AIBU to wonder how people afford this??

[Eurghhhhhhh]

I've been out tonight with some friends to the nearest major city. We went for some food and a few drinks, very relaxed, just spending time catching up. I've got home and realised that I've spent almost £50! I'm not skint my any means (although not near the Mumsnet 6 figures) but this feels a lot. How do people afford to do this multiple times a week?!

That’s a very cheap night out!

I go out twice a week normally. I prioritise it as part of my budget because it’s what I enjoy doing. DH spends similar on a hobby he does once per week (of course I can’t possibly say what since it’s outing) but since his hobby is perceived as virtuous and mine is not, most people take a view my spending is wasteful.

They might be doing something cheaper on other nights out. I sometimes meet friends at the pub for a drink and it costs a lot less. I might have a small wine then a glass of something soft. We are there to chat so don't need a meal out or anything.

£50 is the lower end of a dinner out… just as someone said more disposable income.

They sold their first born child.

I don't think it's cheap. I can afford to do that, but don't think it's value for money, so wouldn't want to spend that amount on a night out very often.

Luckily, I don't know anyone who regularly wants that type of night out, so don't feel the pressure to join in or miss out.

You could have an equally good time in a more casual place with cheaper drinks and it cost about half that amount.

I don't know anyone who does this several times a week! DH and I go out to eat once a month and might go and have one drink at a pub another time.
Any other social activities tend to include our friends who also have youngish kids so is a bbq or lunch round someone's house during the day

If you're eating and drinking in London £50 seems cheap to me. I'll spend closer to £80 on a fairly ordinary night out, once travel is included. However, I do it less than once a month, not multiple times a week.

There are though, a lot of very well off people in London and a lot of people doing their socialising on corporate expenses.

I agree with most others - £50 would be about what I'd expect to spend on a night out, but I wouldn't do it often. Even in my younger days, I didn't have a proper 'going out out' night more than about once a month. Now, it's once in a blue moon .

I used to take £50 for a night out in my student days 20 years ago!

I don’t know anyone who does that multiple times a week.

The most I ever went out was twice a week, as a student, and we used to skip tea for the calories, drink at home first, and buy 1-2 drinks tops while we were out. Never cocktails, too expensive.

That was one reason MDMA was so popular - you could have a massive all-nighter on half a pill and a single bottle of water (that you refilled).

Less responsibilities, different priorities.

I go out 3/4 times a week but wouldn't generally spend that much each time, I would probably average £25 per night; cheapish city and use meal deals, cinema card, Thursday night comedy rather that Saturday double price for same acts, theatre less expensive seats etc etc.

But yeah, these are my priorities, and I had the ability to cut down my mortgage term by 4 years recently and I chose not do that as I know going out and having fun is a priority for me and I have no kids to be responsible for.

I don't know anyone who does it multiple times a week. Are you like my sister - one of those people who assumes everyone is out every night of the week because she's sat at home? Trust me, the reality is very different.

Oh and £50 on a night out is pretty average

Three possibilities:

They earn more
They prioritise going out
They put it on a credit card

Prioritisation is really different between people - we choose not to have a car, for example, as we live in London and can do without though most people around where we are do. That frees up quite a lot of money.

@HotPinkTeaSet

I don’t know if it’s true but someone told me that people have different levels of income and some people earn more than others and have lower outgoings.

the real question is '.can they afford it ' to you,it LOOKS like it,but they may be just doing it& secretly burying head in sand, none of us know how or what goes on behind closed doors,sad but true

I do go out fairly regularly, but generally to the local pub with friends instead of into the major city. I obviously get its about prioritising things I just sometimes feel that I miss out on things I'm invited to as I just can't afford to do it all and still get by. I think a large part of it is were the first of our 'group' to buy a house so that is taking a lot of money. As a poster above says if both of us go out and spend £100+ sometimes I think wow this could have replaced the carpet / gone towards decorating. Maybe I'm just old before my time

To those saying it's really cheap:
Train -£5
Main and dessert: £20
5 drinks approx £5 each
: £50

Judging from an ex neighbor of one of my friends they do not buy other things like we do - loo roll, electricity, food. Her neighbor went out without fail every weekend, all weekend and we know that she didn't have loo roll etc because she shouted to her mate about how she couldn't afford it.

£50 isn't a lot for a night out including food and drinks.

Sometimes students/ young people doing this will drink at home before they go out and then limit the drinks they buy, and have a kebab or something at the end of the night. If you do that you can get away with £25-30 or less.

Anyone working away from hone , on expenses, is probably eating out most nights M-Th, often with colleagues.

No biggie. Most likely very glad to get home at the end of the week.

There aren’t many people who go out for a meal and drinks multiple times a week. Yes kids go out a lot but they probably don’t go for a meal too.

Varying incomes, varying outgoings and varying priorities.

I have a college (same income) with the same amount of DC (similar outgoings) as me - she's always buying new designer dresses and going on nights out. I wondered how she could afford it, then I realised she doesn't have a car and her DC don't do any activities or have any music lessons or have any academic tutoring. We have very different priorities.

@Eurghhhhhhh

To those saying it's really cheap: Train -£5 Main and dessert: £20 5 drinks approx £5 each : £50

Who has 5 drinks in an evening? You could have one then water and save yourself £20 right there. If I'm out for dinner I either do that or have a couple of soft drinks. I'm not sure I could physically manage 5 drinks in an evening.

You don't have to spend £50 every time.

If you just went for a quiet drink at the pub and maybe had a snack/small lunch eith a friend for a catch up. Wouldn't cost you more than £20. With 2-3 drinks, depending in what you ordered.

Doesn't have the be that expensive really.

It depends on your priorities. When I started on a grad scheme, I easily spent £150 a week socialising then clothes etc.

But I didn’t go on nice holidays and had a room in a shared house…