After a booming summer for socialising, things are starting to cool off. Inflation and the cost of living crisis are catching up with consumers who might still have some pent-up desire to go out. These conflicting desires leave consumers dangling between spend and save, while still looking for ways to continue their social lives. So what are they doing? How are people getting together when money is tight? On the tail end of the holiday season and as the popular “dry January” ends, what’s next in this transitional time. Will financial pressures cause a decline in spending on social occasions? Or is there enough pent-up desire to outweigh the costs? Or will consumers simply find different, perhaps cheaper, ways of getting together? What opportunities exist for brands in this evolving landscape?