Maintaining Your Budget at Happy Hour

If you’re like me, you enjoy a nice dose of relaxation after a long work week. In my world, a coworker typically comes to my desk every Friday and asks me the infamous question, “Want to go to happy hour?” and my response was typically a yes until one day I looked at my bank account and realized just how much those four dollar glasses of wine were adding up.

When I entered the real world, I thoroughly enjoyed my Friday happy hours; go to a nearby bar, order a few appetizers and a few glasses of wine then make my way home to order takeout. My logic was, “I worked hard all week so I deserve this. Besides, it’s just a few dollars a week.” But one day, I decided to sit down and write out a budget while simultaneously reviewing my spending habits through my bank and it was then that I decided to cut back on my “food and entertainment” spending and adopt more fiscally responsible habits. Here are some tips to help you have a good time without exhausting your budget:

(1) Know the menus near you

After hopping from bar to bar for a few months, I quickly learned which bars or restaurants had the best (and cheapest) happy hour specials so when Friday comes, I stick with places I know. This will also help you become familiar with the staff who may be willing to throw a free appetizer your way for being such a loyal customer.

(2) Put a limit on your spending
Before you go to happy hour, take a look at your monthly budget and figure out how much money you can spend while you’re out and stick to that limit. If I’m short on cash, I’ll give myself a one drink and one appetizer max or I’ll do without the drink and only order food and water. Also, keep in mind how the tips work if you’re with a large group of friends or coworkers.

(3) Pack a snack
If I know I shouldn’t spend much money at happy hour or dinner, I’ll try to pack a snack I can eat around 4:30PM so I’m not too hungry when 5:00PM comes and I can go to happy hour without ordering food or such a large plate.

(4) Pay with cash
Like most people, I tend to swipe my card for every purchase I make but I’ve learned that carrying cash helps me limit my spending because I’m forced to only spend what I have. If I use my card, I don’t see the large amount I’ve spent until I actually log into my account (something I’m beginning to do daily). So if you’re going to happy hour after work, throw a ten or twenty dollar bill in your wallet and use it to pay for your food and drinks.

(5) Share with your friends and coworkers
Depending on how friendly you are with the group you’re going to happy hour with, it’s never a bad idea to split food. Not only will this keep you from overeating, it will keep your tab low.

Written by Jenna Boyer

A public relations professional and entrepreneur, Jenna Boyer is an account executive at Hager Sharp where she works with clients to motivate behavior changes of consumers through public health and safety initiatives. Her day-to-day tasks include implementing creative marketing and social media strategies, developing campaign materials, and leading partnership outreach. Jenna's experience in the PR industry has spawned her passion to help young professionals advance personally and professionally, hence the birth of The Rising Professional, LLC. The Rising Professional is committed to advancing the careers of young professionals. The company assists with network development, resume building, and interview prep through networking events, professional development workshops, and one-on-one mentorship.