Friends- cost of meeting up

Is there a late-opening museum or art gallery nearby? They are great places to meet and tend to have coffee bars.

LullyDully how did you find out about your grandnet meet up group? X

Anybody interested in finding out about meet ups should head over to this forum:

www.gransnet.com/forums/meet_ups_where_are_you

If nothing’s on offer for your area, you could start another thread with the name of your town or region in it.

Take her to Wetherspoons and let her drink tea.
She can drink tea all day for £1.35
Best value meals out-especially the breakfasts.
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Whywhywhy - where are you?? x

what about hotels, some have nice spacious lobbies, where you can sit and have tea/coffee/tipples and chat.

Why not invite her to your place. It is always cheaper to cook a meal yourself than to eat out.

What’s wrong with Wetherspoons ( I’m a devotee) my friend and I go at least once a month to ‘catch up’ and get a shared platter meal, for £10 that we eat with our fingers, and two double Rum and cokes ( our latest tipple) for £6 . We spend a couple of hours chatting ...put the world to rights...moan about the ‘other halves’ ....Job done, and all for £16. What’s not to like. If either of us is a bit skint we get out the bus pass. , nip to the nearest garden centre, have a browse, and a coffee and cake, and a good natter all for a tenner....if that’s too steep a price ...local supermarket cafe...coffee and cake ....cheap as chips!

Coffee shop and a sandwich? or just a coffee?

Saggi….Wetherspoons...well some of us wont go as the owner was a prime mover for Brexit. I worked in a homeless hostel and some of our residents were 'lucky' to get a job with Wetherspoons...and found out having lost their unemployment benefits...the job was nothing more than zero hours contract with a stipulation the person had to be available if required for any shifts...but sometimes they were only given five hours a week. Bad employer.

Why not use Compare the Market and get "meerkats" - you can get 2for1 on meals Sun to Thu in lots of places such as Prezzo, Zizzi, Pizzaexpress, Cafe rouge and some non chain restaurants.

Harvesters can have quite a "cafe" feel in the evening. You can go there just for a hot drink and not feel like you are in a "boozer"

Or go to talks/lectures in the evening which are either free or about £5 including a hot drink or glass of wine. Theres social chat time either side of the talk. I've been to some good ones. Its a nice cheap non boozey evening out.

Just say, can't afford it this month, so it's Weatherspoons or a coffee? She's probably never eaten cheap pub grub and it might be a pleasant surprise for her? Can't beat a good Steak & Chips.

I tend to do pub lunches. Because I'm veggie, I usually pick the pub. I usually spend £10-15 inc drink.

I do the same with 2 of my good friends. We meet once a month usually around 3oc and we are usually still chatting at 11oc when the pub closes. We choose a different pub each time we meet, with coffee, lunch, pudding and a glass of wine soft drink our bill is usually £25 each.
However one of my friends is now having a difficult time financially so we’ve decided to meet for dessert and coffee only to help keep the cost down but we still get to meet up.
I really think honesty is the best policy, that way no one feels uncomfortable and a compromise can be made. It worked for us.

We are lucky to have a café in our town where you can get a huge bowl of homemade soup with bread for £2.50 that's if you can get a seat.
There's even a table where you can sit refectory style on your own but chat to others if you feel chatty.
I know what you mean about costs when you go out into town. Take a picnic?

i would say .sorry but i cant afford to at the moment.how about a restaurant that i know that does tasty meals.then if she insists say no sorry i cant afford it.speak up...

weatherspoons is good .nice meals .not expensive...

Thank you for your tips and advice.

I think I'll suggest meeting somewhere cheap and perhaps the next time I'll prepare a meal.

I love the idea of talks in the evening- where do I find out about them?

Whywhywhy- whereabouts are you?

Pantglas2 - What a great idea - to host an M & S meal at home. We don't have them here in Australia but I've heard they are really good quality.

Wetherspoons is just as much an eating place as many restaurants these days. You don’t have to have drink. What about their meal deal say on a Friday with fish and chips?
Explain you are short this month and ask if she minds.

Don’t think why why why wants to say say say

I don't enjoy eating too much at lunchtime. I tend to choose a starter, desert and coffee. That's cheaper than a main dish too. In the summer, we meet for picnics and walks, which I enjoy far more than a meal out. Maybe she'd like a takeaway at your house?