You might feel that chilling at home is better than hanging out, and maybe, you want to cancel at the last minute with someone. Finding the right excuses to not hang out in such instances can be tough, and you need the right words to make that person understand.
You can use some of these best excuses to not hang out with someone.
Excuses to not hang out: you are not feeling well
01I’ve got a serious cold.
“Sorry, I have to cancel our dinner date. I have had a serious cold since last night, and I cannot seem to get it under control.
Sorry for the inconvenience, but I will make it up to you as soon as my health has improved.”
Your friend would not want you to be sneezing, coughing, and looking pale while spending time with him/her.
Photo by Nina P. on reshot
02I’ve got a terrible diarrhea.
“Hey, I am sorry, but I have to excuse myself from going to Jane’s party tonight. I’ve had terrible diarrhea since this morning, and I think its best that I stay home tonight.
Can we reschedule as soon as I recover from it?”
You will not have a chance to enjoy the wine or food tasting that you planned, especially with a friend who may not understand. You can hope he/she will let it slide this time.
03My cramps won’t give me a break.
“Sweetie, I will not be able to do coffee today. My cramps are not giving me a break. I took a pain killer, but all I want to do now is just lay in my bed.
I was looking forward to catching up with you, but could we do it another day?”
Cramps often come in different waves, and when it hits hard, you likely cannot think about stepping out of your room nor your house.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio under pexels license
04I am throwing up.
“Hey, I can’t be there for the potluck dinner party tonight. I don’t know if it’s food poisoning or not, but I am throwing up too much. I would not want to create a mess or be an inconvenience to anyone at the party.”
Your friend will let you stay at home because he/she wouldn’t like want to see you going to the bathroom to throw up.
05I have a migraine.
“Hey, I am so sorry that I have to cancel the movie marathon tonight because of my migraine headache. I have tried taking some medication, but I am not feeling any better.
I hope we can do this another day when I feel better. Sorry!”
When you’re experiencing a migraine headache, you feel a lot of pain. It’s normally to the point that staying out of bed would never be an option.
Your friend can understand that you are experiencing intense pain, and he/she will likely excuse your absence without getting mad.
06I am experiencing an asthma attack.
“I am incapable of holding the yard sale today because I have been experiencing a series of asthma attacks today. I’m afraid that I will not be able to help you move items out of the house.
I will let you know immediately after I recover. I’m very sorry about this.”
When experiencing asthma attacks, you often struggle to draw in a full breath. Thus, this is an easy way to fake a reason to not be somewhere. It’s the perfect excuse to cancel on a friend to hangout.
Photo by Mojpe-under CCO License
Excuses to not hang out: there’s an abrupt change
07I got a last-minute call from work.
“Hi, I am sorry that I have to cancel our plans tonight. I would have loved to attend the concert in the park with you. I got a last-minute call from work, and it’s from my boss who needs me to work on a project urgently.
I promise to make it up to you.”
The person will likely understand that you got a call from work, and he/she will get that the call can change your schedule entirely.
“Hey, I wish that I could make it for the Pinterest party at your home, but I sadly cannot. The nanny cancelled today at the last minute, and my parents don’t trust anyone else but me to look after my sibling.
I promise to make it up to you.”
Nannies can cancel at the last minute, and looking out for your small sibling due to these unavoidable circumstances can be understandable to your friend. You are the only choice that your parents have as a babysitter.
Photo by Gustavo Fring under pexels license
09My gynecologist changed my appointment to tomorrow morning.
“This is so sudden, but my gynecologist had to change my appointment to early tomorrow morning. He will not be available as expected, and he requested that I see him tomorrow morning.
Sorry, I have to let you have lunch alone this afternoon. If you have time and you’re interested, we can try to meet this weekend at my house.”
Your gynecologist can change an appointment time at the last minute. He/she can do this to ensure the check-up still takes place but at a different time. Your friend will likely understand because your health is a priority.
Excuses to not hang out: you made a mistake
10I am grounded.
“I am in such a mess today. My parents realized that I never attended the virtual classes, and so, they grounded me for two weeks.
It was such bad timing that they realized it this soon. I’m so unhappy! Can we do the video tournament as soon as this punishment is over?”
You might have ended up getting on the wrong side of things with your parents, and they decided that you cannot go out of the house for a few days or weeks.
Photo by Andriana on Reshot
11My parents said no.
“I cannot believe my parents said no to me having a night out. They are afraid of the state of the nation due to this virus situation. They are afraid of the spread of the virus.
I am so sorry that I need to bail on you at the last minute like this. When it is safe, we can go out and have fun as much as you would like.”
