How do you spend your time with your friends

10 Ways to Spend Time With Friends (Even When You Have Too Much to Do)

Free time today is sacred, a precious commodity that so many of us worry about spending well. Too often, the time we have outside the office is polluted by the anxiety of getting the necessities done: laundry, exercise, grocery shopping, sleeping, and prepping for the next day. With all these things to do, finding time for yourself is hard, but making time for your friends is even harder.

The thing is, making time to nourish our friendships is important for our health, happiness, and overall life balance. Luckily, spending quality time with friends can be productive personal time as well. You may not be able to simultaneously veg out on the couch and get in a workout (as so many of us wish we could), but you can definitely hang with your bestie and check off your to-do list at the same time. That’s right, you can have your friends and clean laundry, too!

Here are ten ideas to help you amp up the «quality» in quality time.

01. Throw an ‘Inbox Zero’ party.

Yes, those thousands of emails will be organized, categorized, filed, or deleted. Going through with friends can be a creative way to make something painful actually fun. Read ridiculous subject lines and reminisce about your past, all while in the company of your BFFs. Need a strategy to wipe out the excess? Try one of these tips from Inc.

02. Work out together.

Arrange for a friend to meet you at the track, trail, gym, or yoga studio, and check that exercise box together. This two-birds-with-one-stone approach gets endorphins flowing from both the exercise and the companionship. Another great aspect of arranging after-work exercise dates is that you get to skip the early morning workout and sleep in for a change.

03. Cook dinner for the week.

What’s better than having a home-cooked meal and lots of leftovers for the week? Plan a cooking night together to catch up and create a delicious meal that will last you throughout the week.

04. Organize a clothes swap.

Host a clothes swap. You and your girlfriends most likely have piles of clothes you want to get rid of, so organize a party for exchanging. You can donate the remaining clothes to a local women’s shelter or other charitable organization afterward, such as Dress for Success.

05. Go to a TED Talk.

Most of us have “stay in touch with the world” or something along those lines on our to-do lists. If you’re looking to stay in touch, attend a TED Talk—or any other local panel or talk—with a friend. This is a great opportunity to learn something new, practice your small-talk/mingling/networking skills, and spend quality time with a friend all at once.

06. Host a nail night.

That polish you’ve had on your toes has seen better days, probably in part because it can be a little boring to give your toes the TLC they need (there’s nothing wrong with some quality magazine time though!). Hitting up the salon is always a great group event, or better yet, do it yourself at home. Have everyone bring a bottle, and finally test out some of those trends you’ve been eyeing on Pinterest.

07. Volunteer.

Another more aspirational thing on our to-do lists is to get involved in our community and volunteer—unfortunately this is the item that most often falls by the wayside. Get a friend to commit a day to work at a soup kitchen or nursing home. Or just grab a trash bag and some gloves with your girls, and go out into your neighborhood for a couple hours of beautification. It will feel great to finally do those good deeds you’ve been thinking of, and your friends will be happy you recruited them, too.

08. Have a yard sale.

This is a great way to get rid of all the stuff that might not be junk but that you really just don’t need. Get a bunch of your friends to pool all that “stuff”—wonky Ikea tables and old college cutlery—for a one-weekend extravaganza. It will be a bit of a project, but when the day is done, you will feel clutter-free and have a little extra cash or maybe even a new tradition to share with your friends.

09. Plan a reading date.

We all wish we had more time to read. Well, set aside a night for it, and do it with friends. Find a cozy spot, and bring a book for fun. Better yet, get started on the same book, and make it an impromptu book club.

10. Start a monthly Laundromat meeting.

You might have a washing machine at your place, but the huge ones at the coin wash can do some serious washing and drying for big-ticket items such as sheets, comforters, throw blankets, and pillow covers. According to the American Cleaning Institute, you should be doing your sheets every two weeks, so rather than waiting with a crossword solo, grab a friend, bring a board game, and sit together while they wash.

What to do if you’re spending too much time with a friend

I had a friend I used to hang out with almost every day. I didn’t mind it at first, but after a while, I started to get more and more annoyed by small things he did. Eventually, we grew apart.

1. Learn how much time is normal to spend with a friend

It’s not bad to spend time together in itself. It’s just that it can increase the risk to get annoyed with someone. The more time you spend together, the more annoyances can grow.

