Miss Money Funny: Girls Night Out on the Cheap

by Alyson M. Komyanek

Anyone else feeling the pinch from the tax increase hitting your pocketbook this year? I don’t know about you, but even with my 2% raise this winter, my paychecks are smaller than they were last year! Now more than ever, it’s important to figure out ways to have fun while on a budget, especially when it comes to the often pricey Girls Nights Out.

On a typical night out, a girl-on-a-budget like me has the option to flirt her way to a few drinks. However, this type of behavior is often frowned upon on Girls Nights Out, when you’re expected to “stick with the group” and “not go off man hunting”. Now, for us girls without big paychecks, we need to get creative when it comes to affording these fun but frivolous nights out. So, for all my fellow impoverished readers out there, I have a few tips on keeping ladies nights out within the budget:

Since some of your friends will get upset if you leave the group and flirt your way to inebriation, pick a place that allows you to BYOB. It’s definitely cheaper than paying for the watered down beverages at a bar and your wealthier friends will bring the good stuff to share (of course, be sure to offer them a swig of your discounted vino!).
If your ladies night involves dinner and your friends are all “Ugh, I can’t decide if I want the lobster or the filet mignon” while you’re all “UGH! $20 bucks for a salad?!”, then my suggestion is to make yourself a Poor Man’s Special before heading out.

Poor Man’s Special = Peanut butter + jelly + white bread.

You won’t be as hungry, so you can order yourself a small appetizer or side dish instead of a full entrée. You might even be able to talk one of your friends into going halve-sies on an appetizer with you. If you get hungry later on, you could always make yourself another Poor Man’s Special when you get home.

Now it’s after dinner and the ladies are eyeing up that new expensive bar on the corner (You know the one where the cover charge is equivalent to your car payment? Ouch.) Well, don’t let them talk you into it. Instead, make an even better wallet-friendly suggestion. How about heading back to my place for some games? Or how funny would it be to try on some outrageous outfits at the thrift store across the street? Relive the early 80’s with all the neon and leggings you can find, dress up as the Queen of England or as your favorite TV show character. This will be fun and as an added bonus, you’ll remember it a lot clearer than if you had headed to that bar!

Having grown up on shows like Sex and the City and Friends, having a fabulous apartment in the city while affording extravagant nights out with your friends seemed simple. It’s time to face reality, though. Life isn’t a sitcom; but that doesn’t mean it can’t be as fun as one!