Now that we’re officially in a recession, if you aren’t smart, that entertainment budget is probably going to be the first thing to get slashed.

Luckily there are ways to keep Thirsty Thursday and weekend drinks going without breaking the bank.

First off, yep – you read that headline right – free booze for you and four mates for a year.

The competition is being run by Eat Out, in partnership with Clink.

Second, if you haven’t heard about Clink, you’ve already been missing out on free drinks, even without the competition.

Clink is an app that, for the price of two drinks a month, gets you one free drink a day at a wide range of awesome Cape Town bars and restaurants.

The Cape Town-based app has been so successful, that they are expanding their services to Jozi soon.

If it sounds too good to be true, then you’re not paying attention.

Clink is based on similar apps in the US and the UK. When these apps first hit the scene, people were sceptical. I mean, 30 drinks for the price of two? And why would bars willingly give away booze?

Simply put – this isn’t a dream, it’s really happening, and you should get involved.

I should know, I have the app. For R90 a month, I’m not only saving loads of cash, I’m also trying out new venues and seeing my friends more often.

As an added bonus, it’s a great way to support local businesses, so you get your civil duty in as well.

The bars that partner with Clink win, too. Most people will have their free drink and then buy another. This means that that person who would probably have stayed home because of cash flow issues is now out and having a good time, even if it’s only two drinks.

With the range of bars on board growing by the week, you’ll find many of your favourite spots available for a free tipple.

Interested? You should be. You can download the app here.

Now, back to the competition, which would just sweeten the deal. Two lucky winners, plus four of their friends, will each win a 12-month Clink membership worth R5 400.

R5 400 is a decent prize. Plus, winning this will make you the hero in your squad, and give you the perfect excuse to start a Clink club.

You can fill out a quick easy entry form here.

Also, because we like you, just a quick reminder that Clink already has 43 participating bars and restaurants in Cape Town – that’s 43, in case anyone asks.

You know, like if there was a question you had to answer to win free booze or something.

[source:eatout]