How much money would you spend on a night out?

[Ihateandilove]

just curious really
have a night out planned and don’t think I’ve been ‘out out’ since Covid (bearing in mind I did get pregnant and have a 2.5 year old plus recent relationship break up

whats a normal amount of money for a 40yo to spend on going into London and getting cocktails on a Friday evening?! (I already feel old and scared I’ll be surrounded by students half my age so please no comments I should be staying at home with my child!)

If just drinking I’d say £100 including your tube. Hope you’ve got a card and not just cash just in case! Hope you’ve Have a fun time OP !

Well cocktails are £10-15 in London so depends how many you want. And how you’re getting home.

Generally I spend about £100 when going out for a mates birthday or something but that’s with food and trains.

Well yes, dollars are worth less than pounds. Would you really spend $27 on a single cocktail?

$10.99 for a small US pint!

I never understand questions like this. There is no 'normal' amount.

How much is your budget and how much is this night out worth to you?

I think cocktails are the biggest rip off going so won't buy them. Thankfully most of my friends think the same, so we don't tend to go on those sorts of nights out.

Plus how does knowing that other people having hundreds of pounds to spend on a night out help you if it's not affordable to you?

I wouldn’t expect much change from £100. Even when I meet my cousins in a Wetherspoons in London it costs me £50 including travel.

100% this!

I'd say £150-£200 for a big night out. I haven't been out out in central London for ages but I do agree with PP about maybe not going with Leicester Square - Covent Garden is 2 mins up the road as a better starting point, or go into Soho.

I hope you have a fabulous time @Ihateandilove whatever you do - please don't think that you are too old or you don't deserve to go out because you have a baby!!

Not in london but in Bath last week a round of 2 pints 2 wines £37
Few weeks before out for day in other city £100 spent
It's frightfully expensive I used to go out for the night on a tenner

Mate. Don't start your night out in Leicester Swiare - it will 100% be horrible and over priced. Where are you going to go anyway - M&M world?

I will say I really do miss regional pricing. The gap has slowly closed now thanks to living costs and wage increases (I don’t begrudge people’s wages being raised obviously but it’s had a knock on effect on pricing!) and now there’s really no notable difference between going out for dinner and drinks in London to any other city in the U.K. The only thing that might cost a bit less if you’re not staying in London is the hotel.

Excluding transport - food from £20-100 depending on where you go (less if fast food), drinks depends on how many - £12 a drink is average if cocktails, more in fancy places. But I know other bars where I pay £6 for a double g&t

@Figgygal

bath has always been high, but there’s places a bit lower, mice Wetherspoons there too

I go out once or twice a.week and it can vary hugely. 3 pints at our local bar £18. In the city centre same three pints £28. I aboid cocktails as they are usually £12-16 so would only have 1. Bottle of wine is about £25-35. Tickets to concerts/theatre/cinema is often pricer but I trying to do things like get the cheap seats, I'll buy them on twickets.
London can be more of course for everything.
Anyway you haven't been out for years. Scrimp on something else and then enjoy yourself.

Nottingham
£10 ISH for a cocktail
Budget £50 per person alcohol.

Probably end up with £50 budget each for food.

And transport probably £15 each but that obviously depends on the to and from.

I’d budget £150.

Leicester Square in the early 90s - you could get a meal for not much more than £10 for two in Chiquito’s and a free ice cream if it was your birthday. Then to Ruby’s in Carnaby Street with your own alcohol. Those were the days.

Cocktails in London £15-20 per drink. Food depends where you go starting from £30 I’d say.

Absolutely this. It's really bizarre and happens all over Mumsnet. People act like their version of a night out, holiday, party, wedding etc is the perfect one and anyone doing anything different is somehow wrong or morally inferior.

I don’t think anyone has suggested anything of the sort. It’s a discussion forum. People putting in their tuppence worth even if not totally strictly related to the OP is sort of the point. If no one did that there’d be about 5 responses on every post.

London is so expensive you will not have a cheap night out so be prepared if you have to scrimp don’t go nothing worse than thinking can I afford this just let your hair down and enjoy no Mayer what

”Oh, AI drafting, why do people… wait, that took a turn”

If you’re going to Leicester Square itself then it will cost more - it’s a touristy area and therefore has touristy prices. And the pubs and bars are rubbish.

I would have a bit of a plan in mind if I were you. And I’d start in Soho which, while it has some tourists, has lots of bars and restaurants that Londoners in their 40s (including me!) actually go to.

I wouldn’t worry about students though. Most student nights take place during the week, not on weekends - when most tend to stick to their university bars if they go out.

Sorry, forgot to say that if out for drinks only, I probably spend about £60-£80.

I am so scandalised by the price of going out that I don't do it at all. 😂

We live in a suburb with no taxis. We go out to lunch and a few drinks in one of the good pubs in one of the villages. We go by bus, bus passes.
Lunch £20+ each for mains, bottle of wine £30. Total £100 -£140.

😆This made me laugh out loud. But yeah I've got to agree re LS.

In answer to your question OP I would think around £100 - £150. Yep not cheap to go on a night out these days! I'm in Manchester which probably isn't far off in terms of drinks prices but cocktails are at least £15 each. When I used to work in London and go out I would spend £100 easily. And that was 10-15 years ago!