I'm talking about income relative to prices. The west has it better than everyone else now or ever before except recent history. I know complaining is fashionable but be real. You're not a serf who can never afford meat or has to work 10 hours 6 days a week even if you do have 3 (part-time) jobs.

Not only that but it needs time. Time that coincides with friends times. If everyone is 9-5 and thats it then thats great, but everyone is working as many hours as they can.

Local hackerspaces or makerspaces have open doors nights and try to be affordable overall. Sometimes even free. Libraries are great. Galleries and museums have free days. Protests and activist organisations are good way to be social and find meaningful life.. Grassroots cultural spaces in general. Some cafes and bars have events that don't require you to purchase anything. There are squats and other social spaces around the world

Don't know if that helps, but I've known people before who didn't know the place they were looking for already existed. Sometimes the places are hard to find, but they are there. There's 8 billion of us and nobody wants to be alone.

Work, social activities, churches, in the neighborhood, at the park. Really lots of places if you're not trying to be a downer. Of course it was much easier before the internet however.