Here are my guidelines for what’s a healthy upper level of time to spend with a good friend.

What’s normal in childhood/teens

Say that you see each other 6 hours per day in school. (If you’re in school for 8 hours, you might be together for 6 of those). Together with that, you see each other 1 hour after school and 2-3 hours on the weekends.

If you’re seeing someone this much, and you still want to spend even more time with them, there is a risk they might feel that you’re too overbearing or needy. In that case, it can be good to take a step back so they get some room to do other stuff in their life.

What’s normal in adulthood

Say that you see each other 4 hours per day at work. On top of that, you see each other half an hour after work or on weekends (taking a coffee, etc).

Or, you don’t meet the person at work. Instead, you meet up once or twice during weeks for a coffee and a chat and then maybe do an activity for 1-2 hours on the weekend.

If you’re seeing your friend for this much time already, asking to see them even more can feel like too much for them. They might feel like they don’t have time for other stuff they want to do. In that case, take a step back and let them initiate next time.

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As we grow older, we usually spend less time with friends and get pickier with who we spend our time with. This is normal.

“I’m spending far less than this amount of time together but it still feels like too much!”

Then there might be an imbalance in your friendship:

Someone is taking up more space than the other, someone’s more high energy, someone’s more negative than the other, someone speaks more about themselves or has an annoying habit, etc. More on this in step 4.

“What if I spend more time together than this?”

I have friends who I click so well with that we can spend hours together at the end. These are friends where I have almost no “friction”: There’s nothing in particular that annoys me about them.

If you start getting annoyed about small things with someone, that’s a sign your relationship could improve if you spent a bit less time together. It could also be a sign that you need to talk about those annoyances so that they don’t grow bigger. (I write about HOW to bring up with someone that you want to limit your time in step 10)

2. Find new friends if you only have a few to be with

When I was younger and only had 1 or 2 good friends, I often found that I spent too much time with them. (Simply because I didn’t have many other options.) This was bad because it strained the few friendships I did have. I become too needy and demanding.

What I did was making it my top priority to make more friends. If you have more friends, you don’t need to spend as much time with each one of them.

Actively trying to improve my social skills and build a social circle has been the best choice of my life:

When you have many friends to choose from, you never have to hang out with someone just because they’re your only option.

EVERYONE can learn to be really good at making friends. Even though I thought that I was born socially inept, I eventually became really good at making friends.

Types of friends you don’t want to spend too much time with

3. Spend only quality time and cut down on other interaction

If you work, go to school, or live with your friend, it’s hard to avoid spending a large amount of time with them.

If you work together or live together, or both, you need to set up boundaries for a healthy relationship. Especially if you find yourself becoming more and more annoyed with this person as time goes on. In this case, you might be a great fit personality-wise, but you are spending way too much time together.

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(Personally, I avoid sharing apartments with my best friends because I don’t want to strain those friendships)

Here’s what I’d recommend:

Ask yourself when you DO enjoy spending time with this friend.

Perhaps when you’re around others, or when you do a certain activity? Make sure to spend time during that time, and cut down on interaction during other times whenever possible.

If this doesn’t apply to your situation or doesn’t work, I talk about how to bring up with your friend that you spend too much time together in step 10.

4. Limit all time with friends who annoy you

Do you appreciate your friend, but have small annoyances with their personality or manners?

We can call all of those points friction. Differences aren’t necessarily bad – they are what makes it fascinating to meet people. But it can be bad to spend too much time with a friend you don’t like anymore.

If this is the case, you can try limiting time with this friend to just once a month.

That’s usually enough time for me to forget about small annoyances with someone so I can meet them on a fresh page.

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Another strategy is to only spend time with this person when others are around. This way you don’t have to give up the friendship, you will still be “protected” by the shelter of others without spending much time together.

The third alternative is to bring up with your friend what annoys you. This is difficult, and personally, I’ve had both good and bad outcomes. I have one friend who’s very attentive. I told him in a sincere, non-confrontational way that I thought his jokes were too vulgar. He picked up on that and stopped immediately.

Another friend talked way too much about herself and wasn’t very interested in others. She wasn’t self-aware enough to see the problem. As a result, I started seeing her less and less and our friendship dissolved. In step 10 I share how to bring up with your friend what annoys you.

