What have the Editors in Chief been thinking about this week?
As the semester is coming to an end and our bank accounts are depleting, it becomes much more difficult to go out (even more so if we remember the essays we’ve got to write). It goes without saying how expensive Edinburgh can be, especially as a student. So whilst the budget becomes harder to keep track of, here are some suggestions of how you can spend time with your friends without breaking the bank.
Movie Night:
Instead of doing a cinema trip, go to a friend’s flat and do a movie night. Yes, the cinema is more exciting, but you can recreate it just as well on your own. If you have a projector (chances are you know someone who does) you’ve got a great list of fun nights in the flat to get through; both Just Dance and Karaoke can all be done through YouTube, and surely we’ve all seen TikTok videos of Powerpoint Night. Either way, at its most basic, a movie night is always a good choice (alternatively, we’d suggest binge watching a season of Brooklyn 99). Especially as Edinburgh descends into Christmas madness, a themed movie night is a cheap way to get into the holiday mood–instead of taking out a small loan to go to the Christmas Market. We may be slightly hypocritical as we’re going to see Wicked at the cinema tomorrow, but we’re both theatre kids, so let’s move past that and go enjoy your movie night - it’ll make you feel More Better.
Cocktail Night:
Having a cocktail-making night is a great alternative to going out for drinks. Even the pubs and bars with student deals can be pricey, so this is a great choice if you’re looking for a fun night (but be warned, things might get a bit messy if your only experience of mixing drinks is making a pre-Hive vodka-cranberry). This shouldn’t be too expensive, unless you’ve decided to make a super fancy or unique cocktail, so you should be able to split the cost of most ingredients between the group. There’s lots of different ways you can do a cocktail night; either make one cocktail throughout the night (Isla approves as this gives you plenty of time for gossip) or each make something different, perhaps themed or based on your degree, you can even go for mocktails. To ensure that it doesn’t get too expensive, plan what you’re making beforehand (the super organised and coordinated approach also receives Isla’s stamp of approval.) Isla recommends a Dark and Stormy or a Negroni, Molly recommends an espresso martini (insert Sabrina Carpenter joke here…)
Coffee Morning:
This one might require getting out of bed before midday, but it’s still a lovely way to start the day. If you’ve got a friend that lives close to uni, this is the perfect way to wake up before you hit the library. You could bring along the books you’re currently reading, and make it a reading date (Molly recommends adding a holiday themed book, her recommendation would be The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand), or perhaps you could try to teach your friends your hobbies (Isla recommends knitting). A coffee morning can be as chill as you want it to be and is much cheaper than Edinburgh’s coffee shops. No matter how cosy they are, it’s not worth the cost 7 days a week - if you want cosy, get a blanket, (although Isla is speaking as someone who doesn’t have a problem with Lidl’s instant coffee). However, once again, we’re being extremely hypocritical, as we’re writing this Spotlight while sitting in Costa.
Christmas Dinner:
Before everyone heads home for the holidays, it can be really nice to have an early Christmas Dinner with your uni friends. You can host it as a potluck or cook together, like Molly and her flatmates did last year–where each person covered a different aspect of the dinner. (If you ask nicely, Molly will share her maple glazed carrots recipe.) This is a great way to celebrate the end of the semester and get into the Holiday spirit, so you can go home feeling ready for the season! Make some hot chocolate, play some Holiday music (Michael Buble’s Christmas album is always a fan favourite), and watch a movie (Isla recommends The Muppet Christmas Carol.)
Baking:
On a similar note, we’d always recommend a cute baking date! Isla and Molly used to always bake for their Committee Meeting snack duties last year, so of course we have to suggest baking with your friends. You can mix this one up by making something simple, trying a new recipe, or hosting a mini-Bake Off competition. If you want to turn this into an evening activity, why not try making the Hear Me Out cake which you’ve surely seen on your socials by now! For the seasoned bakers out there who are looking for a challenge, try baking at that one friend’s flat who’s entire kitchen is either broken or looks like an explosion. Make sure the kitchen has enough space for everyone or it will get that much more chaotic! Even if you never want to speak to these people again, you’ve got a sweet treat to reward yourselves with at the end.
Games Night:
Hosting Games Night is always a great time! You can make it into a potluck and have everyone bring their favourite board game and snack of choice. Isla and I would recommend specifying how competitive you want it to be…especially if you decide to play Monopoly or Uno. The great thing about Games Night is that it’s never the same twice. If you bring different games each time, or host different friends, it’s going to be a unique and chaotic evening every time.
Museums/Galleries/Day Trips:
Many of Edinburgh’s Museums and Galleries are free to the public! Molly recommends the National Gallery of Scotland, especially with its relatively new addition of The Scottish Galleries. The Writer’s Museum located at Lady Stairs House in Lawnmarket is also a great museum to explore. It celebrates prominent Scottish literary figures, such as Walter Scott, Robert Burns, and Robert Louis Stevenson. As they say on their website: “You don’t need to have read these writers’ works to enjoy the fascinating life stories told in the Writers’ Museum.” If you’re wanting to explore something outside of Edinburgh’s city centre, make use of that free bus travel, and head to Crammond. The beach is super peaceful and calm, but be sure to wrap up warm! Isla would recommend starting at Lauriston Castle before walking down to the beach at Cramond - it’s about a 30 minute walk and Lauriston Castle has some lovely gardens and grounds to explore.
Vintage Shopping/Window Shopping Day:
It can be very calming to take a day to browse through stores, and Edinburgh has so many to choose from. To make it more budget-friendly, take a day to explore the variety of vintage shops Edinburgh has to offer. Explore vintage bookstores like Armchair Books in Grassmarket, or Tills in Newington, or check out the charity shops on Nicholson street, in Morningside, and in the Meadows. Even if you don’t buy anything, it’s great to wander through and take a look. Vintage shopping is a great way to spend a weekend afternoon whether it’s by yourself or with friends!
Yoga Classes with Edinburgh University Yoga Society:
If you’re in need of stress relief from end-of-semester assignments, why not try a yoga class! These can typically be pretty pricey, but thankfully Edinburgh University’s Yoga Society has got you covered. You can purchase a £25 class pass for 10 classes. The society offers a variety of different kinds of classes from Ashtanga Basics to Vinyasa Flow to Molly’s personal favourite, Yin. Each week they put a class schedule on their Instagram @euyogasoc which lists the times different classes are offered and what skill level.
Attend free society events:
Many societies offer a variety of weekly and monthly free events to attend. Often you can simply turn up at, but others you’ll need to reserve a space for. Edinburgh University Feminist Society hosts a discussion group every Monday. UoE Book Club Society hosts monthly discussion groups for their monthly pick (you can get the books with a 15% discount at Lighthouse Books). To make it interesting, attend a society event for a society you have no previous experience with–why not pretend to be a biology student for the night!
Thanks again for making it this far! Isla and I really appreciate you taking the time to listen to our ramblings, and we hope you’ve enjoyed it. Our recommendation for you this week is to try something off our list or send us a suggestion of your favourite budget-friendly activities in case we’ve missed something. See you next time!
(Please ignore that we’re primarily writing in the 3rd person. It really shows how mentally unstable we’ve become over this Semester. So just ignore it and pretend like everything is fine … please)
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