Have a Great Date in Orange County, CA when on a Budget

Recently two young couples I know have discovered that what they want to do and what they are able to afford are vastly different. Especially in the case of a night out in Orange County, California. With a personal interest at heart-I started researching where they could go and how they could have a fun, romantic evening without straining their already rather meager means.

What I found was that these activities would be terrific for not only young couples in dire straits, but for all of us!

Orange County, CA has an advantage that many other areas do not-fairly good weather most of the year. Taking a cue from the natural surrounds here are a few that take advantage of the great outdoors:

For the price of parking-spend a few hours at a local beach! Wrap up some sandwiches, fruit, veggies and homemade cookies with several bottles of water in a cooler and you're set! Just don't forget the sunscreen.

Be a kid again-find a local park and have fun on the swings, take a picnic and a camera along. Make a kite and fly it, if you have a nice breezy day! Take lots of pictures of one another and for the next date, make each other an album of the outing. In the "Be a Kid Again" theme-have fun at the Santa Ana Zoo which has a park right outside the premises.

Many cities in Orange County, during the warmer months, have free or low cost outdoor concerts, shows and even first run movies. Yes, you have to battle the rest of the neighborhood, but still you have a nice evening out. Walk to a nearby ice cream or coffee place afterward and talk about your favorite parts of whatever you've just seen and heard.

Visit some of the counties historical parks and gardens. San Juan Capistrano Mission, Modjeska Historical House and Gardens, Lake Forest's Heritage Hill Park, Rogers Nursery and Gardens and the Orange County Courthouse, just to name a few.

If the weather isn't being co-operative, try going to a local bookstore that also houses a coffee shop. Pick out a romantic novel, buy a cup of coffee and perhaps a sweet treat to share and read to each other.

Visit one of the county's many art museums. There's the Muckenthaler Cultural Center in Fullerton, The Orange County Museum of Art with branches in Costa Mesa and Newport Beach, the Orange County Center of Contemporary Art in Santa Ana an UCI houses the Beall Center for Art and Technology.

Many coffee houses have music, poetry readings and even comics on the weekends. For the price of a cup of joe-the evening is complete. This is also fun to do, even without the music-my husband of almost 30 years and I consider this to be a great way to sit and talk without hampering our own not so plentiful monies.

Stay at home-but rent a DVD, get a box of microwave popcorn and have movie night. Have a double date with some friends and have a potluck BBQ/dinner. Have a game night and have pizza (or your favorite food) delivered.

And finally-Wish upon a star. Take a drive and pick out some very expensive open houses to visit and act as if you need to buy at least two! Then mosey on down to the nearest Costco and have the $1.50 special of a hot dog and coke for dinner.

Thankfully, with so many places to go and things to see it really isn't too hard to have a fun, romantic time in Orange County while spending relatively very little.