5. Have a talk with a friend who picks on you or is toxic

What if your friend is toxic – that is, making you feel bad about yourself by picking on you or making you feel less valuable? Toxic people can still be charismatic and fun to hang out with, but you want to avoid contact with someone who’s making you feel bad about yourself.

I had a friend like this when I was younger. He wasn’t always nice to me, but I was afraid to lose him because I didn’t have many others to hang out with.

6. Think about if the friendship is mostly good or bad for you

Take a moment and recollect the last time you and your friend hung out. What did you do? In this exercise, it’s important to focus on your feelings, rather than the details. So it’s okay if you can’t remember everything as it happened.

Try and remember how you FELT while you and your friend hung out. Was the feeling positive or negative? How did you feel afterward? Did you spend most of your time together arguing over small things, or did you laugh and feel supported by one another?

If your feelings were overall negative, that’s a sign you spend too much time together, or that you need to end the friendship with that person and find other friends. Your choices here are to try talking with your friend or expand your social circle so you’re less dependant on the friend

7. Put up boundaries if your friend has a big personality

I have some friends who I can only spend a small amount of time with. These friends are wonderful people, but their personalities are so big it’s hard to be around them constantly. This doesn’t mean they are bad people or that our friendship is a failure. This just means I respect my happiness enough to limit time with this person.

Just because your friend has a big personality doesn’t mean you need to stop hanging out with this person entirely. Make the decision to see this friend in small doses.

First, decide what small doses mean to you. What does that look like? Does this mean you see them once a week, or once a month? Only you can answer this question for yourself.

Once you have decided what a small dose means for you and your friend, start putting up healthy boundaries and limit the time you spend with your small dose friend. Here’s how to talk to your friend about it.

8. Bring up your worries if you think you annoy your friend

If you think your friend is annoyed about spending too much time with you, talk to them about it. If this is a good friendship, you should be able to talk openly about this without getting into a fight. Suggest grabbing a coffee and ask this person what’s been on their mind.

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I’d also recommend you to ask yourself if you do something that might put your friend off?

Here’s the list from earlier in this guide. Are there any times you can recall…

If you have a feeling that you do something that annoys you, ask your friend. Over the years I’ve asked my friends the following question. It’s effective because it “forces“ them to tell you the truth.

“If you had to say SOMETHING that I do that can be annoying, what would that be?”

“If you had to say SOMETHING that I could improve socially, what would that be?”

These questions are natural if you talk about social interaction or someone else who annoys you, or you can just bring it up from the blue if you don’t get any other option. A few minutes of awkwardness is OK to save a friendship.

Before you ask it, be prepared to accept the answer. Don’t argue with it, don’t make explanations. Your friend has just given you what they see as the truth, even if it’s super tough to hear at times.

I’ve usually felt low a few days after hearing the “truth” like this from friends, and then I’ve been able to work on it and improve and come out better than ever before. (This helped me save several of my friendships.)

9. Give your friend practical examples to share how you feel

Talking with a friend can be tough. As I’m in my 30s I’m old enough to have had a fair share of tough conversations with friends. Here’s what I’ve learned:

It doesn’t always work to talk. It comes down to how emotionally mature they are. If your friend is rational and emotionally available it’s likely to work. If they’re not, I would still try talking with them but build my social circle so I’m less dependent on them.

Never be confrontational. That just makes them defensive and before you know it you’re the bad person.

Give practical examples and be precise. Don’t say “can you stop being annoying” – how are they supposed to improve from that?

Here’s how I told a friend that I didn’t like the way he joked:

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“This is a detail but it’s still something I’ve been thinking about. Last time when you joked, you said [giving example] and I think it was a bit over the top. You probably didn’t even think about it, but it made me feel a bit uncomfortable. I know that your humor is like that and often it’s hilarious, but sometimes it’s too much.”

Here’s how I would tell a friend that we spend too much time:

“I think I need to just chill out by myself next week because I’m overstimulated and have been way too social lately, maybe we can meet up the week after instead?”

By proposing a time in the future, you show that you DO want to meet up, just not as often.

Here’s how I told another friend that he talked too much about himself.

“I know that you go through a super tough time right now and I really feel for you. But at times it gets too much for me and it feels like we often talk about you but that you aren’t as interested in me or my world.”

You should use your own words so it feels like it comes from YOUR heart.

