153. How to Make Friends as an Adult: Meeting New People, Building Connections, & More!

Making friends as an adult can feel surprisingly difficult, especially once life paths start to diverge, priorities shift, and free time becomes limited. In this episode, I share how I’ve built meaningful friendships from scratch in three different cities, and what actually matters when it comes to forming connections that last. I talk about using your network intentionally, why friends of friends are the real unlock, how to put yourself out there without forcing it, and how to adjust expectations as people move through different life stages. This episode is both practical and honest, with real examples from my experiences in Boston, Los Angeles, and Chicago. If you’re navigating loneliness, rebuilding your social life, or trying to make new friends in adulthood without burning yourself out, this episode will give you a grounded framework for doing so.

Subscribe to Beyond Your Budget:

https://breakyourbudget.substack.com/

Personal Finance Starter Kit:

https://breakyourbudget.substack.com/p/your-personal-finance-starter-kit

BREAK YOUR BUDGET RESOURCES:

💸 Personal Finance Dashboard:

https://breakyourbudget.com/personal-finance-dashboard

💸 Basic Budgeting Template:

https://breakyourbudget.com/basic-budgeting-template

💸 FI/RE Template:

https://breakyourbudget.com/fire-template

💸 RENT VS. BUY CALCULATOR

https://breakyourbudget.com/rent-vs-buy-calculator

💳 Tools + Cards I Use:

Rakuten Cash Back: https://shorturl.at/w0PcH

SoFi HYSA: https://wealthlink.me/michela-sofi-hysa

AmEx Platinum: https://tinyurl.com/2rkrysw2

Bilt Rewards: https://tinyurl.com/4kd8s33a

Blue Cash Everyday: https://tinyurl.com/yrcbr2ac

All Other Resources:

https://breakyourbudget.com/links

👩🏼‍💻 Inquiries: [email protected]

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/breakyourbudget/

📲 Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@breakyourbudget

📸 Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/michela_alloccaa

💸 My ShopMy:

https://shopmy.us/shop/michelaallocca

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 – Why making friends as an adult feels harder than expected

02:10 – Embracing the process and becoming your own best friend

05:05 – Post-college friendships and early Boston years

08:40 – Making friends through work and shared routines

12:15 – Moving to LA and starting from scratch

16:30 – Why roommates and friends of friends matter

21:10 – How friend networks expand organically

26:00 – Tip #1: Leverage friends of friends

31:45 – Tips #2–3: Put yourself out there and be the friend you want

38:10 – Tips #4–5: Let friendships evolve and adjust expectations