I often hear guys and girls (guys especially), talk about how dating has become rather expensive. I hear them say that they think the ladies have it easy when it comes to dating and the wallet, because they usually are the ones paying. When I was in college guys would say “Girls are too expensive; I’m too broke to date.” Even my ex-boyfriend would say, “Baby I would love to show you a great night out on the town, but I just can’t afford it right now,” and I would always tell him time and time again that
you don’t have to spend a lot of money, or any money to go out and have a good time with me.You know the old saying “Can’t buy me love,” well I feel it’s totally true and you can have a great time with the person you are dating without having to think too much about the price and the cost of things. To all of my readers that are under 21, I didn't forget about you, there are some thrifty dates listed for you as well.
1. Instead of going to an expensive wine bar and racking a huge bill, I suggest going to your local dive bar that has a jukebox, a pool table or some darts. You can still have your favorite cocktail and spirits, and if you're competitive like me you can challenge your date to a few games. Loser owes the winner a play on the jukebox.
2. I love going to the movies. There’s nothing like a dark movie theater to make out in, but as we all know movie theater prices are ludicrous. You can always try hitting up a matinee to lower the cost, or if you are student check around for days that theaters have student discount nights. Check and see if in your city or town there is a drive-in. You and your date can stop in the market before heading out and load up on all your favorite snacks, and grab some pillows and blankets to make the car super cozy.
3. I’m a huge music fan, and nothing says a great night to me more than hearing live music. Wherever you live I’m sure of it, there are local bands that are dying for an audience. Check MySpace or Facebook for bands that are playing a gig in your area and check out a show. Make sure someone grabs a flask-that way you can save cash on drinks at the bar (if you are 21 and over).
4. So this next cheap date is not for the faint hearted. Challenge your girl to a little friendly competition and surprise them by taking them to a rifle range. A boyfriend once took me to one, and I have to say I really enjoyed myself. A true adrenaline rush. After each round you should compare targets, and the loser will have to buy the next round of bullets, and the winner gets to gloat.
5. There comes a point in time when men and women can drive us up the wall…so how about lacing up your sneakers and heading to an indoor rock-climbing gym and having a friendly race to the top? Afterwards, to relieve your sore muscles you both could enjoy a hot shower together.
6. This one is my favorite cheap date outing. Are you both into wine or beer? The easiest way to booze it up on either one of these is to take a tour of a winery or brewery. You’ll definitely pick up some cool facts while getting tipsy. (Remember-Drink Responsibly!)
What's on your list as a good cheap date?
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Comments (22)
I don't know how good they are, but I read about some funny ones:
1) Go to the store and read cards to each other.
2) Dude makes his girlfriend drive to his place (they lived some distance apart), takes her to KFC, uses a coupon, and makes her pay her half!
3) Married couple goes to therapy, (okay, really not a date) husband agrees to pay half the bill. When the time came to pay up, he wanted to pay less because they talked about him less than half the time.
4) Exchange pictures of gifts.
*Read cards without buying them, exchange pics of gifts without buying them, is what I meant.
oooh good ideas!!!! aww too bad im newly single again. oh wait, not!! oooh some towns have a budget theater as well!!! um. i always google something like free to do in seattle, or cheap date ideas.. yelp.com has alot of good stuff on it. walking round areas of town or a "bus road trip" can be fun..like in seattle we have a free flower conservatory me and ex took a trip too.. theres also the fremont troll. asking veterans to area can help too. oh a picnic!!!! always fun.. go to a thrift store, and pick out the craziest outfits for each other!!!
All of these cost money :P I don't know how much a dime is, but I am pretty sure its not worth £3 - 10 that all these would cost! Don't get me wrong they are good ideas, but they are not CHEAP CHEAP.
But then again who am I too talk! ;)
Gun range is awesomely fun. Too bad up here in Vancouver it costs over $60 each time... per person.
@missnihkii@xanga - I love your ideas. I am a fellow seattlelite as well!
@tonisweettart@xanga - thanks! awesome! i just moved up here.
footballblogs- id higly suggest googling free things to do in your area. OOOH seattle has free thursdays and stuff maybe your area does too?
all of those involve money... but at my city you can go to movies for real cheap at a theatre--- which is cool. (they're just a little older than at the pricey theatre))
but honestly theres much better options. hang out with friends to spice things up. go on walks, picnics, the beach. go on crazy fun roadtrips. discover new places. pack your lunch if you're trying to cut back on the costs and just do what u want. also in the summer theres usually different events/festivals going on. and gallery showings are usually free. and for a lot of places they might have 'free days' or 'free hours'... like at our zoo its after sun down. and for our art museaum its wednesdays... learn to work the system, look in the paper! also borrowing good movies from friends is a good idea, than you're saving on renting.. haha
There was a blog I read a while back about a couple who shared a really bad cold. It was a way for them to spend time together. I thought it was funny and nice.
this website is very good, you can go and see it
http://www.shoes4world.com/
@PseudoEuphoric@xanga - Our local vineyards occasionally have tours (with tastings) for about $10, which isn't bad. You have to keep up with their events calendars online to find out, though. Also, they'll let you try half a dozen varieties at their "bar" if you're choosing a variety to buy. I'm sure if you go in when they're less crowded, you could get a good lesson on wine types for the price of one of their less-expensive bottles.
We're rather fond of hiking. If you have a rather large park or good hiking trail nearby, you can find places to sneak off the trail and enjoy each others' company.
Picnics are fun; you can even make it into a two-part date. Make a picnic-y food, like calzones, together the night before. Then, pack up your basket/bag and grab a sheet to put on the ground. If you plan on keeping it family-appropriate, you can "picnic" anywhere--in front of the library, on campus, downtown, whatever.
Interestingly enough, volunteering together can be a great experience. Sign up for your local clean-up-the-city day, do a day with Habitat for Humanity, go to a soup kitchen or animal shelter, or volunteer to babysit for someone you know. At the end of the night, you'll both be exhausted and feel like better people for it, and you'll know each other just a little better than you would have otherwise.
Most newspapers and cities have an online events calendar. Don't forget to check it out for free carnivals and whatnot.
@tonisweettart@xanga - I work in retail. One night I saw a man with a big bag of dog food under his arm, looking at condoms down the rubber/lube/female hygiene aisle. I thought to myself, "Hmmmm...go coyote ugly and have a REALLY cheap date!"
@Katja88@xanga - great suggestions!
thank you for this post! i totally agree with you, a great date doesn't have to mean $$$. it's about spending time together and having fun.
Most of those dates are too expensive for me =\ heh. When I'm broke, I just don't date. Well when I have money i kind of don't date either...It's just more economic that way.
museums! they're usually free for students
but since me and my bf are on tight budget right now we usually just hang out and go to the beach and walk around or go to 7/11 grab hot cocoa and watch the sunset...
@tiptoplove@xanga - Those ideas are actually pretty nice!
@Katja88@xanga - I'm dating a guy who is an art student with no job, and we end up having a blast during our first summer together. We visited parks, beaches, roamed in our downtown, and attended quirky festivals( they're free). Yeah, I really do suggest others to look for events around their community area.
my ex and I used to go to the local park and feed the ducks. I caught one :)
we also went river rafting in yosemite.@JusticeCho@xanga - lolollol, agreed.
The brewery idea is a good one!
spending the cold together lol