Going out with your partner, friends or family can certainly result in spending a lot more money than you would probably like. A great way to combat this issue, is to do the same things you love, but at home, and for a fraction of the cost.

So here are 10 ideas for great nights in with your loved ones.

1. Movie Night

Going to the movies is great. You get to (hopefully) see a good film, and eat a years worth of sodium in popcorn form, and if you are a high-roller- maybe eat a choc-top.

But, it is no secret that going to the movies costs a lot these days. For Ben and I to go to our local cinema and have some snacks costs: $55 for two tickets, $32 for two medium popcorn and drink combos, and $14 for two choc-tops. That is a whopping $101 to go to the movies! Daily light robbery if you ask me…

So why not have a movie night at home? The only parts of the experience you will miss are the people who don’t know how to open a packet of chips at a decibel lower than 120, that ignoramus who keeps kicking you in the back, and the sound of your wallet grimly sobbing inside your pocket.

Instead, pick your favourite movie off of Netflix or Stan, or even rent one for a few dollars on YouTube, go and buy some $2 packets of popcorn, a bottle of soda and tub of ice-cream and have at it. It will cost you less than $10 for an equally nice, if not better, movie experience.

2. Homemade Pizza Night

Facts: Everyone loves pizza.

This delicious Italian delicacy is a crowd favourite. However, going out to have a pizza at a restaurant will normally set you back around $20 for a regular pizza, and closer to $30 if it is what I would deem a ‘fancy pizza’ (I am looking at you prawn and prosciutto pizza). That means if you are sharing a pizza or two with your partner or friend, it can turn in to a $60+ dollar affair.

Instead, go and grab the ingredients for homemade pizzas and life your best life. While you are making them, you can pop on a movie, play some tunes, and have a beverage (or two). Another great thing about this, is that the pizzas are fully customisable! You can have whatever you like on, and you don’t then have to pick off the olives at the restaurant like a chum.

Just last week we had a homemade pizza night. We made a loaded Hawaiian pizza, with extra pineapple (stuff the haters) and a meatlovers style pizza. We paid less than $20 for all of the ingredients, and had left over pizza for lunch the next day. Delicious and cost efficient.

3. At-Home Games Night

Games night is always a winner and such a great way to have some fun at home. The possibility with games night are endless.

You could go out and buy some board games to play. Another great bonus of this is that you then have them forever. So even if you outlay $50-$100 initially, you will keep being able to use them which will allow you to get your moneys worth and more!

Another great way to have a fun games night in with minimal cost is actually to play some games online. You can play games such as Jackbox, where you can select many different game styles and have a great laugh. This is also a great way to connect with your friends who may not be able to join in person.

4. DIY Spa Experience

If you are a bit bougie and love a spa day, never fear, the DIY version is here!

Getting pampered at a salon or spa is a great day out, but it is also an expensive one. A great way to scratch that self-care itch is to adopt some of these treatments on a more budget scale at home. Going to your local store and grabbing your supplies to have an at home spa day will save you so much money. Here are some suggestions of things you can get: face mask, eye masks, manicure/pedicure kit, bubble bath, bath salts, hair treatment, body scrub, massage oil, and the list goes on.

You can fly solo in this endeavor or you can buddy up with a friend or partner. Either way, it is a great way to have a night time in on a budget.

5. Trivia Night

Going out to Trivia is a great past time and is one that is so easy to replicate at home. Organise among your group of friends that each week or month, you will be having at-home trivia night. In order to share around the fun, each trivia night is hosted by a different friend or couple. They will be in charge of organising the questions and orchestrating the evening. If you want to add a nice touch, you could even add in that each host is responsible for getting an inexpensive ($5-10) prize for the winning team.

This way, you can enjoy the game of trivia with your friends, having some drinks and some food at home: ultimately saving on costs. And because you have worked out this shared system, you only have to worry about the hosting side of things every so often!

6. Paint and Sip

Paint and Sip evenings are super popular at the moment, and I can see why. Releasing your inner artists while having some laughs with your friends, a beverage or two, and a cheese platter? Count me in.

However, rather than paying upward of $50 per person to do this, why not do this at home? Grab a bunch of your friends and head to an arts and crafts store. Collectively spend $30-$50 on some small canvases, some cheap brushes and paint, and then head home and search art tutorials on YouTube. There are plenty to choose from and this way you will get the exact same experience for a fraction of the cost. Leaving more money for the sip side of the equation…

7. YouTube Karaoke

Did you know that you can use YouTube to do karaoke? Neither did we!

We booked a 2 hour karaoke session at our local spot recently. It was fun, but not really enough time once we got going and also cost $33 per hour just for the two of us. When we got home, we really wanted to keep going and had the thought to look up karaoke on YouTube.

Bam! Hundreds if not thousands of sing along karaoke videos to enjoy, for free. We put the videos on our tv, cracked open a cider and proceeded to have an even better time because it felt so much more leisurely. Highly recommend!

8. Destination Date Night

If you have made your way into our blog, you probably love travel. Though, unfortunately, most of us are not secretly billionaires that can afford to charter a private jet to pop over to France for a date night.

What we can afford do though though, is bring the destination to us. Start by picking a destination to be your theme for date night. Once you have done this, then choose some food and drinks to have from this place, and any other elements you can think of!

Maybe your first destination date night will be Mexico. You can gorge yourself on tacos and quesadillas, while making some spicy margaritas to satisfy your thirst. Pop on some Mexican music to set the scene and enjoy the evening.

Or maybe you would prefer Spain? Make some homemade paella while sipping on some sangria. Put on a salsa dancing tutorial and dance the night away.

The possibilities are endless and if you really embrace the idea, you could have some of the most memorable nights of your life.