Best Group Plans in NYC - Have Fun with Your Friends Without Spending a Fortune

New York is one of the most expensive places to live in the USA. From housing to clubs, everything comes with a fortune. If you have just moved to NYC, you must be finding this place pricy. But, this does not mean that you cannot have fun in this big city without burning a hole in your pocket. New York has a lot to offer to its people and that’s why you can do a lot of things here without spending a lot of money. When it comes to having fun, New York has no boundaries. That’s why we are presenting this awesome list of group plans in NYC that will not cost you a fortune. So, let’s jump right into it.

Pocket-friendly group plans in NYC

A house get-together

How about you call all your friends to your place for a house party? We know you must be thinking that a house party could be a bit expensive. However, this is not true. You just have to take care of food and drinks. Since you are inviting friends to your place, you all can split the bill which will cost you almost nothing. You can play music on your TV or speakers for a good vibe. And trust us, you and all your friends will enjoy this home get-together more than a club party.

A road trip

If you and your friends are fond of hitting the road, then you should definitely plan a road trip. What if I do not have a car? You can make plans with someone who has a car or you can rent one and everyone can pay an equal contribution to the rent. You can do the same for the gas bill. You would not have to spend a lot of money and you will enjoy this all-friends road trip. You can carry snacks and avoid eating at a restaurant. Thankfully, NYC has a lot of beautiful places which means your road trip will be memorable.

Hiking

Who does not like hiking? This activity has a lot of benefits: it is fun, it is healthy, it has various health benefits and the list can go on and on. The best part? It does not cost you anything. You have to find a good place for hiking and this could be one of the best group plans in NYC you will ever make. Make sure to apply sunscreen and carry a bottle of water. Hiking is always fun and it is a great activity for weekends. It is also a great stress buster because once you are in the lap of nature, nothing else matters.

Park picnic

Summers are perfect for visiting a good park and just having a good time with your friends. You can plan a picnic with your friends and visit a nice park. When it comes to NYC, we all know what is the most preferable location for picnics: central park. But there are a lot of other options you can choose. Carry some food, water, and drinks. Sunscreen and sunglasses are important as they help prevent sun damage. Imagine sitting under a tree, eating good food, and talking about everything and anything with your friends. Sounds to be a perfect picnic, right?

A star gazing night

If you and your friends are night persons, then this is something you simply cannot miss out on. Stargazing nights are always special fun and interesting especially when you have your pals by your side. You can bring a bean bag, chairs, or inflatable couch to the terrace to create your own establishment. We would recommend you to plan this night during summer because Winters in NYC are spine-chilling. You can order some food and bring some drinks and turn it into a night gazing party.

Play interesting game

There are so many games you can play with your friends. From video games to lawn games, you can make gaming plans with friends in NYC. If you want to enjoy the sun, you can play something outside like a lawn game. Another option is playing video games. We all love to play video games and that’s why they are perfect for your gaming time.

Beach trips

Beach trips are always interesting. You and all your friends can visit a beach and slay in the summers. If you have your beach body ready, then weekends are the perfect days to flaunt it. All you have to do is invest in a bathing suit. However, if you already have one, then congratulations, you saved extra bucks. Make sure to use sunscreen during your trip. You can swim, get some tan, eat ice cream at the beach and whatnot. There are so many things to do during your beach trips.

A karaoke night

Karaoke nights are the best and no one can disagree! Everyone loves music and that’s why all your friends will enjoy a karaoke night. You can make a list of some classic songs and can also ask for recommendations from your friends. Ask them to bring something to eat because this will save you money and will bring variety to the table. And also, do not worry if you don’t have a karaoke set. You can either borrow it from a friend or just DIY it.

A self-cooked dinner night

How about a night dedicated to your favorite food? Invite all your friends to your place and cook your favorite food together. This will be extremely fun because everyone has their own way of cooking and that’s why it will be a new learning experience for you and all your friends. Dinner nights are always special and that’s why we would highly recommend you to make group plans in NYC for a dinner night with all your friends.

But where are all your friends?

If you have recently moved to NYC, then we suppose you are struggling to make friends. NYC has a very fast-paced life and that’s why it is not easy to make new friends. But if you are craving good company and want to make group plans in NYC with your dear ones, you can try group planning apps. These applications are simply amazing and make it very easy for you to make new friends.

All you have to do is search for a good social meet-up application and create your profile. You will find people who are near your location and share similar interests. These apps have made it very easy for the people to new friends.

