This question is for both atheists and agnostics, but since I must choose a place to post...

I moved recently. I've always been the type of person who has just a few very close friends. I don't have a hard time talking to people, but I do have a hard time developing friendships. My neighbors haven't been very friendly, and I'm wary of becoming too close with people at work, because in my experience, mixing work with ones private life is a bad combination!

Although my husband is with me, I feel pretty lonely these days. I keep thinking about joining a club of some sort to meet people, but the only type of social organization that I can think of that would be very easy to join (and to leave if it turns out not to be the place for me) is a church. However, I'm not religious, so no church for me!

What kinds of social groups do you all join? Any suggestions?

I don't know where you live, or how large a city it might be, but here are some suggestions:

Look at charities: Humane Society, food cupboards, that sort of thing.

See if there are youth sports and become a coach. They train you.

Is there a literary society?

How about a dance club?

Cards?

Anyway, these are just a few suggestions. What they offer is the opportunity to meet people with the same interests. Local newspapers generally carry the details of when such groups meet.

Look into volunteering for the red cross.

How about fitness groups like the YMCA?

Or, sometimes local libraries have book clubs that meet.

Depends on your interests, but I would suggest gardening clubs, book clubs, cooking clubs, volunteering, that kind of thing. Most communities do community education, maybe you could take a class that you are interested in, and then see what sorts of groups your fellow attendees belong to.
My trouble is that I don't really like most of the people who have the same interests as me, whereas the people I do like and I have nothing in common!

Volunteer organizations have always been good for me as far as meeting people. Also taking classes offered by the city's recreation dept. & community college gave me the opportunity to meet people with similiar interests.

Now that I really think about it, the people who have been my friends the longest since moving here 20 years ago are people I met doing volunteer work or met at the public library.

Try selling something. If your customers are loyal, you will be needed by them--and vice versa.

I think "need" and "friendship" are two different things. You can develop friendships through business, but it sounded to me like Sarai was looking for social gatherings rather than dependency...