Coming up with cheap ideas for a girl’s weekend is important for so many reasons. For one, it helps everyone feel included and, for another, a budget-friendly girls weekend helps everyone justify attending.
There are plenty of reasons to have a girl’s weekend– so why not start planning one now? Between the lodging and the activities, I have you covered to make sure the weekend is as fun as anyone could imagine.
I created a list of ideas to help your gal pals have a blast with great activities and lodging ideas that fit into everyone’s budget. You may also want to check out some of these cheap date ideas – they work for a girls weekend too!
Reasons to Have a Girls Weekend
You don’t necessarily need a concrete reason to have a girl’s weekend, since chances are you definitely deserve it. Sometimes, though, it’s easier to plan a girl’s weekend if you actually have something worth celebrating.
Did someone recently get married? Sometimes after a few months of marital bliss, the new bride needs some time away with the girls. Getting that time away to sit, reflect, and relax after a big wedding is so important, so why not plan a weekend away with your gal pals?
Did somebody recently have a baby? After mom has successfully survived the fourth trimester, why not celebrate with a night away? Of course, she can bring the baby and you might get some much-needed baby cuddles while she rests.
Did somebody get a job promotion? If someone in your girl gang just had a major career success, it would be silly to not celebrate it! Gathering everyone together to celebrate a recent promotion is the perfect reason to have a girl’s weekend!
Now that you know of a few reasons to have the girl’s weekend, why not get that group text started and figure out where you will go on your weekend away?
Cheap Ideas for a Girls Weekend
Before we start, I wanted to make sure I had frugal ideas here because our goal on this site is to get you to financial freedom – not spend a fortune on travel or things.
All these ideas are frugal and fun and just perfect to enjoy some time away with the girls!
Location
You know it’s true in real estate, but have you ever considered how important the location is in planning a girl’s weekend? Finding a place that is inexpensive and comfortable doesn’t have to be impossible.
In fact, there are plenty of options to help you find a cost-effective location for the ultimate girl’s weekend. You can also save money on travel with the Ibotta app.
Check out these 3 favorite ways to find cheap lodging for a girl’s weekend…
Family Cabin
You would be surprised how many people have connections to a family vacation home that are open and- you guessed it- free to use. Whether it’s your girlfriend’s aunt Sally’s husbands’ cabin in the woods or somebody’s timeshare in Hawaii- ask around and see if anyone has a place to stay for the weekend.
Go Camping
Camping is a cheap, practical, and super fun way to spend a girl’s weekend. Gather your girls and see who has what supplies then find a local camping spot! Pack a cooler (don’t forget the wine!) and get ready for a weekend packed with memories.
Stay in and Send Everyone Else Away
Call up your mother-in-law and see if she can take the kids while your husband goes camping. Then, gather your girlfriends and have an old-fashioned sleepover!
With everyone gone, you’ll be able to relax and not spend a fortune on overnight expenses. Plus, you can take advantage of some of these frugal ways to pamper your girls, or a DIY spa day!
Homemade Brunch
Instead of going to a fancy brunch spot where avocado toast can run up towards $15, why not stay in and make it at home for a few bucks? That way, you still have the glorious morning packed with a delicious brunch, but you can use your money in other ways.
Wine Tasting
One of my favorite cheap ideas for a girl’s weekend is to have everyone bring a bottle of red wine and a bottle of white wine under a certain price. Cover the wine with a brown paper bag and do a blind taste test.
This is a super fun way to try out wine tasting while saving a lot of money. Who knows? You might leave with a new favorite!
Another idea? Make it a competition and award the winner of the best red and white!
Dessert Bar
Who doesn’t love a dessert bar? (They even have them at weddings now!)
Why not incorporate them into your girls’ weekend? Have everyone bring their favorite dessert and set them out in the afternoon or after dinner for everyone to graze.
DIY Spa Night
You know I love a good DIY Spa Night! There are so many ways to make one unique and just SO much fun during a girl’s weekend.
Add this to any girl’s weekend itinerary and your guests will be thrilled.