But the key is to be assertive but still UNDERSTANDING. When you show that you’re understanding, you have a fair chance of helping someone improve.

Consider online therapy

Online therapy allows you to speak to a licensed therapist in the comfort of your home.

At this point, you’ve made them aware of the problem. You can give them examples and help them, but the WILL to change has to come from them. If this doesn’t work, you can work on expanding your social circle so that you are less dependent on one or a few friends.

What are you’re issues on this topic? Was there some aspect of spending too much time with a friend that I didn’t address in the guide? Let me know below!

David Morin is the founder of SocialSelf. He’s been writing about social skills since 2012. Follow on Twitter or read more.

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Comments

I read your tips and advice the fantastic but I have done these tips ideas explain on many separate occasions by I can’t have this and how it’s affecting my life being stuck with them visiting me all day every day they say they understand and yes no worries but then they just keep coming everyday I tell them you can’t come to my house all day every day they just keep coming doesn’t matter i explained it’s not good or healthy to be around anyone all the time and I can’t have you here all day every day I got no time for anyone else soon as you walk away from me after an 8 hour day I locked the door and won’t even answer it to friends but you still won’t stop coming around I’ve tried all different ways to explain it to this person you cannot come to my house every day but I can’t stop them you gave tips and ideas of how to wean away from him but even after you’ve chatted to him over and over and they agree with you how do you stop them it’s been over 20 years he’s like family to my youngest son their mates now they’re grown-ups this person just won’t stop knocking on my door every day with even when I have open door and say listen you can’t be here I can’t spend every day with you he turns on me put me through hell I cannot make them stop no matter what I do unless I get a restraining order on my family friend I can not make this person stop knocking on my door every morning and then just hang here all day everyday so what you’ve not addressed or answered is what do you do when you tell this friend you do not want them here every day and they just keep turning up everyday you bring it up when they turn up you tell them how much is affecting your life you feel like you’re going stagnant I don’t enjoy life especially don’t enjoy been woken by them knocking at the door every day I will not answer the door and I will just stay in my room but they come over the back fence and knock on my bedroom window back to the door back to the bedroom window they also know it’s made me suicidal I feel like I’ve been stuck with a visitor and I’ve wasted the last 20 years in my life and you’re my friend but I can’t do this anymore I want some time to do other things in life they say they understand but it won’t stop I think I’m just better off getting out my own way because I can’t get out of this friendship know what it what I do

get a restraining order. this issue is deeper than this article and if they are doing this as u described “every day for 20 years” there is no other option but to take action..

this helped me very much. i couldn’t understand why i kept getting annoyed unreasonably by my friend doing ANYTHING but thanks to this post i get it now.
you listed a lot of options to solve this and it’s great, really. i’ll have to see if i’ll work up the courage to tell my friend about it.

we sit next to each other in class so we spend a lot of school time together, which makes us feel fed up of each other often.
sadly, i don’t think i’ll be able to move away from my seat because i don’t want to bother my classmates with a seat change…
lately, i’ve been noticing that i’ve also been growing dependent on this friend, for example i’ve been thinking how it would be when i would be sitting next to another classmate. it would make me uncomfortable and stress me out because i’m not very close with them. so i’m quite dependent on sitting next to my best friend.

thank you so much for writing this! i’ll save this for future reference!

Great article, I really enjoyed the read.

I am in a pickle, and wonder if I can get some help please.

I am 31 years old, I met the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with 2 months ago, instantly we clicked and I could feel ourselves glow when we are with eachother alone.

So it’s my girlfriends birthday yesterday and all I wanted to do was see her, I’m working an hour away from her house and I was planning on suprizing her for her birthday dinner, I can tell when her friend is with her as she does not undevide her attention and we don’t have much communication, due to this I was not able to get any plans out of her before it was too late to drive there for dinner.

My heart and head is all over the show I’m trying not to think of it and just wait till I see her but I really want this to work, more than anything and I need help or understanding.

Please let me know what you make of my story

You’re in your 30s and your girlfriend is a teenage girl. Maybe try dating someone closer to your age instead of preying on young women. Being attracted to a younger woman is normal, but having a lot in common with a teenager isn’t a good sign you’re very mature for your age. You’ve been dating for 2 months when you posted this and your post sounds like you’re quite immature. Its her birthday and all you care about is what you want. You even let yourself get jealous and worked up and call her on her birthday to put that on her. I don’t blame her for avoiding you on her birthday. You really sound like you should seek help. Id start by suggesting you can look into emotional immaturity.