Which group planning app to use?

If you are looking for a reliable and trusted Group planning app, then Leaf would be perfect for you. The Leaf App is extremely helpful to those people who want to make new friends. This app is easy to use and has many active users who are looking for new friends in New York. Leaf’s team wants to offer an extraordinary experience to its users and that’s why this app is highly reliable. All you have to do is visit the App Store and join the Leaf family.

What are the best group planning apps in New York for 2022?

Lives are messy these days. But, unlike the usual situations, we are not making our lives messier. Instead, our work-focused lifestyle and less time for socializing with our friends, families, and even colleagues are making our lives messier. However, inventors have observed this mess in the lives of the majority, and technology has stepped in. Thus, the technology geeks have researched and discovered such group planning apps for work-focused people that can help them manage their time and take some time off from their busy work life.

So here we have listed some of the best social planning apps that you can use to manage time, make plans, and hang out with your friends, family, and colleagues in groups. However, some of these apps are more advanced than others but not solely group planning apps. At the same time, some of the apps do not have too advanced features but are enough for a group planning app. So let's start with the list:

The Leaf app

The leaf app is one of the most popular social planning apps in the market right now. And it is packed with all the features critical for the group planning apps. However, the leaf app is also available only for the IOS platforms. So if you are using Apple devices, you can download the app from the Apple app store.

One of the best features of this app is its usability. Planning any kind of event is very easy through this app. And to plan an event, all you need to do is open the app's homepage on your phone. Then tap on the Plus (+) button. The plus button will open some activity options, like Invite Friends, Plan an Event, etc. And from these options, you need to select the kind of activity you want to do.

So, if you want to plan an event, select that option. Next, you have to select or book the venues in your location for the event. Then select a date and different time slots for the event. And lastly, you need to add the people you want to invite to the event to the guest list. Thus, an invitation will be sent to the selected guests.

But there are many more significantly advanced features that make this app different from any other group planning app.

Doodle

It is not like people didn't use to make meetup plans before the evolution of social planning apps or group planning apps. But one of the most common issues people used to experience before the evolution of these apps was agreeing on a common time, date, and place for the Meetup. And this app has resolved that issue very efficiently.

The most basic feature of this app is that it suggests multiple options for time and date for the group meetup. Once you select the various date and time slots for the Meetup, you can add the friends you want to invite to your Meetup. Then the friends select the time slots that suit them. And based on that, the app suggests a common time and date that will be suitable and probably acceptable to all your friends.

Another great feature of the app is that it is not essential for all your friends that you are inviting for the Meetup to use this app. So even if your friends are not using the Doodle app, but you added them to the guest or the invitation list, they will be notified about the event and could specify their suitable date and time without even downloading the app.

There are many more interesting features in the app. The most vital feature is that it has a clean and clever user interface, so you won't have any issues using the app. And you can even sync other essential apps of your device like Google Calendar, Outlook, or other email apps with the Doodle app. You can even enable push notifications and private messaging threads for each event.

Although, if you are using the free version of the app, you will see some ads and lesser features. But you can disable the ads and use more interesting features like automatically reminding invitees to RSVP with an annual premium subscription for $39.

Facebook

We all know about Facebook, or the metaverse now, as it is one of the most used social media apps on the planet, with more than 2 billion followers worldwide. And although it is not solely one of the group planning apps, it is surely one of the best social planning apps.

One of the greatest features of this app is its usability. As it is one of the oldest and most widely used social media platforms, it is very unusual that anyone you want to invite to your Meetup is not already using this app. And as Facebook has also bought and synced the other famous social media apps with itself, the chances of someone not being on Facebook are zero.

And other than its common use globally, it is very easy to plan an event or a meetup on this app and invite people. So to plan an event and invite people for the Meetup, first, you need to open the Facebook app. Then tap on the three horizontal dots, which will open the menu option. In the menu bar, select Events and tap on the Create button. And once you are done with these steps, you need to specify the Name, date, and time for the Meetup. But as it is one of the most advanced group meeting apps on the internet, you get many more advanced features. So after specifying the date and timing of the Meetup, you can add many more details to the Meetup, like the location, the cover photo, and even the description of the Meetup. This way people will know about the activities of the event. There is also the option to make the event public or private. Thus, if the event is public, everyone will know about the event. And if the Meetup is private only people you have added to the guest list will know about the Meetup.

And once you have posted the event, you can use other Facebook tools like the Facebook messaging app to tell people more privately about the Meetup. This way, you will also know which of the guests have seen your invitation and responded to it.

