Spending time with your friends is important. According to the Professor’s House blog article, women need to relax and unplug from the stress of their daily house or work obligations. When I first started paying off debt and cutting expenses, the first thing I cut was entertainment. I was miserable since I said no to practically everything. I hung out with friends less which made me even more depressed. Now looking back at it, I would have changed how I approached things. Instead of saying no, I should have suggested budget-friendly girl night outings. I would have been able to stay in touch and still stay focused to pay off $72,000 of debt all on one income in less than two and half years. So, here are a few reasons and ideas on how to set up a seasonal besties bucket list on a budget.
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Why set up a Seasonal Besties Bucket List?
You’re probably wondering why you need to set up a Besties Bucket List in the first place. Even before I cut my entertainment budget to save money, I rarely got together with friends. We weren’t purposely avoiding each other. Life just happened. We were busy with careers, school, family, and kids. When we decided to hang-out, it took forever to schedule a date and figure out what we were doing. Needless to say, most of our get-togethers were lunch or dinner plans, nothing too adventurous. Now, don’t get me wrong. I loved hanging out and dining out with my besties, but we were in a rut.
So one of my besties suggested creating a besties bucket list after reading my post on creating a budget seasonal bucket list. After another session of endless texts trying to figure out when we were all available to meet, I decided to pitch the idea to my friends. Why not combine one of my favorite things to do, creating a seasonal bucket list, and planning time with my besties? So, we created our very first seasonal besties bucket list for 2020 at our last dinner date. We brainstormed one thing to do each season and blocked off our schedules months in advance. It was easy to stay focused since we only had to pick one new thing to try each season.
The best part is that you can plan months in advance, and block off your schedule. Calculate how much you think you’ll need and start saving. When the month comes, remember to budget it into your zero-based monthly budget and use cash envelopes to stay on budget.
Read these posts on how to create seasonal budget-friendly bucket lists and Fall bucket list ideas:
- Seasonal Budget Bucket List
- Budget-Friendly Pumpkin Fall Bucket List
- Frugal Fall Apple Bucket List
- Spooky Frugal Fall Bucket List
Download the free Besties Bucket List printable by filling out the form below. Share this idea and fill it out with all of your friends.
Frugal Winter Ideas
- Get together and bake cookies for a cookie swap.
- Craft ornaments together. Find a DIY frugal ornament tutorial on Pinterest. Check out my Debt-Free Christmas Pinterest board for some ideas.
- Drive around and look at holiday lights. Pile up in a car, bring some hot chocolate, and reminisce about the good old days while creating some fun new memories.
- Go to a holiday festival. Find discounted tickets on Groupon, or find a free festival that you can walk around and see the sights for free. My friends and I mostly catch up on what’s going on in our lives, so this is the perfect way to get in some exercise and try something different.
- Have a chick-flick movie night in. Watch your favorite holiday chick-flick movies like The Holiday or Four Christmases, or any Hallmark holiday movie for that matter.
Frugal Spring Ideas
- Decorate Easter eggs. Who says decorating eggs is only for kids?
- Have a picnic. Spring is the perfect time to get together at the park. Have a potluck picnic, bring some wine, and gab to your heart’s content.
- Go bike riding. Spring is the perfect time to take advantage of the warmer weather and get outdoors.
- Go for a hike. This is a great way to catch up and get in some exercise at the same time.
- Have a good old fashioned girl’s sleepover.
Frugal Summer Ideas
- Go to the beach and hang out for the day.
- Meet up and share a banana split or a smoothie. Who says you have to meet for a meal? Meeting for a quick summer drink or dessert is a great way to sneak in some time when everyone’s schedules are jam-packed.
- Have a game night outdoors. Break out games like Cards Against Humanity or 5 Second Rule.
- Sign up for a charity walk. You’ll raise money for a good cause while spending time together.
- Have a good old fashioned girl sleepover, make smores, and watch chick flicks.
Frugal Fall Ideas
- Visit a pumpkin patch. Who says you have to lug your kids along? Hang out, walk around, and enjoy the Fall weather.
- Decorate pumpkins. To make it less messy, pick up craft pumpkins from your local craft store.
- Get together at your local coffee or tea house and get a fancy Fall drink.
- Make caramel apples. Here’s a recipe that I tried. It would have been much easier if I had help, and much more fun to sample with friends.
- Have a good old fashioned girl sleepover and watch some scary flicks from back in the day.
Final Thoughts on Besties Bucket List on a Budget
Getting together with friends is tough, especially when you’re watching your budget and paying off debt. Even if you’re not strapped for cash, it’s hard to coordinate everyone’s schedule and plan new things to do. Creating a besties seasonal bucket list is a great way to make spending time with friends a priority. Download the free besties seasonal bucket-list and check out some of the frugal suggestions for each season. Get together with your besties and have fun making a list together.
Please share how you’ll use this besties bucket list with your friends. I can’t wait to hear about it.
