During your school age and college years, it’s typically very easy to meet new friends. But as you grow older and move away from your hometown, this task becomes more and more difficult, especially once you retire.
Later in life, you can meet friends by joining clubs, utilizing websites like Meetup, and heading to local events. Read on to learn more details on how you can find friends later in life.
1. Join Local Clubs
One of the best ways to meet friends later in life is by joining local clubs of activities you enjoy. Not only will you meet friends who live near you, but chances are you will also share some common interests—which will make connecting even easier.
If you love gardening, look for a local gardening club. If you like puzzles, see if there’s a puzzle club. Libraries, community centers, and local bulletin boards are a great way to find out what clubs are available near you.
2. Use a Website Like Meetup
Meetup is a website where people can form groups to either chat online or do local activities. What groups are available will depend on where you live. The cool thing is, if you don’t see a group you want to join, you can form your own! This website does have a yearly fee, but we find that it isn’t bad when you are doing something you love!
Common Groups We’ve Found on Meetup:
- Hiking
- Book clubs
- Foodie groups
- Bar hopping groups
- Play/Mother groups
And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Check your local website to see what is happening near you.
3. Attend Local Events
This one seems to be a common point of contention—people want to make friends but at the same time, they don’t want to leave their houses! Unfortunately, this is something you have to do, unless you want only online friends.
We’ve found it possible to meet people by heading to a local spot where we love to hang out. For example, if you love gardening, renting a plot in the community garden might introduce you to some new friends. You could also head to a local café or pub, and strike up a conversation with someone who is also there by themselves.
We know this can be a bit nerve-wracking, but some of our best friends have been met utilizing these methods. And if you meet someone who isn’t interested in being friends, that’s okay, feel free to try again!
4. Get a Pet
We are aware this sounds a bit crazy, but some of the strongest friendships we’ve seen start in the pet owner community! For some reason, it’s easier to bond with someone when you have the same pet responsibilities.
If you adopt a dog, head to the local dog park or consider taking a few training classes. You’ll likely find yourself connecting with people without having to try!
For other pets, like cats, rabbits, and turtles, the in-person communities are less common, but the online ones can be surprisingly tight-knit! We know this may not be the type of friendship you want, but with a pet at home and a friend to message online, you’ll likely feel less lonely even if you don’t see the friend in person.
5. Try Online Dating
Again, this may sound crazy, but many online dating platforms also have options to meet friends! The main example is Bumble, which, while its main app is for finding love, also has a friends option (Bumble BFF), which allows you to see others in your area searching for friends.
We’ve actually had a few friends who met new friends on apps like these, some of their friendships lasting for ten years or more. Of course, this method may not work for everyone, but it is worth a shot!
6. Volunteer
Another awesome way to meet friends later in life is by volunteering. On this path, not only do you get to give back to the community, but you will meet others who are just as passionate as you are!
One important aspect for this to work is you have to ensure you volunteer in an area you are passionate about. If you love cooking, consider volunteering at a food bank or soup kitchen. For those who love animals, shelters are always looking for volunteers. If you prefer to be outside, many camps look for volunteer counselors, and there are always highway clean-up projects. No matter what you choose, you won’t be alone, so don’t be afraid to try a few options!
7. Social Media
Social media is an amazing tool, not only for businesses but for making friends. Social media makes it possible for you to converse with almost anyone in the world—no matter their location. We especially love social media friends because they can be fun to chat with, but also stress-free relationships to maintain.
It is also worth noting that you can find online friends in almost any category. Love some obscure Japanese manga? There’s likely a Reddit forum about it. Love horror books? You can probably find a group on Instagram. No matter what you love, there is a group somewhere in the world where you can chat about it; you just need to find it.
While we love social media friends (and have a few ourselves), remember internet safety. It is okay to chat with people, but never send any personal information or money to someone you meet online. While meeting in person isn’t out of the question, ensure you take proper precautions before you meet your online friend in real life (meet in a neutral location, share your meeting plans with family and friends). As long as you are careful, there is no harm in meeting your best friend thanks to the power of social media!
Overall, there are so many ways to meet friends later in life, and we hope one of these has resonated with you! Just remember to always be cautious around strangers and don’t give personal information (like your address) to someone you don’t know!
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