Google Calendar

Although Google Calendar is not especially a social media platform like Facebook, we all know its popularity. And it also contains features that make it suitable for the category of group planning apps. The reason why Google calendar is very common and a perfect fit for social planning apps is its usability. Almost everyone has a Google email account, and those who have the account can easily access the Google Calendar.

And creating a meetup group event and inviting people to it is also pretty straightforward through this app. So to create an event, firstly, open the Google Calendar app, tap on the red plus button, and select the date and time of the Meetup. And after doing so, all you need to do is specify the people you want to invite to the Meetup. So if you are using the app on an Android device, select the Invite People option to invite the guest. If you are using an IOS or Apple device, the Add Guest button.

But unlike Facebook, you can't make the event public, and only the people you have added to the guest list will be notified about the meetup event through their Google Calendar app. However, there is an option to allow the guest you are inviting to add more people or invite more guests to the event. And this option appears when you start sending invites.

And once you invite the people, you can use other Google features and apps such as Google hangouts to make video calls to the guest. This way, you can tell your guest about more details of the meetup event. Although, if you don't want to video call your guests, you can email them through the Google account about the event's details.

Meetup

The Meetup is one of those apps which have been majorly developed as a social planning app. And this app aims to push you out of your homes and meet your friends and even new people in person.

Through this app, you can either join the already existing meetup groups, like there are many local meetup groups in New York. Or you can create your own event or meetup group and invite people. And along with the people you know, you can even meet new people at your Meetup to make new friends.

So to create a meetup event through this event, you first need to open the app. Then select the Browse button if you are using the app on an Android device or the Meetup button if you are using the IOS version of the app. So now you first have to specify the date, timing, and other parameters of the Meetup. And then, you need to specify the purpose of your Meetup or what you want to achieve through this Meetup. So based on these things, the app will share and notify a person having similar goals or purposes about your Meetup. And once you are done with all these, you can create further meetup events by just changing the date, timing, or venue of the Meetup.

Attending

If we specifically talk about social planning apps or group planning apps, then this platform does not stand a place. It is so because Attending is not specifically an app but an online website that enables you to make meetup and group event plans and invite people to it. And it stands a place in this due to its elegant and intuitive interface that makes it pretty straightforward to plan events. And as personal advice, you should use the website on a mobile browser as it works well with it. So to make a meetup event, you just need to open the website, tap on the Make an event page, and start inviting people. You don't even have to make an account on the website.

But one of the greatest features of this website is its accessibility through other apps. So once you add the list of guests for your event, the guests will be able to see the essential information such as the host and other guests invited to people, the date, timing, and location of the meetup event, along with a map. And to give an RSVP for the event, the guests can give information about their Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn accounts. And they can even leave their email account to give acknowledgment. There is also an option for comments to start a comment thread.

The Pro Party Planner

Suppose you are looking for comprehensive group planning apps with all the features to plan big meetups. Then, this app is perfect for you. However, just like the leaf app, this app is only available on IOS devices. Also, there is no free version of this app. So you have to pay a $5 annual fee to unlock all the app's features.

This app provides many significant features, such as you can know about all the guests coming to your meetup event, you can also know which guests have paid for the event if there is a fee to attend the event. The app could also suggest the venues to plan the event.

And as we said, this is one of the best apps for making group outing plans; you will come across many screens while creating an event. For example, one of these screens will suggest the food and drinks you can order at the event. Another screen could suggest to you the entertainment options that you can opt for your meetup events, such as DJs or singers. But if you are tight on budget, you can tell the app about your budget, and based on that, the app will suggest to you the food and drinks you can order or the activities you can do at your meetup event.

However, because the app is stacked with so many features, the UI of the app has suffered. Usually, people get confused about the features and functions while using this app. It has also become difficult to navigate through different tabs of the app. So before you buy the subscription for this app, we suggest you completely understand the functionality and usability of this app.

Conclusion

So now you know about all the popular and useful social planning and group planning apps that you can use in 2022 to make plans in New York. But among all these apps, the leaf app is our personal choice. This particular app contains some of the most advanced features for a group planning app, like making new friends, event reminders, and an in-app chat feature. And along with all these features, the UI of the app is also pretty straightforward.

Scheduling App for Friends: Enjoy This Festival Season With Your Loved Ones

"No, sorry, I can't make it this time." Are you tired of this statement, too? Unfortunately, it happens a lot of the time.

