Woman starts movement to meet friends without going broke
As concerns about inflation and the cost of living continue to grow, more people are talking online about the high cost of hanging out with friends as well.
"Has anyone noticed that friendships are becoming very expensive?" TikTok user Chioma Brown asks in one video that's drawn nearly 1,900 comments.
Content creator Kendra Austin weighed in on the hot topic as well in a video that's gone viral with more than 6.9 million views.
"Being broke is not a personal failing," Austin says in her video message.
"For many, many years, I appeared to be a really terrible friend because I was super flaky, because I was broke," she went on to explain. "I was too ashamed and in too much financial depression to admit to my people that the reason why I couldn't go get coffee is because I had $-25 in my bank account."
Austin's video inspired fellow TikToker Aley Clark to share her own story, which garnered tens of thousands of views.
Clark told "Good Morning America" she hit a rough patch after getting laid off from a writing job.
"I really prided myself on being someone who loved to go out, loved to hang out with my friends. But when I experienced that shift in my finances, I realized that there was a bit of friction with how I was gathering and connecting with my friends," the Indiana content creator said.
Clark said at first, she found it hard to bring up her financial situation with her friends, but now, she views it differently.
"If this were to ever happen again, it would be something that I would have more confidence in speaking on, because I understand that these things can happen to anybody and they're also not permanent," said Clark.
Clark had always been interested in helping women build community without breaking the bank, and in 2023, it led her to found Black Girl Playground, a social wellness club that offers low or no-cost activities like free walks, exercise classes and more.
"I just wanted to allow Black women to come together and feel that joy, feel that play, feel that community that they may feel like they missed out on, whether they moved to a new city, had a friendship breakup, or have difficulty in their adult life making new friends,” Clark said.
She added, “My guarantee is that if you come alone, you won’t leave alone.”
The group started in Chicago and is planning to expand to more cities in 2026.
Financial experts have also noticed a growing trend where people are opting for inexpensive social plans.
"I'm seeing that across a lot of different age groups and a lot of different stages of life that we would rather feel more equipped for our financial future than frivolous spending," Cassandra Rupp, a senior wealth adviser at investment company Vanguard, told "GMA."
Rupp said when talking to friends and family members about cutting back on spending, it helps to be open and honest about one's situation with those you feel comfortable with.
"I think it's just explaining that, 'This is my financial situation right now, but I would love to spend time with you, and I want that to be meaningful,'" said Rupp. "And chances are, that takes the stress off of you and probably those around you to keep those costs low.”
