When you’re a skint girl, nights out are probably the first thing to go from your budget. They’re not essential, right? Especially when it’s a whole week until payday and you’ve got food and travel to think of. However, just because you don’t have the cash to splash on a new outfit & a bottle of Grey Goose at Mahiki doesn’t mean you can’t go out out. Here are our handy tips for wangling a night out for (almost) no pennies. After all, fun is good for boosting #Supersaver morale, yes? You never know, you might learn how to cut costs and save money on nights out in the future.
Pre drink!
If student poverty taught us anything, it’s pre-drinking. Cheap pre-drinking doesn’t need to be a game of ring of fire using bottle of Tesco Value vodka diluted with own brand squash, before knocking back a ‘dirty pint’ consisting of beer, schnapps and Bailey’s. We might be skint, but we are grown-ups. Why not get your friends round before you go out and split a bottle (or two!) of on-offer wine? You can usually get a decent bottle for around £8…that’s like, £2 each. You can have a good catch up and get a bit merry before heading out for a dance.
Free cab?
Between you and your friends, you’ve probably got a free cab ride or two lurking in your inbox. Companies like Uber offer you a free cab ride for introducing a mate – and what’s more; your mate gets a free ride too. Because you’re all together, drinking that £2 wine, you only need the one cab, right? Your mate books it for free, and then you get a text offering you a free cab as a reward for gaining them a customer. Hey presto, there’s your free ride home!
Plan your clubbing
Loads and loads of places offer free entry before 9/10pm. If you’re getting old, that’s kinda perfect because you’ll be in early enough to nab a table. Also, there’ll be more drinks deals earlier on – if you need any more after the wine!
**Prepare the munchies **
Benjamin Franklin said that there are only two things certain in life: death and taxes. He was mistaken. There is a third. It is certain that you WILL want food at the end of a night out. So, instead of spending £30 on seafood in M&S that you probably won’t eat on the train home, or shoving an over ambitious Just Eat order onto your credit card (which you won’t get to eat, because you’ll fall asleep before it arrives), plan ahead! Make sure you have a stash of delicious carbs (or whatever drunk you craves) at home, ready for when you stumble through the door.
Stay in!
You don’t have to go out, to have a good time, uh huh. Invite your friends over, get everyone to bring a bottle and have a good, old-fashioned house party! Amp up the fun with something like Lucky Voice. Try out their free trial and you could turn your home into a karaoke bar. Although, you might wanna check your neighbours are okay with you screeching ‘Baby One More Time’ at 3am.
If you’re well on your way to becoming a #Supersaver, check your savings are protected! That means if your bank failed for any reason, you'd get your money back automatically - and it's completely free. Find out more at: www.fscs.org.uk/protected
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.