Does having more disposable income make you more social?

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EnglishLulu
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11 May 2009, 6:36 am

It is possible to find sociable things to do that are free or cheap, like going to art galleries or museums, or for a picnic in the park, hanging out with friends in their homes, or at local cafes and bars instead of heading into the city centre and paying a premium for more expensive drinks (because their rent is more expensive in the city centre and they pass the costs on to their customers) and for transport.

But it's also true that if your disposable income is greater you have more possibilities for socialising, going to the theatre or to concerts, going on day trips with friends, going out to dinner in restaurants, going to visit friends in other cities.

I lost touch with quite a lot of friends when I wasn't working, because my friends moved about a lot, moved to different cities and even to different countries (and I'd done that also). But when I was living on disability benefits due to a physical disability that prevented me from working, I realised that my friends were all visiting one another and staying in touch, but I couldn't afford to, so I kind of drifted away from them and lost some friends.

I think it's a good idea to Google and try to find free and cheap activities in your local area. Maybe there's a local amateur dramatics group you can join, or maybe if you're in receipt of benefits you get free or low cost subsidised access to further education courses, maybe you can learn a new language or improve one you learned at school, or take photography or flower arranging classes, or learn motor vehicle maintenance or cake decorating or something.

It can often be easier to socialise with people if there's a purpose for the gathering. Instead of meeting up in a coffee shop or bar and being a bit tongue-tied with strangers, fearing lulls in the conversation and not having anything to talk about and being scared of embarrassing silences, it relieves the pressure if you go to a class or activity, like going to the cinema with others, or paintballing, or visiting an exhibition at an art gallery, or attending classes in calligraphy, it gives you something to talk about.



Mist01
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11 May 2009, 2:03 pm

There is an airsoft group I was thinking of joining and thats free. However, I need my own equipment and its really expensive. At least $150 ($200 for a better than decent, but still not top quality) for the gun, $40 for enough pellets to last a good while with heavy use, and at least another $150 on the other equipment like clothes and gear.


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Tohlagos
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11 May 2009, 10:23 pm

jrandom wrote:
So in general does having more money make you more social, or does it just seem that way? I'd be interested in people weighing in.



For me, having more money has made me more of a recluse. I can afford certain things now that allow me to be reclusive, when before I had to rely more human interaction for a certain level of entertainment.



CanyonWind
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12 May 2009, 1:10 am

It never made any difference for me. Places to go that involve spending money, I'd have to go alone, spend my time there alone, and feel like an as*hole.

Having food and a place to get out of the rain makes life easier, but that's all I've ever gotten out of having money.


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