Postponing an important meeting or an event at the last minute can create the wrong impression about you. Regrettably, some inevitable situations might force you to get out of important plans at the last minute. In this case, your main concern should be finding the right excuses for postponing or getting out of the plan. This article offers you the x most effective excuses to get out of plans last minute.
12 Excuses to Get Out of Plans
Life’s becoming busier by the day as people continue to work long hours and hold multiple jobs to make ends meet. This leaves you with little or no time for other important commitments like business meetings, family events, or dating. Missing such important occasions can hurt people’s feelings, especially your loved ones.
So, you have to come up with the most foolproof excuses to miss the events. Otherwise, they won’t understand your absence. If you’re looking for the most effective excuses to help you get out of important plans without hurting anyone’s feelings, here are 12 examples to rescue you.
1. I’m in Bad Shape
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Nobody wants to hear that their loved one, colleague, or spouse is sick. So, if you really don’t have time to show up to an important event, then the best excuse is to say you’re feeling sick. Although this is an old excuse, it’s still very effective.
However, this excuse works effectively when it’s given in advance. You should let the other person that you’re likely to miss the occasion because you’re sick at least a day before the event. This gives the other party enough time to find an alternative or postpone the event.
While this excuse might get you off the hook, it shouldn’t be used regularly because it might expose you. You can’t always be falling sick every time an important event draws near. Also, be careful when you’re using this excuse because someone might ask you to obtain a medical report as proof of sickness.
2. Something Serious Came Up
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At some point in your life, you must have heard someone giving this excuse, or you may have used it several times before. This excuse works best for people with busy schedules. You can simply say that an important work thing came up.
It’s totally credible, especially if your job involves working overtime or on weekends and holidays. You can tell the other person that your boss gave you an unexpected project that’s urgent or is likely to keep you busy for a few more hours. If the other party respects you and what you do, they’ll understand.
3. My Family Is Coming to Town
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As a parent, you’re expected to put your family first in everything you do. So, telling someone that you’re postponing a meeting or you won’t be attending their event because your family is coming to town is a believable excuse. Nobody should hold a grudge against you simply because you want to spend time with your family.
You can also use your family member’s special occasion like a birthday party, a wedding, or a graduation party as a last-minute excuse to get out of a plan. In this case, choose a member of your extended family so that the other party can believe that you genuinely forgot about the occasion.
Tell them that you already had plans with your wife or husband and you totally forgot when you made plans with them. This way, they’ll have no other option but to cancel the plan. But this excuse shouldn’t be used frequently because it’ll make you look disorganized and messed up.
4. Someone Close to You Is Feeling Sick
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If you live with someone who’s sick, you can use their sickness as an excuse to cancel an important plan with someone else. This is a perfect excuse when you want to cancel a plan at the last minute. You can tell the other party that your spouse, child, cousin, brother, or roommate is feeling very sick today.
Nobody in their right mind will hold a grudge against you for missing their event because you wanted to take care of your sick roommate or spouse. It shows how caring you’re. Everybody out here is looking for a friend who’ll cancel important plans to take care of them when they’re feeling sick.
5. I’ve Been Exposed, So I Have to Stay Indoors for a While
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Although the COVID-19 pandemic has died down significantly, the threat of getting exposed to the virus is still very real. So, if you want to cancel a plan at the last minute, you can use this threat as an excuse. Just tell the other person that you suspect you’ve been exposed to the virus.
Given the horrors witnessed at the height of the pandemic, nobody would want to take the risk of exposing themselves to the virus. So, they’ll be more than happy to cancel the meeting until you’re both safe.
6. I’m Completely Exhausted
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There’s no harm in admitting that you’re completely drained. This is a perfect excuse for you if your work involves long hours of heavy lifting, running around, or handling complex tasks. They won’t force you to go out when you’re completely exhausted, no matter how important the date is.
However, this excuse will only work for you once or twice. You can’t keep canceling the date because you’re exhausted. Your date might conclude that you’re no longer interested in going out with them and move on.
7. I’m Not In the Right Mental State
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If you’re dealing with an emotional situation that has left you emotionally drained, you should let the person you have plans with that you’re not in the right mental state to move on with the plan. This is an honest excuse that your friend should understand. Whether the plan is a casual event or an important business meeting, the other person should understand.
Anyhow, there’s nothing meaningful you’re going to achieve when you’re not in the right mental state. So, the best thing to do is to cancel or postpone the event until the situation you’re dealing with is fully under control.
8. I Can’t Find Someone to Watch My Child
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As a mother, your kids come first. So, if your babysitter isn’t available and there’s no one else to watch your kid, you’ll be forced to cancel all other plans. Nothing can make you leave your toddler unattended.
If the other person is a parent, they’ll more than understand why you have to cancel your plan. It’s the same case with a family emergency. You could be planning to go out with a friend then your child gets injured and now you have to rush them to hospital.
9. I Got Injured
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If you injure yourself while working out and you were planning to go on a date or attend a friend’s birthday party later in the evening, you have to cancel your plans, especially if it’s a serious injury. For instance, if you dislocated your hip or ankle, or fractured your limb, you need to rest.
10. My Car Broke Down
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You might be forced to cancel an important date or meeting at the last minute if your car breaks down or fails to start. But you can’t use this excuse if you live in an area with readily accessible public transport like buses, trains, and taxis.
11. I Don’t Have Money
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This is a perfect excuse when you’re planning to go on a date or a fundraising event. You can simply let the other person know that you don’t have the money to take care of the expenses. But you should use this excuse carefully because the other person might offer to pay, which leaves you with no other choice but to show up.
12. I’m Stuck in Traffic
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This is perhaps one of the most common excuses. People use it all the time, especially when they’re late for work and other important occasions. Instead of admitting that you won’t make it, you can just tell the other person that you’re stuck in traffic.
The problem with this excuse is that the other person might be using the same road as you or they might offer to wait for you. So, don’t use this excuse if you know you’re not planning to attend the event because it might end up portraying you as a dishonest person.