The Stay Up Late campaign ambassadors have been talking about their ideas for having a good social life as the cost-of-living, and gigging, is getting worse.

(We’ve gathered up all their ideas and put them in our Guide to the Cost-of-Gigging! Enjoy!)

These are the tips the campaign ambassadors came up with:

Go to free and cheap spaces

— places like parks or beaches. Have a picnic with friends.

Go small; there are loads of things you can do:

• Discover small new bands.
• Try a tribute band.
• Go to a local pub with events such as open mic night, karaoke, or a pub quiz – read the local paper to see what’s on or look at posters outside local pubs.

Blag free tickets

A way you can do this is to ask if you can write a review or maybe do some work for a ticket (you could offer to do some flyering).

See if they have a disability discount

They may give a discount or have free tickets for personal assistants.

Look out for offers

Keep your eyes out and become a Coupon king, queen or regent – join newsletters, follow local bands, and join a Facebook group for your local area.

Drink cheaply

You don’t need to spend £6 on a pint of beer. Drink less, pre-drink or you could even have a lime and soda.

Discount travel

Get a railcard to help make travel cheaper, and see if there are other local offers for disabled people.

Why does it matter?

Getting out is good for our health

Remember, getting out and spending time with friends and other people is good for our mental health.

So it’s important not to let the ‘cost-of-living crisis’ make us poorer, not just in our pockets but also in our health.

Supporting our local community

It’s also important we continue to support our local community and economy when possible! By going out, we’re also supporting small venues and musicians who are also struggling. It helps everyone in a small way.

And a big thanks to Gig Buddies Cymru for their ideas on this too.