10 ideas for affordable festive catch ups

Posted on 3 December, 2019

The festive season can sometimes cost an arm and a leg.  

Before you even have time to think about buying Christmas gifts for your loved ones, there seem to be a thousand people who want to catch up over coffee or dinner in the lead up to the new year.

Next thing you know, your bank account is looking a little bit sad. If you can relate, consider doing something on the list below to save yourself a bit of cash in the festive season.

Picnic

Summer is the season for it. Get out in that warm evening air, watch the sunset somewhere picturesque or go for a midday sun sesh and find a gorgeous big tree to sit under for the afternoon.

Best part about picnics—you decide the cost! When else does that happen? Gather goodies from the supermarket or splurge on a gourmet one such as a platter from Amici’s deli.

Play a game

Guild – Canberra’s first board games restaurant.

Games allow people to mingle and have something to talk about—win-win if you’re trying to mix friendship groups!

Some ideas are axe throwing at Axxe (yes, it’s a thing), board games and a drink at Guild, barefoot bowls, ten-pin bowling (great as an all-weather option) or even laser tag. Everyone pays for themselves—simple and easy.

Road trip

Some Cafe, Collector. Image: Tim Bean Photography.

Go for a weekend getaway or a day trip. Canberra is the best place to road trip from, being just a couple hours away from whatever your heart desires whether that’s sand and sea, a mountainous scenic drive, or a charming country town.

Everything’s just within reach, from caves, to cute country town cafes, to waterfalls—you name it, you can drive to it from Canberra.

Go to the Markets

Handmade Market Canberra.

Bet you’ve still got a load of gift gathering to do and probably and not much time.

Kill two birds with one stone by going on a market date with friends, catch up over coffee and cake, and peruse the stalls for gifts and/or treat yourself—it’s important during this hectic time. Remember, self-gifting is self-care.

Cook together

Going out for dinner is an inevitable part of the festive season and things can start to add up after a few restaurant affairs. Why not host a mini dinner party at home instead?

Get your closest together and cook up a storm or, if dinner sounds exhausting, baking never is.

Get amongst some Christmas baked treats, ‘tis the season after all, and the good thing about baking is that you can package treats up in cute little bags, add a ribbon and BAM—affordable catch-up and cheap gifts.

Visit some fluffy creatures

If there are kids involved in your Christmas catch up, you’ll want something stimulating to keep them occupied.

As mentioned before, from the city you can access anything—including farms filled with adorable animals.

Why not pop-out to Murrumbateman to visit Babylon Farm or to Alpaca Magic at Sutton where you can take the whole family to get close and cuddly with alpacas, goats, ponies, horses, cats, and chickens.

Go gallery hopping (for free)

The National Gallery of Australia.

Canberra is renown for its national institutions and their amazing blockbuster exhibitions. But if your pockets are light this summer, why not take a friend to browse the permanent exhibitions instead?

Every single Canberra gallery has free exhibitions ranging from works from big international names (think: National Gallery of Australia, National Portrait Gallery, Museum of Australian Democracy and the National Museum of Australia) to emerging and acclaimed local artists (see: PhotoAccess, Canberra Museum and Gallery, CraftACT, Gallery of Small Things, Nishi Gallery and more).

Check out our weekly This Week in the Can and Weekend Edit editorials for inspiration.

Go to the flicks

It’s hard to deny that everyone’s favourite bit of this time of year is the feasting. So why not the feast to the movies? Bonus points if you go on a cheap ticket night like a Monday or Tuesday.

Stock up on snacks and bring your crew to stuff your face in the comfort of darkness while you share a laugh, a tear, a gasp, etc.

Plus in summer there are always multiple open-air cinemas, so take your picnic basket and take in the twilight.

Take a hike

Clear your head, escape the stress of the busy period and take some pals along for a hike. Fresh air and high peaks bring out the best conversations and you’ll probably find yourselves chatting about hopes and dreams for the new year.

There are plenty of beautiful hiking destinations around the city, with varying difficulty levels so you can perfectly tailor your hike to the needs of your group. 

Find some inspiration here.

Go for dip

If the weather is behaving, head to one of the many watering holes of Canberra with your loved ones. With the opening of the new Canberra Aqua Park and the many, many natural places to swim around the ACT, there’s no better idea than going for a swim.

Combine this with a picnic, bring the whole family, have a BBQ, relax, and cheers to the good times.

Read our guide on places to swim here.