Trying to organize a meet with your long-lost friends or teammates is hard. No matter how hard you try, they just can't agree on a particular date or even the place they want to go! If you are in charge of planning get-together, you know how tedious that can be. Matching a time when people are actually available is a tough task. Even if you’re not usually the coordinator, sometimes you get trapped in a huge chat where no plans are solidified. Finding time in a packed schedule for your friends can be challenging, especially when you're trying to find free time with another ten people as well. Actually, you need to choose a time that works for everyone. That is why a scheduling app for friends was created. They make the planning process painless. There are a number of super-helpful apps that take the stress out of planning and allow you to merge schedules and group to-do lists. You can see friends’ suggested locations or invite new members into the chat.

Basically, there are three modes to choose from – Going Out, Flexible or Busy – your friends must choose between them. But some avoid your message or may not even bother about the plan. As a negative impact, the ones who really wanted to go suffer. Don't worry about entering a group full of strangers. A scheduling app for friends will enable you to mitigate unnecessary plans and ultimately reduce friction. You can only focus and spend time on deserving friends. A user is able to explore group scheduling tools to create a more effective meeting process.

Get Started with a Free Scheduling App for Friends

Gone are the days when we had to wait for months to meet a friend. Luckily, there is a meetup scheduling app for friends to simplify the process of friends get-together. It is fun to get out of your comfort zone and include new social activities in your life. Meeting long-lost friends is really crucial in such times. However, if you make a new group plan, you must have the confidence to start a conversation with someone who shares the same interests. So, make a quick list of the activities that you love and are most comfortable with. Need some good ideas? Here is a list:

1.Volunteer in the community - when you have a passion for finding others and communicating with them, the scheduling app is perfect. Spend a few hours to find an organization of your‘s or your friend's choice. Out of all the great places to meet friends, volunteering for a cause ranks very high. Explore the perfect volunteer opportunity by entering your city and interesting areas. Consider these worthy causes:

• Children and youth

• Animal welfare

• Human rights and advocacy

• Education and literacy

• Disaster relief or crisis support

2. Make a sports team - it's not possible to meet your friends often. So, it's better to make a sports team with highly athletic people or just enjoy having fun through games. Schedule your sports league with various scheduling apps for friends. From competitive softball to flag football, sports leagues create great ways to get together with friends or meet new friends, especially in cities, such as New York, where people love to play rugby or join gaming clubs. 

3. Go for a dance/gym class - Joining gym and dance classes with friends is fun. It's a great way to be social and stay fit. Add an extra layer of group exercises. You can find something enjoyable and maybe someday, you will find the perfect workout partner in the gym. Group gym sessions are the new goals. Stay together and get fit together. With a scheduling app for friends, you can create a proper setup and invite friends at a particular time. Boost your chances of making strong bonds and staying active in your social life.

4. Run a local race - You may hear people saying that road races are the ultimate exercise but have you experienced them with friends? If not, you are missing out on something major here. Communal events and running clubs offer excellent ways to meet new people and have fun with old friends. The benefits of getting involved in a running community are marvelous. See your town from a new perspective and break a sweat with your friends today on the roads.

5. Cultural clubs - share your love and respect for religion or cultural activities, too. Becoming active in the local mosque or church helps you engage with like-minded people.  If you have strong ties with culture, consider seeking out the local club that represents this in your city. Moreover, it's a great way to start a Sunday at church and end at a bar. Not only that, book clubs are also very much appreciated. Reading together in a group is widely known for stimulating your brain and overall emotional health. A scheduling app for friends can arrange a book meeting for everyone so you can get together and read your favorite books.

6. A tip to beach or lake - relax and relieve all your stress with the sun! A great book hand, a mojito and playing volleyball with friends: spending time at the beach with friends is a fun activity; it creates opportunities through which you can get to know each other better. If your current friends are not ready for this, make new friends on meetup sites and use a scheduling app for friends to plan outings with them.

7. Go to bars with events, like a trivia night - who doesn't love trivia nights? If you enjoy competitive trivia sessions, invite your whole group to a local bar or brewery to enjoy the evening with you. Most of them will join the event happily. For those without a group, the trivia managers can also arrange a team of people. You can create the funny, innovative name of your group. Go through the internet to find them.

