Do you have friends who want to meet regularly?

[Sunshine386]

I'm single (well, dating someone in early stages) with no kids.

Does anyone else find it hard work as you get older to find friends who want to do things on a regular basis? I have a mix of single friends without kids, and friends who are couples with kids - the latter group I can understand being busier. And yes I realise I'm less busy than many people.

Even single friends don't want to meet up all that often, monthly or less. It always involves getting dates in diaries or going out for coffee and gone are the days where you do something at more short notice and more relaxed like chill on the sofa with friends watching TV or get a take away. I like going out too but miss those closer friendships where you relax at people's houses, or people wanting to so something a but different other than coffee or drinks.

Does anyone else feel like this? Also some friends will try and invite others to meet out too and the whole arrangement falls through if a large group can't go.

I do have hobbies as well, I'm in sports groups and go to the gym so I do get out and I like my own company, I just wondered if other people had this experience with friends.

Yep totally. I miss the days of having a friend over for a TV night, or drinks at short notice.
It’s hard work to book people weeks in advance and then the plans fall through when the wider group can’t make it.
I’m married with kids but not that busy a person generally.

Friends always use the “I’ve been so busy” excuse for not getting in contact on a regular basis, but isn’t everyone? Not sure what’s going on but it’s definitely harder to get together these days.

Yes same here. Lots of talk about meeting, occasional plans made but nearly always broken. The excuse run from family issues to the generic busy or forgot. Tbf, I have stopped believing planned or discussed events will go ahead and just do my own thing on my own now. Unfortunately that tends to annoy friends as they then say, ‘oh but I wanted to do that’ thing too …. Well then they should stick to arranged plans in the first place! I’m not stopping living my life because they decide last minute not to attend!

How old are you ?

My experience is it depends on life stages.

In my late teens and through my 20s, we'd meet up 2 or 3 nights a week - some things planned, some more spontaneous - but life is simpler then.

Then there were a couple of decades when everyone had relationships, kids, pressure at work, broken sleep, needed sitters to be able to get out (again, more expense), and generally going out with friends gets limited to a special occasion.

Then, the dc grow and you can go out spontaneously again, and your own social life picks up. For me, I reckon it was from when I was about 50.

Now retired, then my social life has really ranked up again.