Tried and True: Free and Cheap Date Ideas

Can a great date be cheap, or even free? The answer to that is a simple "yes": you can have a great, romantic date without breaking the bank. A date doesn't have to consist of taking someone out somewhere, or doing crazy, elaborate things for a couple to enjoy themselves; instead, a date can be something seemingly simple, such as a picnic in a park and watching the sunset. If quality time is spent and both parties enjoy themselves, then one could safely call that a good, if not great, date. It can be hard to think of unique date ideas and to avoid being repetitive, and since dating can be costly, it always helps to have a bunch of free or cheap date ideas on-hand. Whether you are creative or not, you can combine several ideas to create a romantic, memorable, low-cost date.

Cheap Dates Can Still Contain Great Meals

Dinner at a restaurant can be very expensive, but you can still have a nice dinner while keeping it cheap. If dinner is on the list of things to do, a good idea would be a home-cooked meal. If that isn't possible, you could try serving frozen TV dinners, but be creative with it by arranging it restaurant-style on a plate, and eat by candlelight. Certain activities can permit for very cheap food from vendors, such as being in a park or touring the city; remember that cheap food doesn't necessarily mean bad food.

Once you figure out what to do in terms of food - whether it be having dinner or dessert - the actual date-planning can begin!

Mother Nature Doesn't Charge a Cent

Weather can sometimes be critical in determining whether or not you should go out for a date, or stay in. Always think of backup date ideas for different weather scenarios. There are plenty of things that can be done outdoors to create a lovely, free date: walk and talk by the lake, tour parts of your own city, relax on the grass on a clear night while looking up at the stars, watch the sunset or sunrise, have a picnic, explore a park, go to an outdoor skating arena or swimming pool, or if possible, have a bonfire. These all make for great, free dates and can be done on their own, or combined with other cheap or free date ideas - outdoor or indoor - for added fun.

Keep it Cheap without Seeming Cheap

For a date that's not in-home, but not strictly outdoors either, there is a mix of free or cheap places to go for a fun date. These date ideas may require planning and timing, but if it can work out it is worth it. There are many places you can take your date that are either free or cheap: visit a local museum or art gallery - most have certain hours in a day or days of the month where there is a discount or free admission, relax in a cozy coffee shop and chat, go to an indoor skating arena or swimming pool, do window-shopping at a mall, visit an airport and just watch the planes take off, go to a carnival or fair, go to a pub or bar that has live entertainment for that night, or find a ceramic painting place and either paint something together or help each other paint separate sculptures. For the date ideas listed above that cost money, the prices are generally cheap; for most of them, you are in control of how much you'd like to spend. The rest are free dates and can be mixed with other cheap date ideas.

Try a Great Night In for a Fun, Free Date

Who says a fun, romantic date can't be had indoors? This can require some creativity or extra planning, but generally does not require much money or supplies. You can do many fun, free and romantic activities with your date: do a puzzle together, play a board game or create a game of your own, play card games, make popcorn and watch a movie, have a scavenger hunt, create a story together through role-playing, have fun with making paper balls and using them to play an indoor sport such as basketball, or cook a meal or bake desserts together and enjoy by candlelight. Since some of these ideas have limited time spans, it would be good to try combining them with other date ideas. It can be tough trying to be creative, but with these date ideas you can have a cheap or free date, and still keep the romance and fun throughout.

Spending Valuable Time with a Valuable Person

Ultimately, remember that the key to a good date is both parties having a good time and getting to connect with each other on a deeper level. The saying "a little effort goes a long way" is especially true when it comes to dating: it's easy to take someone out to dinner and a movie, but being creative by finding out what they like and incorporating that into the time you spend together shows you truly care about them and what they like. Don't hesitate to have one or two activities, or to combine date ideas. Focus on having dates where communication is maximized, and the environment is stress-free. Sometimes unexpected things can happen before or during a date, so be sure to have a backup plan or two, and just enjoy and appreciate the quality time that is spent with the one you care about.