In today’s digital era and with prices rising, it may seem difficult to foster friendships and relationships. Speaking from personal experience, anytime my friends and I arrange a hangout, our first instinct is usually to get food or a sweet treat. Don’t get me wrong, that is totally my dream date, but those little trips can add up fast.
If you’re looking to spend quality time without spending much money, here are some low-cost — or free — hangout ideas that still leave plenty of space for laughter, good memories and meaningful conversations.
- Jackbox or the New Netflix Games
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If you’re into a game night that can either be taken lightly or super seriously, these are just for you.
For example, my roommates and friends played the Netflix games for hours. We originally planned to do something else, but the games were just so entertaining and addictive. They are a fun way to get to know your friends better or just share some laughs. We played Pictionary for a solid seven rounds. There is nothing more hysterical than getting to see your friends channel their inner Picasso while the stop watch of doom keeps ticking.
One of my favorites on Jackbox is Talking Points. I seriously recommend this game to everyone. You work in teams, one person is the assistant and the other stands in front of the television while the assistant picks out the most random out of pocket images, then the presenter has to make the presentation seem somewhat normal and give each picture context. Truly a great game, that is guaranteed laughs and forever memories.
- Spa Night or Massages
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This is something my roommates and I have always looked forward to. After a long week of classes, exams and studying, the best way to end the week is with a relaxing at-home spa night.
You can arrange this however you desire, perhaps giving each other “mani-pedis,” or maybe a nice shampoo and blowout. Another idea is skin care and doing facials or face masks.
Sometimes, we really commit to the idea and go as far as heating up towels, bringing out the Gua Sha, hot stones — you name it, we do it. Even on the simpler nights, we’ll just give each other relaxing shoulder massages, anything that brings a little comfort. It’s always a great way to decompress and spend meaningful, quality time together.
- Nature Hikes or Walks Around Campus.
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This is another great free activity for friends. Sometimes staying inside all day just isn’t ideal. We will just walk around, no destination in mind. There are great trails, such as Mount Nittany, in our area that offer fun and challenging hikes.
If you aren’t feeling up to a hike, walks around campus or the residential areas can be a great way to do low-impact exercises and foster conversation. You never know what you might see out there. Maybe a stunning sunset, or maybe you will walk through a farmers market. The opportunities are endless once you simply get outside.
Anna Schultz / Her Campus - Hypotheticals Night
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This is one of my personal favorites. My friends and I never plan these nights, they just sort of happen and then suddenly it’s 2 a.m. and we’ve been debating nonsense for hours.
It’ll start off with one of us asking a deep question or intrusive thought we’ve been having. Most of the time the questions probed are unanswerable, there is no solution. We just go back and forth, almost like an open discussion lecture class. There’s something thrilling about letting your mind wander with people you trust, peeling back layers of thoughts you didn’t even realize you had. It’s the kind of conversation where one question spirals into five more, and suddenly we’re debating life purpose, fate, the multiverse or how AI might take over.
- Good Ol’ Movie Nights
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Movie nights are a timeless classic idea that almost never fail, especially now that winter is in full swing and staying in under fuzzy blankets seems more appealing than ever.
Tubi is a free streaming platform, and I’ve personally seen some of the best films from the service recently. All you need for this activity is a television, a movie in mind and maybe some of your favorite snacks.
In my apartment, we always have the bulk package of movie theater style popcorn, coming in handy for our movie nights. Each movie night is different; some have us on the edge of our seat, audibly screaming at jump scares, but some we might get distracted and start talking about the actors, and others, the sounds of our own chewing on snacks are too loud to even make out the movie. We are very grateful for closed captions.
Building meaningful connections doesn’t have to come with a high price tag. Whether you’re cracking up over a Jackbox game, unwinding with a spa night, exploring trails or diving into deep hypothetical conversations, it’s the time spent together and the memories made that actually matter. I hope that at least one of these ideas inspire you to get creative, spend quality time with friends and make moments that are both fun and unforgettable.