Your friend will understand that you won’t have a chance to get out of your house, even if you wished for it.
12I have to wait for a package to arrive and sign for it.
“I forgot that I had ordered a skateboard for the upcoming competition, and I forgot that it was meant to arrive today.
I received a message stating that today was the delivery date, and I have to sign for it. I’m so disappointed.
I am so sorry that I cannot make it in time for the yard sale. Can we do brunch next Sunday?”
Your friend will understand that you cannot bail on signing for something that is already on its way to your house. Plus, you paid for it.
“Oops! Was that tonight? How could I have forgotten about the Pinterest party at your house?
I am so sorry; I know that this meant a lot to you in terms of building our friendship. Can we organize to meet next weekend so that I can make it up to you?”
It is important to say that you forgot about the entire plan in a manner that will convince your friend that you are telling the truth.
14I am having a rough day.
“This day could not get any worse. I am going through something, and I am having a really rough day. I am sorry, but I don’t think I make it to your party.
I cannot seem to handle the pressure that I am receiving at the moment, and it is stressing me out. I promise to make it up to you as soon as I can.”
No one expects to have a really rough day, especially when a party is planned that same night. It makes you feel low and in no mood to party; your friend should understand this.
Photo by Micki on reshot
15I am still hungover from last night.
“I had too many martinis last night, and I am so attached to my bed right now. I’m so sorry that I cannot make it for our shopping trip today.
I am still hungover from last night, and I am just exhausted. I will make this right. I will try my best to make you feel special the next time we hang out. You are truly aging gracefully.”
A friend will likely understand that dealing with a hangover from a night out can be tough, and he/she will likely let you rest.
If he/she isn’t upset about it, you can hang out with this person another day.
Photo by Shirley Kim on reshot
16I had too much for lunch, and I feel like I cannot move.
“Hi, I am sorry to inform you that I will not make it for the evening book club. I had too much for lunch, and I feel like I cannot move. I might be sick.
I promise to never overfeed myself again, especially before the book club meeting.”
Eating too much, like a big burrito, can make you feel too full and like resting is the only option. Your friend will understand that you cannot go out or be social in that kind of physical state.
Excuses to not hang out: You have a home emergency
17My water pipe is leaking.
“Hey, I cannot make it for the pizza party today. My water pipe is leaking, and I do not want to come back to a flooded house. I am trying to fix it by myself.
Can we go out some other time when everything is fine?”
You cannot let the house fill with water just because you had plans to hang out with someone. Your friend will understand that you have an emergency in your house.
Photo by Thorn Yang on unsplash
18My kitchen tap burst.
“Hey, I am sorry that I cannot make it to today’s book club meeting. I have a sudden emergency in my house. My kitchen tap burst unexpectedly, and it wouldn’t be worth the risk to let it stay broken.
I promise to be there, on time, next time. Unfortunately, I cannot avoid such incidences in the future, but I’ll do my best to manage it better next time.”
You will need to have the burst tap replaced immediately if you wish to avoid significant damages to the house.
Your friend will understand, and he/she should let you deal with the situation without getting upset with you.
19The gas pipe is leaking.
“I am sorry, but I cannot make it for our shopping trip today. My gas pipe is leaking, and I need to call in someone to check it immediately.
We can do this another time when everything is fine and when you are free.”
Gas leaks often occur without anyone wanting them to happy, and they require your immediate attention. Otherwise, there could be a fire or worse.
20There is a family emergency.
“I know this is sudden, but there is a family emergency that I have to deal with right now. I cannot make it for the live video shoot this afternoon.
I will let you know when everything is okay.”
You cannot predict when a family emergency will occur and how much time it will take before it can be resolved.
Photo by Julia on Reshot
Reasons not to go out: Bad weather
21It is raining profusely.
“Hey, can we cancel our movie plans for tonight? It is raining profusely, and I think it would be best if we let it pass. I just don’t feel comfortable driving in this weather.
I apologize for letting you down, and I promise to go out with you when the weather is better.”
You never know when it is going to rain heavily, especially when it happens during the rainy season.
Photo by StockSnap – under CC0 license
Conclusion
Telling a white lie at the last minute can be tough, especially if you need to lie to get out of hanging out with someone. It’s even more difficult when you have been planning to hang out with the person for a long time.
Finding the right excuses to not hang out might need some creativity. You need to convince the person of the reason behind your absence and hope that he/she accepts the lie.
When you use any of the above excuses to not hang out, you can be sure that you can stay at home without regretting it.
