The struggle is real when you love the nightlife (baby), but you definitely should not be spending as much money on it as you do. This is 100% a problem I have way too often, but as a result I’ve become something of an expert in finding corners to cut so you can get out of the house but still afford your groceries for the rest of the week.
It really comes down to four basic principles.
1. Nab A Deal
I don’t mean to brag (yes I do), but I am Queen of finding a deal. Want to hit up the theatre? Most of them offer discounts for big groups and some even have discounted rates for under 30s, like the Australian Ballet.
You’ll also often find discounted tickets for major Melbourne shows at Halftix on Swanston Street, and Arts Centre Melbourne discounts at tixatsix. You have to show up to know, they’re often not advertised.
Then there’s always coupon websites, like Groupon and Scoopon, that I am obsessed with trawling through for cheap event tickets, restaurant deals and random activity ideas at cheaper prices.
2. Find A Cheaper Ride
Let’s be honest here, it sucks sitting on a crowded bus/ train when you’re either excited to get to an event, or tired and desperate to be home after it. Yet taxis and some rideshare services really jack up the prices to the point public transport is your only option.
Enter the new kid on the block in Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Geelong and Newcastle, DiDi. It’s the rideshare service with lower fares and options to seat up to six people with their new DiDi Max service, so you can head out with more mates on a night out and share the fare payment.
3. Share A Meal
I don’t know about you, but I love a food event, like The Night Noodle Market. So often at these things though, I find myself totally stuffed about halfway through a $10+ bowl of noodles.
A simple solution to half the cost and the food wastage? Share it with your mate. If you tend to get through the whole portion, try having a small bite at home first so you don’t need to spend as much money out, but you’ll still be able to get involved.
4. Find A Free Event
What’s even better than cheap? Free, mates, free. There’s fun free stuff happening all the time, like famous Japanese art collective teamLab’s Reversible Rotation exhibition and the annual Spring Fling festival.
Even if the whole event isn’t free, there are often parts of it that are. For example, many arts, film and music festivals have some free events – or at least a festival hub that’s free to get into so you can get the ~vibes~ without the price tag.
Yep, that’s really all there is to it. Go forth and become creatures of the night (who also have enough money left over to function during the day).
