Your favorite cheap, creative dates
Stuck in a rut with dating? It can bore you and cost you.
Picture yourself picnicking in a blossoming lemon grove under a full moon. That’s a date one of my aunt described to me years ago that sticks in my mind’s eye to this day. Does such a frugal and creative evening sound more fun to you than the standard dinner and a movie? It does to me.
A moonlight picnic certainly has the potential to cost less than your standard night ‘out.’ I’m hard pressed to think of a way to fund dinner and a movie for under $40. Unless you intend to do it at home (and there is nothing wrong with that!). There is nothing inherently wrong with paying full price for an evening out doing something you love. But mixing things up on occasion can spare your pocket and keep life interesting, whether you’re just getting to know someone or you’ve been married for years.
Cheap dates–where to find inspiration:
Is it just me or is coming up with creative and inexpensive outings to share with a partner more taxing than simply going with the conventional options? Here are some places I look for inspiration . . .although additional suggestions are welcome 
- Are there any natural wonders around you? Do you live near the sea? Could you drive up a hill for a nice valley view? Consider finding an activity that takes advantage of your surroundings: hiking, walking, picnics, photography . . .
- Can you think of any interesting and inexpensive cultural events in your neighborhood? In my husband’s hometown in France, every Tuesday night between 5-7 bands play outdoor concerts in different locations downtown. You can wind your way through the streets listening to different musicians each week. It’s completely free, unless you decide to stop for a drink, in which case, you’d probably still pay under 10 euros. Back in San Diego, we also used to stop by LaJolla and tour the local art galleries. Their exhibits changed often enough that we could do this every few weeks.
- Do you and your date share any interests or hobbies? (Well, I hope you do!). You could look for ways to indulge your interests in some area you both enjoy. My husband and I enjoy hiking and are far happier getting up early to go on a hike together than doing most other things.
When spending a little more on a date is worth it.
We tend to be dating tightwads in some areas so that we can splurge in others. We’re likely to spend a little extra money on concerts we really want to see, a bed and breakfast in a region we want to visit (much cheaper in France, by the way), or an afternoon of wine-tasting.
What are your favorite frugal dates?
Where do you get your best ideas for dates? Can you think of a date you found to be particularly fun and low-cost? When do you feel it’s worth splurging?
Jersey Mom–fruit picking at nearby farms sounds great. I also think it’s wonderful that you happily spend time with the kids. I’m not sure how I’ll feel if I have kids, but I do know many people who seem to want adult time out.
We also spend a lot of time with our kids. It’s nice to take them some place for the day right now and then get to talk as they sleep all the way back (ages 4 and 7). One thing that I wish we’d do more of is hiking. We used to do a lot of that before we got married.
After a busy week, my wife and I like to cook a nice meal and crack open a bottle of red wine and talk about our week and…vacation plans!
What I love about doing this is that some of the best tasting wines are not expensive at all if you buy them yourself at the store. For example, I’m a huge fan of Chilean and Argentina red wine, and some of the best bottles we’ve had are in the $12 range. That same bottle in a restaurant could easily hit $40 no problem.
Eating at home makes it easier to set the mood with the right kind of music and there are also less distractions.
My wife and I are planning on going on a vacation this summer but we are going to wait until the last minute. The reason is because there are sites that offer last-minute deals. So, are goal is to go to an all-inclusive resort for as cheap as possible and watch the sunset on a white sandy beach.
I think people can be frugal in life and still get to experience many great things if they are reasonable in their approach to things.
Great post!
I just like to go to places with great architecture and to parks and walk and talk. Free except for the gas (we have very little architecture here, haha!) If food needs to be included, you can either pick up or pack a sandwich.
Laura–I often think that hiking (at least to the extent we do it) will be put on hold if we ever have kids. But small family hikes would probably be fun. And I think it’s great that you and Jersey Mom spend time with your kids. I never understand people that have kids and then are too buys to be around them. . .it sounds like a bummer.
Rat–your home cooked meal with wine sounds like something we’d do! In California incidentally, we often bought Argentinian and Chilean wines as well–they were a better value. I like your point that you can experience a great deal if you are careful when you spend your money. Being frugal is not the same as being deprived.
Jennifer–true, I enjoy walking around places with great architecture too, but never thought of including it in the list. I love when you can also grab some cheap street food . . .but a sandwich is a good trick too.
Aww, this post makes me really wish I still had a balcony. Sitting on the balcony on a summery evening, drinking beers, and just chatting for hours and hours used to be our favorite “date.”
Recently, making a better-than-usual meal and actually setting the table with a variety of utensils and glasses has been a nice way of spending time together in a date-like way.
I guess we’re homebodies.
A museum and coffee, perhaps a farmers market with my hubby. Our second date was spend wandering around a large vietnamese market. Just looking at everything. We purchased some yummy noodles and ate our meal with chopsticks in the park. The simple moments we shared seem to be the most memorable.
AMD–now that you mention it, I really miss having a balcony as well. We used to do the same with just the two of us or with friends. As for being a homebody, a friend of mine said it quite well the other day, “When did we turn 75?” But hey, if you’re happy at home, I say, embrace it.
River-Rose–Your date to the Vietnamese market sounds unforgettable and fun! As for museums, my husband and I both enjoy them, but not the same ones. I love art and cultural exhibits and he tends to like science and technology exhibits–so we rarely go together 
.
Listening to free music and sipping wine sounds really nice. I also like the picnic under the full moon (with exception of bugs).
J and I rarely go out just by ourselves anymore (I don’t mind it one bit) so we do a lot of family activities. Sometimes we’ll just fly a kite or play badminton, croquet, and other backyard sports. We also like going to museums, zoos, and pick fruits at nearby farms in the summer time.