Cheap or No Cost Dates (extra)

Dating and saving money.

For many, the two concepts don’t equate. There’s an automatic reaction for most when suggesting the two together that the person paying is trying to be “cheap” and the resulting date will naturally have the same feel. Contrary to popular belief, however, dating doesn’t have to be expensive to be fun, entertaining and memorable. It doesn’t even have to take a whole lot of extra preparation time. What it does take is a little imagination and breaking from the typical date routine. You have to be willing to think beyond dinner and a movie and be willing to try something new for a change.

Natural Scenery:

The beauty of nature is all around us and it doesn’t cost a dime. Whether it’s a trip to the beach, a walk in the forest or a search into a cave, it can be done together for practically nothing. Take the time to find the natural scenic
spots in your area and utilize them for your dates.

Sports:

If you and your date are both athletic, sport activities together can be a great way to spend your time. Play a set of tennis, jog in the park, toss a Frisbee about, play catch with a baseball or football or shoot some baskets. Whichever you choose, you can spend quality time at minimal cost and get some exercise in, too.

Picnic:

Picnics are great for dates because they can be taken along wherever you plan to go for the day and they cost a fraction of going out for a meal. They also can be made as casual or as romantic as you want. Take a casual picnic meal. Add some cheese and wine along with a red rose and the picnic instantly takes on a romantic feel.

Historic Places and Buildings:

It seems the only time people go looking at the historic landmarks near where they live is when visitors come from out of town. Many of these historic or culturally significant spots have no or small entrances fees and make a great place to go on a date. You also get to learn more about the area you live.

Meal/Evening at Home:

Cook up a meal at home and spend the evening watching movies or some other activity such as a board game. The meal most likely will be better than at a restaurant and the evening will cost a fraction of what going
out to dinner and a movie would cost. Cook the meal together to spend even more time together, or do it yourself as a special surprise.

Memory Album:

Take your camera or purchase an inexpensive disposable camera and make a day of taking photos together. Make a theme for the day if you want or just take any crazy photo that comes to mind. Once finished, get the
photos one‐hour processed and create a memory album together for the day that will live on forever.

Museums:

If you have museums in your area, they can be an excellent place to enjoy an inexpensive date. Admission prices are usually reasonable and often they have discounts for those attending a number of events over the year.

Learn a New Skill:

Gather some information on a skill you always wanted to learn and spend a day practicing it together. It could be a day of learning card tricks, learning how to juggle or learning to make bird calls. Any skill you have always
wanted to try can make a fun and interesting date.

College Events:

If you live near a college or university, utilize their resources for your dates. Guest lectures, music recitals, art exhibitions and plays are common and are often free of charge. The quality can be excellent and the variety
enormous.

Hobby Together:

You can set a regularly scheduled date if the two of you have a hobby you both enjoy. You can look in the local community newsletter to see if there are classes being offered in something that interests both of you. These
classes are usually quite inexpensive and the two of you can enjoy a few hours each week together learning something new.

For those who are looking for an inexpensive date with some adventure involved, here are six more options that are sure to make the evening memorable:

Thrift Shop Date:

Go to thrift store and find something – sweater, hat, shawl, sports coat, that you’ll both were the rest of the day. The goal is to find items the other has to wear for the rest of the day/evening within the price specified. The
entertainment is seeing the reaction from all the people who see your new outfit as you wander the crowded area.

Scavenger Hunt Date:

When your date arrives, have him or her make a list of what he or she considers to be 20 unusual items. Once the list is made, the date will be to try and find as many of those items as possible.

Truth or Dare Date:

Pick some spots in your area to visit, but play truth or dare along the way. It doesn’t really matter where you go since the entertainment is doing the various dares that the other gives in addition to telling all the truths.

Bag of Dates:

Put each of the dates I just mentioned, plus any others that you come up with, onto a separate sheet of paper and place them in a bag. When your date comes to the door, have him or her reach inside and choose a piece of
paper. Whichever one is chosen is your date for the day/evening

A Message In A Bottle Surprise

Get an old wine bottle with a cork. Write a nice love letter on a piece of paper with burnt corners. Rolled the paper, put it in the bottle, inserted the cork and threw it into a bath, full of water, sweet smelly oil stuff and bubbles.

Got Milk?

One nice evening I picked my girlfriend up and drove out to a hay field. Set up lawn chairs in the back of my truck, lit a candle, and brought out the best dishes and glasses I had. I then turned on the music and we ate the finest milk and cookies I could find.