Is it possible to truly enjoy a night out with your date, or perhaps just a gaggle of friends, without breaking the bank?

By cutting a few corners and pinching a few pennies, are you ultimately going to spoil everyone’s good mood?

Not at all. Actually, there are plenty of smart ways you can enjoy a night on the town without budgetary concerns getting in the way. Here are a few tips.

Start Drinking Before You Leave Home

Plan on having a few adult beverages while you’re out and about? The drinks you buy in restaurants or in bars can often cost four or five times what you’d spend if you just grabbed some beers or mixed some cocktails at home.

The idea here is that you can invite your friends to meet up at your home or apartment before you go out, pre-game a drink or two, and then consume a little bit less when you’re out and about. It’ll save you a few bucks, without any real compromises to your good time.

Eat a Decent Meal

If you plan to go out drinking or hitting clubs post-dinner, make sure you eat something really nourishing before you leave, ideally with some protein and healthy fat. Get relatively full so that you won’t feel compelled to spend a lot of money on empty carbs and junk food while you’re out.

And if you and your friends do go out to dinner together, make sure you get something that will fill you up. No sense in “saving money” on a small, unsatisfying meal if it means you need to buy snacks later on.

Incidentally, it’s also smart to make sure you have some good snacks at home, meaning that if you finish your evening and still have some munchies, you can nibble on the cheap, without being tempted to order a pizza or spend more money on food.

Make a Budget

Okay, okay… there’s nothing less sexy than making a budget, especially not for what’s supposed to be a carefree night out.

But here’s the thing: There’s a decent chance that the friends you’re hanging out with are just as eager to save a few bucks as you. Come clean with them about your desire to have fun without breaking the bank, and you just might find that they’re relieved to hear you say so!

Together, you can set some parameters and keep each other accountable. One option is to get a prepaid card with the amount of money you wish to spend, and then call it a night once that card is depleted.

Avoid Buying Rounds

Yeah, we know. You want to be the hero and buy everyone a round of drinks.

But doing so is an easy way to blow through your budget quickly, especially if you’re out with a large party. And it rarely works out fairly: You may buy everyone a round, but not everyone in the party will rise to that occasion.

Try to encourage your group to go solo as far as ordering drinks is concerned; again, you can be honest about your financial limitations without being a total wet blanket. And if you somehow feel like you just have to buy a round, use it as an opportunity to get a water for yourself. Your liver could use the break, and so could your wallet.

Don’t Pay ATM Fees

Need some cash for your night out? Well, there’s no sense in paying additional charges just for the pleasure of using an ATM. Find some machines where you can withdraw your money without any convenience charges.

And if you’re not sure where to find such a machine, you’re in luck! If you bank with Binji, our app will give you GPS guidance to the nearest free ATM, allowing you to track down cash without any hassle.

Party on a Tuesday Night

Okay, so it doesn’t actually have to be Tuesday, but our point is to make your next night out a weeknight… not a Friday or Saturday.

For one thing, a lot of bars and clubs will have discounted drinks or lower entrance fees on weeknights. Also, if you know you and other members of your party have work the next day, it’ll encourage everyone to call it a night reasonably early… which can save you a few bucks!

Bank with Binji

There are plenty of ways you can keep your next night out cost-effective, starting with the tips here. And if you need additional methods for smart money management, start banking with Binji today!