How to meet people & make friends as a skint single mum?

[Stealthynamechange]

hi all

I'm newly single, not wanting to date but some company would be nice. Im a skint single mum, have ds every weekend. How do I meet people? I cancelled my gym & use an online platform now so thats out. Any tips? I'm feeling the fear i'll be alone forever...

I mean it's obviously a very bad time of it, pre covid was easier and hopefully will be again post covid. I have had limited luck making friends at toddler groups at children's activities (although have) otherwise in the ways all other adults do. Through work, hobbies/interests, family members, mutual friends, nights out, etc. Adult education can sometimes be a good place to make good friends. Depends really

How would you make friends if you weren't a mum?
How would you make friends if you weren't skint?
It can be good to start from a place of all options on the table. For example, if you love dancing, put all the kinds of dancing in there. It might be that dancing at night clubs isn't something you have the time or money for, and you can't afford to do the evening salsa class as you'd need a babysitter and it's a bit pricey anyway, but that the local leisure centre do a subsidised Zumba class and crèche for people on a low income. You start with all the 'maybes' and 'could dos' and work out how many are real barriers.

Also, just generally be friendly. Friendships often form in unlikely places. And even if you spend a long time talking to somebody and don't end up meeting up or even exchanging numbers, see it as good practice for when you do meet somebody with a 'vacancy' for a friend. IME most people have their quota of friends, but there are also a lot of lonely people out there. The trick is to be open to everyone and then you'll find the lonely ones too

Try to do away with ideas about 'forever'
We don't get to decide the future, only what we do right now.
What can you do right now to not be alone?
Well, you came on here and posted. You reached out. That's a good start. At the moment lots of people are relying on social media for their friendships and conversations.
Look through any profiles you have on Facebook, Instagram etc. Is there anyone there you were friends with for a while but have fallen out of contact with? You could try sending them a message. Just reaching out, finding out how they are coping with the covid situation.
Look through your phone, email, etc. Anyone there? Send some texts or emails. Accept most people won't answer. You don't want lots of inane answers from people anyway, you are looking for that one person to actually connect with. Keep going.
Join up for everything. Zoom choir and zoom mum chats and zoom meditation or whatever. Just connect, and build connections and be open to new things. Don't write people off too quickly either. A lot of people give a crappy first impression, but they are worth pursuing. Others make a glorious first impression, but are not.

Thank you @ZarasHouse really appreciate all your posts :-)

Is there a Gingerbread by zoom?