About Social Needs
Beyond physiological and safety needs is our desire for belonging and acceptance. Social needs can range from participation in organizations (professional clubs, support groups, religious affiliations) to intimate personal relationships (family, friends, partners). Each of us have unique social needs, so finding the right financial and emotional balance will vary.
Impact on Budget
It's common to see large amounts of money spent trying to fulfill social needs. Mistakes are made when we engage in social excess to compensate for the lack of esteem, physiological or safety needs. If you find yourself in this position, consider a few simple, creative (and cost-effective) ways to meet your social needs.
Examples
- New kid in town? Religious, volunteer and co-ed sports organizations are easy and cost effective way to meet people.
- Dinner and drinks, again? Suggest hosting a pot luck dinner or meeting for coffee instead.
- More family for less? Picnic, movie night, ride bikes together, visit a beach or park, make volunteering a family activity.
Social Solutions for Less (Download Master List)
Communication (Cell Phone, Internet, etc)
- Avoid cell phone overage fees by knowing your plan limits and fees.
- Limit the use of ancillary services like web access, text, ring tones and games.
- Before renewing a contract ask for improved services at your current rate (earlier night time, more minutes, text features, etc).
- Your suggestion: advice@givinggrinch.com
Dating
- Day at the beach.
- Picnic.
- Browse around a bookstore.
- Art Fair.
- Free Community Events: Concerts, Programs, etc.
- Dine at BYOB establishments and avoid the mark-ups on alcohol.
- Visit the zoo, museum, public parks and recreational centers.
- Afternoon movies (off-peak pricing)
- Dine for less, visit Restaurant.com for discounts in your area: www.restaurant.com
- Have dinner at home, go out for dessert.
- Your suggestion: advice@givinggrinch.com
Day Care
- Consider starting a community-babysitting program among friends, family and neighbors.
- Your suggestion: advice@givinggrinch.com
Dinner & Drinks
- Coffee shop math: cup of coffee $1, latte no refills $4.50. Ambiance, equal.
- Beer $4. Wine $7. Mixed drink $9. Three beers for $12 versus three mixed drinks for $27.
- Drink water or soda in place of alcoholic beverages.
- Skip dessert.
- Your suggestion: advice@givinggrinch.com
Family Activities
- Free Community Events: Concerts, Programs, etc.
- Programs offered through Parks and Recreation Services.
- Borrow books, movies, music from your library.
- Visit the zoo, museum, public parks and recreational facilities
- Participate in family volunteer activities.
- Don’t overspend on children’s entertainment; kids prefer time spent together regardless of the cost.
- Your suggestion: advice@givinggrinch.com
Gifts
- Give the gift of time: offer to baby sit, help with a project, teach a skill, etc.
- Make your own gifts (jams, jewelry, knit-wear, etc)! Submitted by Sonali in Bangkok!
- If you have friends in common, go in on a gift together; usually you can give a nicer gift for less by splitting the cost. Suggested by Saheli in San Francisco!
- Your suggestion: advice@givinggrinch.com
Hobbies
- Make volunteering a hobby.
- Visit your library to quench your reading, movie and music fix. Submitted by Clarence in NYC!
- Join a book club at your local library.
- Join a sports league or other community groups.
- Check out the website www.meetup.com and join a local group with the same interests. Suggested by Carol in Houston.
- Your suggestion: advice@givinggrinch.com
Personal Care
- Use dry cleaning for professional clothing and not for daily or casual wear.
- Your suggestion: advice@givinggrinch.com
Religion
- Many places of worship offer “singles” clubs, youth organizations…join the choir if you enjoy singing. Suggested by Niki in Houston, TX!
- Your suggestion: advice@givinggrinch.com
Social
- Invite friends over instead of going out.
- Suggest less expensive activities when hanging out.
- Your suggestion: advice@givinggrinch.com
Shopping
- Don’t shop when you are bored.
- Don’t shop to curb your stress – exercise instead. Submitted by Nick, NYC.
- Toss out/cancel mail order catalogs – what you don’t see you won’t want.
- Limit small dollar impulse purchases – they add up and tend to fill a need to shop, not a need for the specific product.
- Shop for trendy clothes during the off-season for a deep discount (winter clothes after Christmas, summer clothes in the Fall). Submitted by Sonali in Bangkok!
- Your suggestion: advice@givinggrinch.com
- Frequent users of public transportation can save buy buying monthly or annual passes. Submitted by Shefali in NYC!
- Your suggestion: advice@givinggrinch.com
Vacation
- Compare fares between low cost and major carriers.
- Consider flying from secondary airports, many offer cheaper rates. For example, instead of Cleveland, consider Akron/Canton. Instead of Boston, consider Manchester or Providence.
- Save on airfare by staying over a Saturday night.
- Purchase your tickets in advance, around 21 days before travel, for lower fares.
- Avoid paying for airline extras: packing under the weight limit, bring your own headset, meal and personal entertainment (DVD, book, etc).
- When out of town, visit a local grocery store to stock up on snacks.
- Make sure to take advantage of all airline reward programs by collecting points for miles--you'd be surprised on how many discounts/freebies you can get from their programs (besides free travel)! Submitted by Saheli in San Francisco!
- Compare the cost of flying versus driving. With gas prices reaching record levels, air travel (even for short-haul trips) might come out ahead. Suggested by Niki in Houston, Texas!
- Your suggestion: advice@givinggrinch.com
Miscellaneous
- Cancel unused memberships
- Cancel unused cable services
- Cancel magazine subscriptions you don’t read
- Your suggestion: advice@givinggrinch.com
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