Friend Date Ideas That Cost Almost Nothing
January money is tight, but your friendships still need feeding. Here are low-cost friend date ideas that work in Lagos, Nairobi, Accra, Johannesburg or London, plus a checklist to tick off this year.
TL;DR: A good friend date needs time and attention more than money. Try walking dates, market missions, skill swaps, potluck picnics, free gallery visits and home-based plans. Agree a budget before you leave the house, take turns choosing, and tick off the checklist below as the year goes on.
January is a long month. Salary was paid sometime in the previous century, December took everything, and your friend has just sent "we need to catch up o" for the fourth time. You want to see her. You do not want to split a bill that includes somebody's cocktail.
Good news: the best friend dates are often the cheap ones, because you spend the time talking to each other. If you are still finding your people, start with our guide to making friends as an adult woman. If you have already got your people, here is what to do with them.
What can friends do together for free?
Walking, cooking, swapping things, visiting free public spaces and simply sitting together all cost little or nothing. The list below is split by mood, and most ideas work wherever you are. Adjust for your city, your safety and the weather.
Ideas for when you want to get out
The long walk with a snack at the end. Choose a route you both like and a treat to finish on. That could be roasted corn or boli in Port Harcourt, mandazi and chai in Nairobi, waakye in Accra, a vetkoek in Joburg or a shared bag of chips by the canal in Manchester.
The market mission. Give yourselves a small budget and a silly brief: find the best fabric under a set price, or build dinner from one market stall. Your nearest big market or local Saturday market is fair game, and haggling is a team sport.
The sunrise date. Meet early when it is cool and quiet, and bring flasks of tea. It feels much fancier than it is.
The gallery wander. Many galleries and museums let you in for free or for a small fee, so check before you go. In London, the National Gallery is free to visit, with a charge for some exhibitions. In Cape Town, Iziko Museums offers free entry to selected museums on commemorative days, though that excludes Groot Constantia, the Castle of Good Hope and the Planetarium. In other cities, look at university galleries, cultural centres and library exhibitions, and confirm the entry fee on their own page or by phone.
The tourist in your own city day. Take the bus or danfo to a neighbourhood neither of you knows well, and let each person choose one stop.
The free event hunt. Open mics, book launches, church or community concerts and exhibition openings are often free. Follow the noticeboards and pages in your area.
Ideas for when you want to stay in
The potluck with a theme. Everyone brings one dish that fits a theme, like "food your mum packed for school". For more ideas on the full evening, see our guide to hosting a girls' night in.
The hair day. One person does the braids, the other supplies food and the film. Trade next time. A hair day is also when the best conversations happen.
The wardrobe swap. Everyone brings clothes they no longer wear, and the leftovers go to charity. You will leave with a new outfit and you may get your own blouse back.
The cook-along call. For the friend who has moved abroad, set up a video call and cook the same recipe at the same time. Whoever burns the onions first does the washing up, on principle.
The admin party. Bring your CVs, forms, tax returns or that email you have been dodging. Work side by side for an hour, then eat.
The photo album night. Dig out old photos, school pictures or your 2014 Facebook albums. Very cheap and very humbling.
Ideas for when you want to learn something
The skill swap. One friend teaches gele tying, the other teaches Excel. Everyone leaves more dangerous than before.
The language hour. Teach each other useful phrases in Yoruba, Twi, Swahili, Zulu or whatever you speak at home. Insults are, of course, the first unit.
The library date. Meet at your local library, choose a book for each other and go for a walk to discuss your choices.
The dance tutorial. Pick one routine from TikTok or YouTube and practise until you can almost do it. Filming is optional. Deleting is encouraged.
How do you plan a friend date when money is tight?
Say the budget out loud before you make the plan. Something like "I have about this much for Saturday, what can we do with it?" takes the awkwardness away and usually gets relief in return, because your friend may be just as broke as you are. Take turns choosing, and agree in advance how you will split any costs.
It also helps to make it regular. A standing date, such as the first Sunday of each month, means nobody has to organise from scratch. If friends live far apart, a voice note exchange counts too.
Your friend date checklist for 2027
Tick these off as you go, and add your own.
- [ ] Do a long walk that ends in a snack
- [ ] Go on a market mission with a silly brief
- [ ] Watch a sunrise with a flask of tea
- [ ] Visit a gallery, museum or exhibition for free or almost free
- [ ] Be tourists in your own city for a day
- [ ] Go to one free event neither of you would normally attend
- [ ] Host a themed potluck
- [ ] Have a hair day and trade roles next time
- [ ] Organise a wardrobe swap
- [ ] Cook the same recipe on a video call
- [ ] Hold an admin party and finish the dreaded form
- [ ] Teach each other one skill
- [ ] Learn ten phrases in your friend's language
- [ ] Choose a book for each other at the library
- [ ] Learn one dance routine, badly
Now send the message. Not "we should link up soon", which everyone knows means never. Send a day, a time and one idea from this list. You can even tell her it is free.
Sources
- The National Gallery. Visiting. nationalgallery.org.uk
- Iziko Museums of South Africa. Visit. iziko.org.za
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