Watch a Movie
When is the last time that you lounged around and watched a movie kid free? To watch a non-animated movie is a dream come true for most moms.
So why not pack a few DVDs of classic movies like The Notebook or How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days?
After a day of fun, sometimes all you want to do is lay back and watch a movie- making this the perfect cheap idea for a girl’s weekend!
Visit the Farmers Market
Oh my, I love visiting the farmer’s market! Walking around, finding the best produce, talking to the local florists… it is so much fun! The only way to make it even more fun? Bring your girlfriends!
Wherever you end up visiting on your trip, do some research and see if there will be any local farmers markets open while you are visiting.
Give Each other Manicures and Pedicures
A great idea for a girl’s weekend is to have everyone bring their nail care accessories and give each other manicures and pedicures! Someone always has a fun new nail polish color or nail moisturizer that is fun to try out.
Visit a Museum
If you are visiting somewhere new, a fun activity for your girls’ weekend could be visiting a local museum! Most of the time, you can find cheap or free tickets of admission and have a lot of fun learning something new.
Crafting
I have a friend that is obsessed with scrapbooking. For her, the ultimate girl’s weekend is to gather everyone around and craft new scrapbooking pages.
Do you have a passion like this? Why not gather a few of your friends together and offer to host a weekend dedicated to everyone crafting passion?
Plan a Scavenger Hunt
A scavenger hunt is a perfect afternoon activity to get everyone moving and laughing. Whether you are in the city or the middle of the woods, you can create a scavenger hunt list catered to your location!
If you don’t want to collect items, make it a picture scavenger hunt!
Go Window Shopping
One of my favorite activities to do on a girl’s weekend is to go window shopping. Not only is it cost effective, but you can usually find some really fun things with your gal pals.
Taking the time to walk around the town, you’ll be surprised at how many items you find that you would have never noticed otherwise!
Play Board Games
If you enjoy friendly competition, why not pack up a few board games? This cheap idea will help pass the time and get the giggles going as you play.
Stay up all Night Chatting
I know, this goes without saying! Staying up all night chatting is one of the best ways to spend a weekend with your girlfriends.
Going around a circle and sharing how you met your partners, complaining about work, or relating on a level that only your friends can understand- that is priceless.
Create a Vision Board
Before you leave for your trip, have everyone pack up a few old magazines so that you can all create vision boards! This cheap idea is the perfect way to share your passion, your goals, and put whatever your dreams are out into the universe.
I think that this can be one of the most intimate exercises that a group of people can do on a weekend away.
Take Pictures
It’s your weekend away, why not get dressed up and commemorate it? Take some time and get really dressed up and head outside to take some pictures of each other!
This is the perfect way to help you remember your weekend and get some decent pictures for your social media in the process.
Have a Painting Class
If you want to have a painting class on your weekend away, it’s as easy as buying art supplies and finding an instructional video on YouTube!
Pour a glass of wine and watch your inner painter come to life!
Workout
Something that I really enjoy doing is to get some movement in while I am away on the weekend. Whether we pull out an Old Jane Fonda VHS or opt in for a hike, one of the best ways to spend time together is to workout in some way.
Those endorphins will help you relax and have an amazing time with just the girls.
Just Be Lazy and Relax
On the opposite end of working out, you might find that what you really need on your girls’ weekend is to just be lazy and relax.
There is something about sitting on the couch with a big cozy blanket and a cup of coffee without any agenda at all that makes girls weekends one of the best things ever.
Find a Local Park
Depending where you are visiting for your girls’ weekend, you can do some research and find a local park, botanical garden, or flower sanctuary nearby.
A trip like this is a great way to break up the day and see some of nature’s beauty that you might not get to see on a regular basis.
In Summary
Planning cheap ideas for a girl’s weekend is the perfect way to help you have an awesome weekend and stay on budget. Whether you want to do some local sightseeing, hold an at-home wine tasting, or just lay around all weekend, you can plan the perfect weekend for you and your gal pals!
So tell me… what did I miss? What is your favorite cheap idea for a girls’ weekend?
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