I previously made a now-deleted post somewhat related to this topic in the wrong community SHHHHHH. This is more broad.
Barring friends of friends, I have not made a new friend ever outside of school. As someone with a really niche personality, it's hard to be brave enough to approach new people--nobody's as weird as I am. I actually used to have a friend group that fit my personality, but it dissolved due to more drama than I can even comprehend. That's why I'm in this situation, was all of that.
I've chosen not to go to college. That'd be my best outlet for meeting new people, but I simply don't want to deal with debt. So, my time to meet as many people as possible has been cut somewhat short.
There's a saving grace, though. I'm a furry--this is the niche personality part. Cons would be great, but, to keep it short, I just don't have that capability right now. I'm not even IT yet, but my fate is sealed.
In the meantime.. I am very bored. Thanks for reading.
Do you have a religious affiliation? A lot of people go to the social events of their local church/mosque/temple to meet "safer" people. You don't even have to be that religious, it's often just a cultural thing.
Are there any team sports you are interested in? A lot of places have amateur or informal leagues. Similarly, martial arts classes can be fun. If you have a local rec center (local government, not private), check it out.
edit: if you don't like participating in sports, consider becoming a fan. Pick a local team (maybe pro but better minor-league) and join the fan club, start going to their matches and cheering for them. Alternately, find a local fan club for a foreign team, e.g. the local English Pub shows the Premier League games and the Manchester United fans meet up every game.
What kind of music you like? Local bars, cafes, even some restaurants may set up musicians, and since they're not some huge concert they can be free or cheap. Support your local music scene!
You aren't going to college, but you may want to check out community college. They're usually inexpensive and you might as well take a class in something you're really interested in.
Check out your local public library, a lot of times they have free talks or movies or reading groups.
I'm not religious, but I do love philosophical discussion. It's a major passion.
Can't tolerate sports. Parent drama stuff.
I'm into 50s-80s. Going on a tangent here, but practically everyone I know is into kpop, jpop and rap. Meanwhile, I like cassettes. There's this nearby CD store I could try for a job at..
I'll consider a community college.
I'll locate a nearby library. I moved last month, and I'm still orienting myself.
Sometimes you can find more casual philosophy-focused discussion/reading groups too - I know a few have a presence on Meetup in my area. They meet at a pub or something and discuss a particular topic for the evening.