You may also like to read: A Socialized Guidebook on “How to Interact With Groups to Meet People

8. Visit museums, zoos or national parks - spending quality time in public places is the best way to keep in touch with nature and yourself. The visit will take a whole day and you have to use a scheduling app for friends in order to plan this day. A group of people who are interested in such activities will join you. Many cities have a variety of museums and so does New York. NY is a beautiful city and if you are inclined to spend the day with animals, NY’s zoos are waiting. Other than that, there are over 59 national parks in the US. You can purchase an ‘America the Beautiful Pass’. The pass will give you access to over 2,000 federal recreation sites. You can share your experience with others as well.

9. Local music and food festivals - festivals are centered around fun. Luckily, at this time of the year, the festival season is going on in the US. Attending local music, food or art festivals is the best way to meet your friends. Schedule every event with them on the scheduling app for friends and often include group activities like competitions, games and demonstrations. You can read the NYC calendar in our previous blog for more details.

10. Cooking class - learning something new will open you up and build confidence. It's better that you want to do things with your friends. So, invite them to your next cooking session. It is a fantastic way to make new connections, too. Join language classes which offer access to groups and where you practice with others.

11. Shop at local stores - local business owners must get a chance and good revenue during the festival season. They are always eager to meet and serve their community. During the festival period, there are extreme sale options and new arrivals to enhance the start of next year.  Spending time in the local boutiques and restaurants of NYC will help you build relationships with hard-working shop owners and your friends. Invite your shop buddies and increase the #shoplocal trend.

12. Go to the local brewery - craft beers have always been popping up and they have been explored a lot in recent years. Almost every town has at least one brewery. Explore great breweries and take up the offer of tours or making classes to your friends. Cities with large collections of breweries see weekend tours and even specific bus tours take you to multiple breweries over the span of a day so you can enjoy the whole day and have fun with your friends.

13. Farmer's market- Many towns offer monthly farmer’s markets that are full of local products. This is just like shopping locally direct from the farmers. It is a great way to support the community and surround yourself with people who are interested in doing the same. Enjoy healthy living and good food with farmer’s markets. Diversity of regions and people attend such events. Arrange your ext meetup at farmer's market through scheduling app for friends.

Finding a Time That Works for Everyone

It is challenging to schedule plans and meetings at times. Here are a few tips for creating an ideal meet-up through a scheduling app for friends.

Provide proper details

Have you ever been to a meetup and the first couple minutes spent figuring out who actually organized the meeting? What was the purpose of this get-together? Were there any agendas to follow? A single objective can change everything or create confusion.  The statement at the invitation plays a major part - "Hey friends, we are getting together this weekend to celebrate my promotion” or “We are going to discuss the new environmental plan".  Make it clear why you are gathering people. Make sure whoever is interested must come and join the meetup soon.

Prepare a motive

If you are meeting more than one person in your meetup arranged through a scheduling app for friends, you will find it helpful to have a plan. Tangents happen and sometimes they happen for a good reason. For example, if group discussions have no motive, there will be nothing left worth seeking attention. So, there must be a plan on which people are comfortable to talk and give their opinions. It's respectful for everyone to join and stay for better communication. This will help to build a better meetup and interested people will become participants again.

Communication value

In addition to that, a scheduling app for friends is famous for communication. Having an objective only will not matter; you need question and answer as well. All group members must participate actively in the meetup. Perhaps the conversation reveals something innovative or fun. Everyone must know what’s in it for them and how they’ll be presented throughout.

Consider time zones

For any person in your group, you must keep in mind any different time zones. All the participants must be present for a particular time zone. You can see their Google Calendar or make plans with friends in the scheduling app for friends. It's important that everyone is comfortable with the time zone. Make sure you don't make any sudden changes at the last moment. Avoid bookings just a day or two before the meet-up.  In order to have the most productive time, set up everything properly. Everyone needs a chance to participate adequately.

Don't schedule a meeting on ‘back off’ days

There is always a particular day, like a Monday or Tuesday, when everyone is busy with their own schedule. Don’t pick the days and times that are not productive for them or have some personal activities planned - Saturdays and Sundays are ideal – so their task won't be interrupted by your meet-up. If you’re the one being invited to a ton of meet-ups from the scheduling app for friends, choose the ones you want and decline others.

Closure

Perhaps socializing with planning is all that we need today. Finding new friends and meeting old ones can happen easily with scheduling app for friends. The online forum helps you schedule meetings with friends. Be confident and outshine yourself to new social connections. Establish genuine friendships and make sure you meet them. Now that you have scheduling apps, you don't have to worry about arranging meet-ups. Start scheduling your events with friends and family today!