A traditional date night can add up quickly. Dinner for two at a mid-range restaurant costs around $40. Movie tickets with popcorn add up to $30. That’s $70 for dinner and a movie before childcare!
If that is just not in your budget, check out these more frugal options.
Top 10 Best Frugal Date Night Ideas
1. Star-Gazing Party (for Two!)
It is hard to find anything more romantic than cuddling up with your love while looking at the stars. You can bring a thermos of hot chocolate and take in the night sky at a park or in your own backyard. Bonus points for being able to pick out constellations. (You can use this free app or this website to help you!)
2. The Book Store Hunt
If your tastes run more in the literary direction, this book store hunt is for you! The rules are simple: Each person gets ten minutes to search for 4 books that reveal something about them. Then, you come back together, grab a cup of coffee and share why you chose each book. You might be surprised at what you discover about each other!
3. Coffee Shop Game Night
Sometimes simple is best. My husband and I have spent many nights hanging out in coffee shops–talking, reading, or playing games. Some coffee shops have games that you can play, or you can bring your own. We have played cards, Farkle, and even Scrabble in coffee shops from Massachusetts to California!
4. Picnic in the Park
An oldie but a goodie–try a picnic in the park on your next date night. You can be as creative as you’d like with the food: sandwiches made at home, sushi from the supermarket, or a wedge of fancy cheese with crackers. During the summertime, you can check websites for your community to see if there are any free concerts in the park.
5. Volunteer Together
It can be incredibly satisfying to serve others together. Serve in a homeless shelter. Work as timers at a Special Olympics. Clean your church. Do yard work for an elderly neighbor. Not only will you help others, you will also feel close to each other as you are working together for the common good.
6. Take a Hike
Get out and get moving! Try out the trails at your local park, a state park, or a national park nearby. You can even turn it into a challenge by trying to hike every single trail at a certain park. Bring along a picnic and make a day out of it.
7. Master the In-Home Date Night
If money is extremely tight, then it’s time to master the in-home date night. My husband and I frequently have dates at home due to the high cost of child care. However, we’ve learned to have fun doing it. We will get a movie from the library, pour a glass of wine or shake up a cocktail, pop some homemade popcorn, and cuddle on the couch. You can also have a game night (Settlers of Catan and Carcassone are two of our favorites!) or try cooking a new meal together.
8. Take in a High School Game
If you have fun watching sporting events together but can’t afford professional or college games very often, take in a high school game. Tickets are generally inexpensive, plus you can relive your high school days! Football, basketball, baseball, soccer–enjoy your favorite sport on a budget.
9. Get Fit Together
Perhaps you’d rather play sports than watch them. Go for it! Go for a run together (or even train for a 5K or half marathon), get our your bicycles and ride, play a game of tennis, shoot some hoops (or play a round of Horse), or go cross-country skiing together. Get a workout and spend time together. Win-win!
10. Dessert and Window Shopping
Finally, if a dinner out is not in your budget, try going out just for dessert. Eat at home, and then treat yourself to some creme brulee or cheesecake at your favorite eatery. Afterward you can go window-shopping together. Fun and frugal!
Don’t let a limited budget limit your date night fun. With a bit of creativity, you can have an amazing date without the expense!
What are your favorite frugal date nights? Share in the comments!
(Linked to Thrifty Thursday.)
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This is a such a great list!
When my husband and I were first married, we were king and queen of cheap dates! 😉 Our apartment was near an industrial park, so we would go for walks behind the buildings and around the pond almost every night (it sounds horrible, but it was actually really pretty). We also went to the movies for free every Tuesday night (our cable company provided its customers with free tickets). On weekends, we would go on free walking tours with the local chapter of my college alumni association.
Now that we have kids, we count sponsored meetings as date night (my husband goes to a lot of meetings that seed dealers, farm agencies, and crop insurance companies sponsor – I just tag along for the free food), so we’re learning and having date night rolled into one!
My best tip is to look into free events. Local organizations, alumni associations, etc. often have some really great perks for members and patrons. Find an organization that supports your mutual interest (in our case, farming) and check community boards (your local library, small businesses, and the community section of your local newspaper are good starting points) to see if there are any events supporting that interest.
Great tips, Alison! The library can be a really good source of free dates. Ours has film viewings and discussions (with food!) once a month. There are also book signings, author talks, workshops, and more. All for free!