How does a festival compare to a night out?

I was recently shocked when I was informed that on a survey of over 2000 women 70% of them preferred a night in over a night out. Not me, I initially thought! I would be partying it up every day of the week if my bank balance and work commitments didn't get in the way.

Having just returned home this week from Leeds Festival it got me thinking how does a festival compare to a night out? With the expenses of festivals rising to the cost of a weeks holiday almost is it even worth it? 

When I read the interesting results it appears almost everything we hate about a night out happens ten times worse at a festival, for example 46% of us hate drinks been spilled on us (at a festival were always thankful that the liquid been thrown is beer not errmmm...) and 55% of us hate toilets that don't lock or don't have toilet paper (have you used a festival port-a-loo!).Plus other put off's on the list include being sick in public(I'll hold my hands up), loosing money or a mobile phone, having to look after a drunk friend (I'm the drunk friend) not to mention sore feet (at one point this year I started to wonder if trench foot would become a possibility). But somehow all of this doesn't stop me spending hundreds of pounds on festivals each year.  

Yes festivals can be muddy, believe me when I say you will never look like the girls in a magazine at a festival with perfect hair it's simply impossible, you will be cold on a night, if your lucky to start a fire you will be the one sat were the wind blows the smoke into your eyes, you will have various liquid thrown at you when you see your favourite band, at one point you will loose your friends, your feet will hurt and don't even get me started on the pain of carrying your stuff from the car to the camp site. Nightmare. But its worth it. 

So what exactly makes a festival better than a night out. No one judges how you dress, the music will be loud, you choose what music you want to listen to, the general chit chat and awesome banter, you will make new friends and meet new people, you can drink your own beer, if you fall over you’re amongst friends and you can stay up as long as you like.

Over all for me a festival for me will always win over a night out or a holiday, as much as I secretly loved coming back to my home comforts, a warm shower and fresh bedding, a festival is an experience I will never miss. 

Do you prefer a night in or a night out?

A holiday or a festival? 

Sammie

“Written in collaboration with Ladbrokes Bingo”

Crimble crumble

Whilst i'm trapped in on a Saturday night i thought i would quickly share with you my Friday night.

Friday night was the best night out i have had in ages, so i can't sulk too much that i'm stuck in bored on a Saturday.

I love how the best nights out are always the most random. I hadn't intended to go out on Friday as a big night out was planned for Saturday. Arriving home from work i thought i would have a little walk to the shop and buy myself a bottle of wine for my night in. Walking around the shop i came to the baking isle. I had a little ponder and noticed some crumble topping mix when i remembered a recipe i had seen on the TV a few weeks ago for a mars bar and apple crumble. (I will add a post when i'v made this). When i arrived at the checkout, the shop assistant started pulling weird faces and questioning the type of apples i had picked, when he screwed his face up and went "your using these apples for a crumble" what i heard in my head was "your 21 and spending your Friday nights making apple crumble, were is your life". On this note i headed out. It was rather late when i got out and my friends was already stuck in town and promised me they wasn't dressed up. I headed of into town in my converse leggings and kiss jumper, expecting a few drinks. We all know the quiet nights turn out to be the best and this was no exception. 

My much loved, sparkly yet dirty converse 

How have you spent your weekend?

Sammie

The hangover

So last night was my good friend Vickys birthday and she had kindly booked out the V.I.P section in Players bar in Leeds for us all and had drinks put on. Bottles of sambuca, jagermister and vodka were all brought over to the table for our group as people stared at us all to see what all the fuss was about. It was a fantastic night out however today i'm feeling a little delicate and thinking about the weekend i defiantly need to curb my partying antics a little. I also need to cut down my spending on nights out dramatically. So i'v put together a list of tips to help us all spend less on a night out. 

How to spend less on a night out:

1. Share drinks with friends, sharing a bottle of wine with a friends is usually cheaper then buying it by the glass. Same with cocktail pitchers. 

2. If you can, go to a friends house first, this way you can all cut down on taxi fares. 

3. Use facebook and get on the guest list for clubs/bars this way you normally can avoid paying entrance fees. 

4. Top up drinks such as wine with soda water and make them last longer.

5. Pick cheaper drinks, usually larger and beer costs less then spirits.

6. Be on the look out for member ship cards in bars what give you drinks deals. At the moment i currently have one for Propaganda at the 02 Academy,  Revolution and a yellow card for the Dry-Dock/Library pub however these do sometimes cost money to buy. I think Yatses might also do one. 

7. Often bars charge for the spirit and mixer individually, usually why gin and tonics are always a little expensive so why not swap it for a gin and lemonaid. 

8. Try downgrading the brands you drink, if your like me and actually know different brands of drinks (I used to work at a cocktail bar) then you often find yourself ordering obscure things, for example i'm no longer pleased with a standard Smirnoff vodka and now  have a new love for Chase marmalade vodka. A shot is no longer a £1 shot of apple sourz it has to be reposado tequila. I have become fussy. Basically STOP IT! You've become a drink snob.

9. There is no rule that says you cant haggle on price. This works most effectively with the people walking round selling shots. 

10. Never buy photos/keyrings in clubs! They will be on the clubs facebook page the next day were you can tag yourself so don't bother. If its a nice photo that you want then print it out yourself. 

Hope there's some useful tips in there for you all. 

Love

Sammie