The Top 5 Friends We All Need In 2024

We are women. We travel in packs, herds, and flocks. We have multiple friend groups that are mostly organized by the parts of our lives, and we identify them as such. The mom friends. The work friends. The church friends. The neighborhood friends. The sports team friends. The high school friends. The college friends. Need I go on? To this day, if I tell my husband I’m going on a girls’ night, he without fail will ask, “Which group are you going with?” It’s a valid question.

As I’ve aged, my groups have dwindled. I see some groups only on social media, some groups once a year, some groups only at sporting events, and some groups once every few months if we write it in Sharpie on our calendars and just leave the house regardless of what is going on or who is watching the kids because it is an absolute miracle we have made it happen. I’ve realized that the older I’ve gotten, my friend groups have morphed into the quality over quantity category, but I feel just as satisfied with 15 friends as I did when I had 45 friends. It’s no longer about how many; it’s more about what they bring to the table.

So, as a writer, I naturally began organizing my friends into categories and came up with the five types of friends that every woman needs.

1. The Planner

This friend is the “mom” of your group. She plans the trips, sends out the itineraries, makes the reservations, and keeps everyone on track. She organizes the potlucks, hosts the dinners, comes up with dumb games that you secretly enjoy, and does nice things out of the blue to remind you that she loves you. She’s naturally organized and mothering, so to her, these things aren’t hard, but they go a long way in keeping the friend group together. When you don’t want to pick a restaurant or activity, she will. When you don’t want to drive by yourself, you can ride with her. This friend is the glue of the group, and you probably wouldn’t still be a group if it wasn’t for her.  

2. The Mind Reader

This friend has the same mind as you. You typically spend a lot of time with this friend, maybe in a work setting for example, because as you sit in meetings with other people, you know exactly what is going on in her mind because it’s happening simultaneously in your mind. All you have to do is look at this friend and you’ve just had a conversation. On the other hand, sometimes you cannot look at this friend because you are trying to be a professional, and you know looking at her will only cause both of you to laugh and therefore lose your jobs. Mmmmmkkkkk? Did a mean comment go through your mind that you’d never say? You’ll both say it later and laugh hysterically but take it to the grave. You say things to this friend that are entirely inappropriate, but it doesn’t count because she’s already thought that exact same thing and she’d never tell a soul. This friend keeps you laughing and confessing.

3. The Spontaneous Soul

This friend is up for anything. When you are feeling in a rut, this is who you call. When you think “no one will ever,” this friend will. When you want to make prank calls, this friend writes the script, disguises her voice, and makes the call while you stuff your face in a pillow to keep your laughter from being heard. When you are plotting revenge that you know you will actually never execute, this friend sends Amazon links and TikToks showing additional ways to gain revenge. You have to have this friend. Spontaneity is not your thing, but it’s so fun when it is. This friend keeps you on an adventure.

4. The Moment’s Notice Friend

This friend is the most perplexing, but it truly does exist. This is the friend that you don’t talk to for four months, but at a moment’s notice they are at your door with dinner because your child is sick. You go another three months without speaking at all, but you run into each other at the store and it’s as if you just spent every single day together for the last eight years. She’s the friend you just know you can call at any time of day or night, ask anything of, and it will be done with zero questions or zero feelings of inconveniences. You have a mutual respect for this friend that is never discussed, it’s just known. You know she is busy, she knows you are busy. You don’t take it personally, she doesn’t take it personally. You know she loves you, and she knows you love her. What else is there really to discuss? This friend will probably plan your funeral…once someone tells her you are dead.

5. The “Swapsies” Friend

The final friend I think every woman needs is the “swapsies” friend. You swap clothes with this friend because you both want to wear something new, but neither of you want to spend the money at a store. You swap time watching each other’s kids at events. “You got my kid? Yep, I’ll go find your kid.” You swap household items? “Are you selling that? Yes, but you can have it for free if you just get it out of my house.” These are your most cost-effective friends. You can beg, borrow, and steal from them fully expecting them to do the same when they need it. These friends allow you to brag to your husband about how financially responsible you were today.

So, there you have it! These are the top five friends I think every woman needs and I could list a name out beside each and every one of them. I’m fortunate to have found these five friends and even have doubles or triples of some categories! Even though the quantity of my friends has gone down over the years, the quality is what matters, and I am quality rich!

Cheers to 2024, finding your own top five friends, and celebrating with them every chance you get.