Well, this is my first time to comment on your email. Seriously, I think that your essays are perfect and I should have read team early. And I benifit from them so much and I determine to make some changes to improve myself and capacity to make acquaintance with others. I and my friend both like playing basketball which means we do have great rapport. But I am still confused about making friends with girls. Maybe I think chatting with them for nothing can be werid. So would please give me some tips? Thank you for your listening.

Try to see girls as just another one of your friends. How would you approach a guy you wanted to get to know? How would you talk with them? You can pretty much do the exact same thing with a girl. It only gets weird when we start treating girls like some weird alien species, they’re just human like all of us.

My go-to is joining some sort of club, association, or interest group with at least one weekly meeting (more is better). I’ve seen people’s lives turn around very quickly when they find the right group of people, even for people in your age. Another tip is joining at the leadership level, because most people don’t want the extra responsibility, but you also get a lot more time together.

One thing that I feel helps me be more empathetic to others is having that sudden realization when surrounded by a group of people that each one of us has our own little narrative running in our minds — we are the main characters of our own stories, each of us. What matters to one may not even occur in another’s story. To that end, it’s important to keep perspective and recognize that even though someone may seem invincible, even their narrative has struggles and obstacles that must be overcome. No human story is perfect of course because we are imperfect creatures, and we make mistakes. Recognizing that has really helped me relate to people better, though of course my empathy skills are a definite work-in-progress.

I can relate to your first story in many ways even the avoiding part. Friends that always end up talking about themselfes, sometimes I felt like I was just a garbagebin.

I now find me in a very odd relationship with a coworker I really don´t know what to do about. She only started to work at my place about a year ago. She had a hard time at first, learning everything and I tried to support her (as I do with anyone having a hard time). She did´nt seem to have many friends so a few times we went for a coffe or a afterwork together. We just talked like people do, not knowing each other. Or, rather I did! She immediately confied me a lot of heavy personal stuff I really was´nt ready to hear… In my mind it was/is quite obvious that we don´t have much in common.
Now she calles me on the phone, text me, talkes to me in terms of “best friend” and I feel like a trapped animal in a cage,. I would say the PAPPORT is invisible! She even make plannes for things we are to do together without asking, being angry when I can´t fullfill her plannes!
The problem is, like in your story, one really don´t feel so good about yorself not beeing honest telling how you feel about it. Taking the backdoor out instead, not returning calls etc. But how in heavens name do you tell a person that you´re not interested in such a close friendship??

Oh wow, so sorry to hear about that Ingrid. I WISH there was a way to perfectly solve situations like that, but I’m afraid it might be almost impossible to avoid hurting your friend in that situation. I think you have to set some clear limits on what behavior you expect from the other person, it probably won’t be pretty, but hopefully, you will both grow from it in the long run.

Thanks for your support. It´s so hard to deal with but just knowing someone else also recognize the situation as probematic actually helps.

This makes so much sense. I’ve had the same two kinds of experiences.
Over time, my friendships with 2 friends deteriorated. The first weakened because I didn’t hv much in common with that friend. The more time spent made me more aware of that gap. The 2nd one because I got fed up of listening to the same kinds of things my friend used to say, though he wasn’t a bad listener either.
However, I strongly believe in the Biblical idea that meeting a ‘neighbour’ too often can lower your value. Hence, I’m usually careful now to avoid meeting someone excessively; lest I or they lose interest.
My friendships with two other friends have strengthened over time because I meet regularly, but intermittently, with them. Also, with those, I have more in common, so maybe it’s more about the Rapport again.

Interesting observation Raphy. Having things in common is an important part of rapport as you seem to have noticed. Personally, I think seeing each other often is great, as long as your rapport is equally great. But when the rapport isn’t as good, you may have a point that it can be wise to not see each other too frequently.

30 Fun Things To Do With Your Friends Without Spending Much

Michelle is an explorer, editor, author of 15 books, and mom of eight. Read full profile

Socializing with friends is one of the best ways to spend your leisure time and improve your mental health. If you are used to spending a lot of money on the weekends doing fun things with your friends, we are here to tell you that you can still have lots of entertainment without wasting your resources.

