How to Get Away with Being a Cheap Date

The economy has not been kind to anyone, least of all young men and women who are dating. Fortunately, you don’t have to accept a life of solitude just because you may be short on cash. It need not cost any money at all to spend some time with your love interest and get to know him or her better.

Skip the Four Course Dinner

If you have any cooking skill at all, you can make a meal for your date at home rather than spending enough money on one meal to be equal to your daily salary. Ask your special new friend for favorite meal ideas and then hit the grocery store together to buy the necessary ingredients. You can either cook the entire meal yourself and knock your date’s socks off or enjoy the camaraderie of making it together. To add to the romantic atmosphere, turn down the lights, find your most romantic music and pour your date a glass of fine. Click here to reveal a list of some of the most romantic tracks of all times that will be perfect for your date.

Another option for eating on the cheap is to plan an outdoor picnic, assuming the weather is conducive to one. Picnic food doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but don’t forget to pack a sandwich, accompanying snacks and napkins. If you are bringing wine or are eating something other than finger food, you will need to pack a corkscrew and napkins also.

Culture Can Be Cheap

Do you or your date enjoy art museums or books? You can go on a free or very inexpensive date by partaking in one of these activities. Art museums usually offer free admission on certain days of the week or after certain times along with cheap ticket prices the rest of the time.

If you’re both book lovers, skip the library because you won’t be able to talk about anything you read or are interested in. Instead, head to one of the large chain bookstore and spend some time showing each other books that you especially enjoy. You can choose by author, subject or the bestseller list. The method isn’t as important as spending quality time together.

Although you don’t want to hang out in a bookstore all day and never buy anything, spending two hours or so wondering through the shelves should not be a problem. When you have both had enough of paging through books, you can head to the bookstore’s coffee shop if it has one or find one nearby.

Get Moving

If you want to spend some real quality time with the person you admire, invite him or her to accompany you on a walk. In addition to getting fresh air and exercise, it is free and it gives you the opportunity to talk without interruptions. However, having too much time to talk could also be a drawback if one or both of you is on the quiet side. While you are still getting to know each other, these walk and talk sessions allow each of you to learn which topics lead to engaged conversations and which seem to end with a shrug of the shoulders.

If simple walking proves too boring for either of you, try stepping it up a notch with hiking or jogging. You can always carry a digital camera with you and take pictures of the beautiful things you see along the way. Before you point the camera at your date, however, be sure to get his or her permission first. Some people are funny about having their pictures taken and it may not feel comfortable yet at this stage of the dating game.

Indoor walking is another option if you it is the middle of winter or you have been stuck with a rainy day. People watching can make the date more interesting because it gives you something to talk about later.

Holidays, Seasons and the Great Outdoors

Holidays in the United States bring plenty of reasons to gather outdoors, regardless of the climate where you live. If Halloween is fast approaching, spend a little bit of time with your date picking out pumpkins you can carve together later. If the calendar says it is summer, look for outdoor parades or other celebrations around the holidays. You can watch Independence Day fireworks together, have a Memorial Day or Labor Day cookout or take in a festive parade.

If you live in a cold climate, winter brings a variety of cheap outdoor date ideas, including ice skating, sledding and making the world’s largest snowman. Most communities have free outdoor skating rinks and going sledding should only put you out the cost of a new plastic sled if you don’t already have one.

Date with the Goal of Never Having to Date Again

The time you spend engaged in activities with someone you are attracted to is for more than just having a good time. It should give you the opportunity to learn more about the other person and help you to decide if you want to pursue a relationship with him or her. If a chemistry develops and you enjoy just being together, eventually you won’t need to plan dates every time you see each other.