Sitting on a curb eating gas station snacks with your best friend counts as a great night. You don’t need more.

A good night is mostly the right person and nowhere to be. Everything else is decoration that costs money and often gets between you and the conversation you came for. Cheap nights work because nothing in them competes for your attention. You do not need an occasion; you need a curb and somebody you can also be quiet with.

This week, make a plan with one friend that costs almost nothing. Snacks, a walk, a bench somewhere. Give it two unhurried hours, then see how it compares with anything you would have paid for.