Developing a saving habit will enable you to achieve financial independence and other important financial goals more quickly than you imagine. After all, you don’t want to work so hard only to spend it all with your friends over the weekend.

No matter where you live, there are cheap fun hobbies and plenty of places to visit with your friends.

If you are having trouble finding hobbies to do at home or convincing your friends to do things on the cheap, this article is for you.

Here is the list of the 30 fun things to do with friends you need to try.

30 Fun Things To Do With Friends Without Spending Much

1. A dinner party

Host a dinner party and ask everyone to bring a dish to share. If you don’t enjoy cooking, maybe try and learn how to cook a new dish together with your friends. The fun with friends is guaranteed!

2. Host a spa day

Enjoy home spa and bond with your friends even more. Give each other manicures. Try out new hairstyles. Make some facial masks or exfoliates using natural, at-home ingredients. Then drink homemade mimosas.

3. Movie marathon

Log into Netflix and watch every episode of “Stranger Things” Or do an ’80s movie marathon, watching “Pretty in Pink,” “The Breakfast Club” and all of the old favorites. Don’t have a Netflix membership? Get the free trial just for the movie marathon!

Prepare snacks and refreshments, and the cozy evening with your friends can start.

4. Pinterest party!

You know all of those cool Pinterest crafts you are planning to do for a long time? Well do them.

Organize a craft party with your friends and make up some of those DYI projects you’ve been dying to try! It’s an unexpensive fun and you will have a great time.

5. Go to the park

One of the great things you can do to have fun with friends is to go to the park.

Organize a picnic. Spend some time in the nature. Relax, restart and fuel your batteries. Watch people and enjoy casual talk with your friends. We promise, you will do this more often than you imagine.

6. Have an organization party

Help out, have fun organizational party. Set up a day of each weekend where you can visit each others houses and help your friends to clean their closets, rooms, a garage, or garden. Serve drinks and food and trade stuff among yourselves.

7. Hold a yard sale

After all of that cleaning, why not hang out together and make some extra cash too?

Organize a yard sale, earn some extra money and spend quality time with your friends.

8. Concerts in the park

All summer long, many parks host free concerts.

Go with your friends. Hang out, bring snacks and drinks. This is a very relaxing way to chill out on a hot summer night after work.

9. Volunteer together

Offer to do the yard work for the local senior center or hang out with the kids at the YMCA.

Beside you serve the community, after a few hours of volunteering together, you will have a new respect and bond for your friends and something new to chat about.

10. Play board games

Dragging out Scrabble or Yahtzee is one of the most interesting and fun things to do with friends. You can hang out and play all sorts of games with large groups or small ones. Hold a tournament and compete against each other.

11. Video game tournament

Not into board games? OK. Well, how about a video game tournament?

Whether it’s the latest dancing game or “Call of Duty,” playing against each other and awarding prizes (or food) to the winners is one of the best cheap hobbies for you and your friends.

12. Go fishing

Apart from fishing being an easy hobby, it will help you and your friends learn a lot from each other. There’s nothing more fun than watching your friends breaking their rods or getting slapped on the face by fish.

13. Grab a ball and a bat and go play baseball at the local park

Grab a ball or a tennis racket.

Most parks have courts and fields you can use for playing baseball, basketball or tennis. This is great way to spend time with your friends, and at the same time to do something healthy and good for yourself too.

14. Go to yard sales

Cruise around your town together and visit a yard sale.

You will have a great fun finding cool and interesting stuff. Maybe you could even buy something, fix it and resell it.

16. Go to the school play

This might cost a little for admission, but it’s a great way to support your community and have a fun time.

17. Find some cool trails around your town and go hiking

This is great way to spend quality time in the nature and also to bond with your friends.

18. Go dumpster diving

Yup. You heard it right!

Check out the dumpsters in your area and see what you can find. You might be surprised!

Don’t forget “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure”.

15. Iron Chef night

No matter if you like to cook or not, this is one of the great fun things to do with friends.

Visit an Iron Chef night where you cook dinner out of only the items in your pantry. It’s fun and useful, and no buying anything!

19. Go camping

Beside fishing, camping is also a cheap and fun hobby that you could enjoy with your friends. You’ll get to share stories around the campfire and build strong relationships.

