20 low-cost friend date ideas for when you're skint but still want to see your people ✭☆

Summer emptied everyone's bank account and nobody wants to say it out loud. The instinct is to just cancel, wait for payday, tell yourself you'll see everyone properly in October. Except that's usually how a week turns into a month. None of these cost more than a few pounds each, most of them cost nothing at all, and all of them are better than another night of "we should really sort something out. So here are some low cost friend date ideas to add to your autumn bucket list.

1. Host your own early 2000s workout class

Before pilates princesses there was the iconic dance workout video, and honestly it was more fun. Stick one on in the living room or take it to the park if the weather's holding. Still a proper workout, still completely free. Ridiculously funny one below.

2. Plant cutting swap

Plants are expensive, but between your whole friend group you've probably got ten different species between you. Everyone brings a plant, nobody doubles up, bring soil and pots, take cuttings, swap. Wholesome, and you all walk away with something new for your windowsill.

3. Hole punch goal cards

All you need is paper and a marker. Everyone makes their own based on whatever they're working towards, and it's nice because it's completely personal to each person in the room. Low effort, oddly satisfying.

4. Twilight themed movie night

Someone on TikTok was making blood bag mocktails and it genuinely stopped my scroll. This is going straight on the September bucket list. See the inspiration it here!

5. Try a movement class that scares you a bit

Aerial hoop, pole, anything slightly out of your comfort zone. The easiest way to get a proper high without a drink is to go somewhere you feel completely out of your depth. Did this recently with a friend, we're still talking about how much we laughed just hanging from the ceiling.

6. Build a shared autumn bucket list

September is basically the spiritual new year. Get everyone round, decide on ten activities together, then open Quti (the social calendar app for your group chat) and get the dates in there and then, while everyone's still in the room and nobody can wriggle out of it later.

7. Supermarket flower ikebana

You can make something genuinely sculptural, the kind of thing you'd save on Pinterest, for a few pounds from the supermarket flower aisle. Look up an ikebana tutorial on YouTube first, then everyone leaves with something that actually looks intentional.

8. Y2K style girls night in

We've overcomplicated this. Ben and Jerry's, a face mask, a sad film, gossip. That's the whole hang out. It's more soul nourishing than half the expensive nights out you've had this year.

9. At home sushi making workshop

Sushi mats are cheap and everyone chips in for ingredients. It's cooking that doubles as a creative workshop, closer to a pottery class than a dinner party.

10. Gilmore Girls themed night in

Order an obscene amount of Chinese food, put on a tracksuit, make espresso martinis, watch season one under a blanket. Save this one for the next rainy Sunday, it's a dream.

11. Puzzle night, phones in another room

Cap it at three people max. Put the phones somewhere else entirely and just do the smooth brain activity. Genuinely one of the most relaxing things you can do with another person.

12. Home karaoke

All you need is a lyric video and a microphone. On a mission to bring this back before it becomes another thing you have to pay £40 a head for. Doesn't need to be a party, it can just be a silly Wednesday.

13. Charity shop dress-your-friend challenge

Everyone gets a fiver and five minutes to put together an outfit for someone else in the group. Model the results, no vetoes allowed until everyone's had their turn.

14. Board game marathon

The one everyone owns but never actually gets played. Pick two or three, order the cheapest takeaway you can agree on, make an evening of it.

15. Bring an ingredient bake swap

Everyone brings one ingredient, figure out what you're making when you get there. Half the fun is the constraint.

16. DIY photo booth with props from home

A sheet as a backdrop, whatever's lying around as props, someone's phone on a timer. You'll end up with better photos than most actual photo booths. I saw such a cute example I will link here.

17. Pick each other's next read at the library

No genre restrictions, just what you think suits the person. Costs nothing, and you get to find out how your friends actually see you.

18. Fridge raid picnic

Empty out whatever's left in everyone's fridge before the big shop, lay it all out like a spread, call it an autumn picnic. Better than it sounds, can challenge yourself to make something out of nothing!

19. Stargazing with a flask and a blanket

Find the darkest spot you can get to without a car journey that costs more than the plan itself. Flask of something warm, a blanket each, that's the whole plan.

20. End it by getting the next one in the diary

Open Quti, the social calendar for your group chat, and get the next low-cost date locked in before everyone scatters back to their group chats and it quietly doesn't happen.

My challenge to you is the same one every month: do more than one of these before the excuse changes from "no money" to "no time." Get it in the diary properly, not just saved to a board you'll scroll past when the payday plans take over again.

That's the part Quti can actually help with, share an idea, send an invite with a plan, get a straight answer, and watch a tight month turn into one that still felt full.