night with a bang.  

Move Night Madness

Maybe cooking just isn’t your thing or you want to extend the night with your friends; either way, having a movie night at home is sometimes just what the doctor ordered. Are there advantages to going to the theater? Absolutely! But at home you have the comfort of you own couch and unlimited food and drinks, and there are so many options to give you a great movie experience right at home.

If you have a DVD player, you can rent movies from Redbox for under $2 a night. That means you can rent five movies for the price of one movie ticket. Hello savings! If you are a big movie addict and love the idea of being able to have an instant movie night with your roommates or friends at any time, check out Roku. This way you can stream your existing subscriptions, like Hulu Plus, HBO Go, and Netflix, instantly.

Going Back to the Basics

When is the last time you got a group of friends together and took out a good ole’ fashion board game? College drinking games don’t count. It may sound childish, but spending a night and playing games you loved as a kid not only brings back great memories, but also brings out a competitive side you left behind with childhood.

Make a party out of it. Host a game night at your house/apartment, potluck-style. Everyone can bring food/drinks and then grab their favorite game from childhood. Stores like Target, Walmart, Kmart, and ToyRus have everyone’s pastime favorites at great prices, so no one will have an excuse to not participate. Taking a break from being a grownup for the night is a refreshing change.

Go Clubbing … Book Clubbing, That Is

What a better way to connect with your friends than over a book you all read?  You aren’t going to love every book you read, but by hosting a book club, you’ll stay up to date on popular literature, and it gives you the opportunity to have good conversation.

Also, like hosting a cooking night, you can get cute dinnerware to serve drinks and food with to keep your book club classy, but mostly fun.  You can either get hardcopy books (my personal favorite) or download e-books to your iPad, Kindle, or Nook. Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Half.com always have great inventories for both options!

Going out on the weekend is a great way to relieve the stress of the week and blow off some steam, but when you’re trying to be responsible with your money, it can be overwhelming. Switch it up every once and a while with a night in. Who knows? Maybe one of these ideas will become a regular for you.

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