20. Get out the bikes and bike everywhere for a weekend

Apart from seeing the beautiful mountains and dealing with muscle burns, riding has a social side that makes it more fun. The best part is, you won’t spend a dime and you’ll conserve the environment while having fun.

Block time, wear comfy clothes and prepare for the best fun time you can do with friends.

21. Dig out the old croquet set — or borrow your Mom’s — and play croquet

Have you ever played croquet?

It’ll be fun to try new fun things to do with friends. The laugh and entertainment is guaranteed.

22. Swap movies and music

Have everyone bring over a box of old movies and CDs they don’t want anymore — or don’t watch anymore. Then swap with abandon.

23. Go on a walking tour of your town

Most towns or cities have a historic district. Find out if your home town has a walking tour available. If not, make one up!

It will be interesting to find out all the historic stories behind the streets, parks or churches. And it would be definitely something you’ll be talking for days.

24. Scavenger hunt

Put your friends to the test — yes, this is for grown-ups — to find different things in your city…like a certain bike rack, a vintage sign, that sort of thing.

The winner gets a dinner cooked by the losers.

25. Find out when the free days are at your local museum or zoo

Most of the museums or zoo’s have one free visit day. Find out when that is and visit them with friends.

It’ll be great fun.

26. Sew a Quilt Together

No, you don’t have to be fancy — or old — for this. Grab some old T-shirts that you love, old jeans and shirts. Cut them into squares and sew them together.

You can create a few same quilts. Your friendship will become even deeper.

Who knows? Maybe it will become a regular thing you do together?

27. Go to Open Mic night

In your town there’s likely an open mic night.

Get drinks, play your favorite songs and have the great time together.

28. Go to a religious service

Even if you’re not religious, going to a service in an unfamiliar religion can be enlightening and a great way to meet new people, and bond with your friends.

29. Find a swimming hole

Head to the old town swimming hole — or find a new one.

What a great way to spend a lazy afternoon with friends.

30. Start a book club, card club (canasta anyone?), sewing club or scrapbooking club

Do your friends share the same passions with you? Great idea is to start book, card or any other club.

This is a great reason to organize monthly gatherings, learn new things and make your friendship last.

Final Thought

To make your friendships last and have fun things with friends, you need to find hobbies to do at home with your dearest friends. After all, there is more to life than just your day-to-day job and boring routine. Cheap hobbies will enhance your creativity and improve your physical and mental health.

You don’t really need to spend much to have lots of fun with your friends! Pick a few of these ideas and start trying them out this weekend with your friends!

Spending Time With Others (Speaking Part-1)

Examiner will also ask some general questions at the beginning about the candidate, for instance, about where you live, where you work, study etc.

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The probable set of IELTS Speaking Part-1 Spending time with others topic questions are listed below:

Topic – Spending time with others

1. Do you like talking with people? Why?

Yes! I am fond of socializing with people. Because I am an inquisitive person. I like talking to people to know about them, their views and their experiences and also to share my stories as well. I have a job with an ample amount of public dealing and as such I talk to hundreds of people on weekly basis.

2. How do you like spending time with your friends?

Spending time with friends is one heck of an adventure. We gather around every weekend at one of our friend’s farm house. And we play Badminton, cook food, watch movies and discuss politics. That’s how typically I spend time with my companions.

3. Would you prefer to study alone or with others?

Honestly speaking, I prefer to study in isolation. Because I hate distractions which are too common in group studies. Moreover, being a solo reader, I can plan a study schedule that works best for me and take breaks when I please.

4. Do you remember a time when you need to cooperate with others?

Yes, there was a time when I collaborated with Government agencies and NGO partners to launch a social welfare programme – Unnati. The project was my brainchild. From planning till execution, everything was a team effort.

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8 Ways to Spend Time With Friends For Free

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Friendship is one of the most important things you can include in your life, and if you’ve found good friends with the characteristics of a good person, it’s important to continue to foster that relationship.

Unfortunately, friendship can also be expensive. If one of your goals for this year is to save money, pay off debt, or just stop spending so much, you may find yourself turning down your friends’ requests to spend a lot of time together.

Instead of avoiding your friends, build healthy friendships and social connections with these 8 ways to spend time with friends for free (or cheap).

After all, by the time you pay for a babysitter, buy dinner and drinks at happy hour, and then spend a night on the town, who can afford friends? And who are we kidding? Even lunch dates add up.

The first day of my spending freeze, I went shopping with my friends. I felt guilty the whole time because I wanted to enjoy my day, but I didn’t want to blow my “spend zero” budget, either.

But I couldn’t back out because I was the one who had planned the shopping trip (Oops! Note to self: don’t plan a shopping trip if you’re also planning a spending freeze)!

You don’t have to cancel your plans with friends or subject yourself to social isolation just to save money.

In hindsight, I should’ve suggested another activity and explained to my friends that I was trying to save money that month. After all, shopping isn’t the only activity in the world.

If you’re trying to plan fun, free or cheap activities to spend time with your friends, look no further!

Free activities to do with friends

1. Have a mommy morning

Invite one (or two) best friends over for brunch, coffee (or mimosas – no judgment here!), snacks, or even a backyard picnic. Especially if you have little ones, mommy mornings are the best way to stay connected with your closest friends and get emotional support through the different stages of your life without blowing your budget.

Be careful that you don’t go overboard or spend too much time with your preparations, though. The object is to spend quality time and foster strong friendships with old friends, not spend all morning preparing a gourmet brunch (or, worse, running to Panera Bread to get coffee and bagels for everyone).

2. Host a game night

Break out the cards, dust off a board game, or plan a simple charades evening.

Keep things super simple and focus on laughing and enjoying your friends’ company.

3. Watch a sporting event (or create your own)

For the next sporting event, like the Superbowl, Olympics, or March Madness, plan a little get-together.

If there aren’t any upcoming events, create your own.

Don’t be afraid to include the entire family. Growing up, some of my best memories were when my parents invited their friends over and the younger children would create their own fun times, while the older kids started a backyard baseball game.

4. Plan a potluck dinner party

A great way to spend time with friends without spending a lot of money is having a potluck. Bonus points if you cook together.

Some of my favorite meals are when my sister-in-law and I bring the ingredients to each other’s house and cook together. Not only are you sharing the cost of dinner, but you can also have the best time learning new recipes and cooking techniques.

5. Go for a walk

Depending on the weather, meet a friend to go for a walk. Walking is a great way to get some physical activity and boost both your mental health and physical health.

You can either walk outside, weather permitting, or try mall walking. Just be careful that you’re window shopping as you’re walking and not actually shopping. 😉

6. Attend a free local event

You can find free local events year-round. These events are a great opportunity to meet new friends with similar interests, as well as try new things with your existing social network.

Look for events at local small businesses, like a soap-making course at a local gift shop, a sewing course at a craft store, a movie night in the park, or even a wine tasting event at a local restaurant or winery.

You could also attend events at your local library to meet different people.

Another great idea is to work with your library and start your own book club with a group of friends if they don’t have one organized.

7. Have a mani/pedi day

My cousins and I used to have mani/pedi days all the time when we were in high school. My sister-in-law brought this idea back when she bought me nail polish for my birthday this year. I can’t paint my own nails without slopping nail polish all over my entire finger, so her new task is painting my nails every time she comes to visit! 😉

Pampering yourself is often one of the first things to go when you’re following a strict budget, but there are free and fun ways to feel pretty.

Have everyone bring their favorite colors (as well as any exotic colors, if they have any), and swap colors. Try one of these sets to get multiple colors to share. Cut out some interesting designs on tape, and use it as a template for additional colors and nail art.

You can also have a nail party on social media with a company like Color Street.

8. Create crafts together

I am not creative. at. all. If you’re like me, pair up with a more creative friend and create something wonderful.

When my sister-in-law was getting married, the bridesmaids were all supposed to create a scrapbook page for the bridal shower. I knew mine would look like a kindergartener had designed it unless I had help. I paired up with my cousins, who were avid scrapbookers, and we ended up creating beautiful pages.

You can take a free class on Craftsy, or go in together and purchase a paid class and build meaningful connections with a group of friends in a creative way.

Spending time with friends is a wonderful way to relax and have fun, and it doesn’t have to be expensive. It’s possible to spend time with your friends (and have a good time) without breaking the bank.

How to spend time at home

While some of the above activities can be done at home, if you’re stuck at home and feelings of social isolation are creeping up, there are ways that you can still interact with friends and feel connection.

Try hosting a Zoom call. You can even sign up for a game subscription and play games with your friends who live far away all from the comfort of your home.

What are some fun (free) things that you do with your friends?