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10 Cheap Date Ideas: Budget-Friendly and Fun

by | Dating Tips

May 16, 2022

With these cheap date ideas, you’ll be able to have the perfect date without spending much cash. You and your date will be excited that you had a lot of fun.

What do you think a perfect date is? If you are like me, you’ll most likely think that the perfect date is one where both parties enjoy themselves, have fun, and go home satisfied. If after your date you go home dissatisfied and regretful, then it is possible you did not have a great date

Dissatisfaction can come from many things, and one of those things is spending too much. You don’t have to spend more than you want to on a date for that date to be fun. Whatever the cost, a date can always be fun if you both go about it well. Here are some great ideas for a cheap date without spending too much cash: 

1. Music Fair

Even though many music events sell tickets that are expensive, quite a lot of musical events are also free. You can always have a fun date at a music event that is free or inexpensive!

Free music events could be events hosted by classical bands or events hosted by a group who have just come into town—ones seeking some form of popularity. Whatever the case, they are usually fun and soothing. 

Take your date there, and vibe long. Sing alongside the band and make sure you both have a great time together. Things get even more intense if you attend a music event where many love songs are sung. Hold hands together—dance. Look into each other’s eyes. It may be a little event, a seemingly cheap date, but the feels will surely not be little. 

2. Group Date with Friends at Friend’s Home

Group dates can be a lot of fun, and a budget-friendly date, if you go about them well. Ask a friend to have you over at his or her house. Be sure that it is a friend your partner is comfortable with. Go on a date there. If your friend has a partner too, this is going to make things even more fun. 

You both can do a variety of things together, creating memories and having fun. 

You should know that a date has served its purpose if it ends up creating a lot of memories. If two, maybe three years after, you can look back and feel great about it. 

Have you ever heard couples say something like: “Honey, remember that one time Greg had us at his house and we baked a cake that was as hard as a rock?”? Such questions bloom from memories created during an amazing date

On your date at a friend’s house, create as many memories as you can; with your partner and with your friend. Read a book and talk about it. 

Shhh. Don’t tell anyone this but: gossip about some other friend. Laugh about things that you know will not cause insecurities—like talking to your friend about your spouse, teasing her so that she blushes and blushes. 

Talk about the recent movies you both have seen, and have a meal together. You sure are going to have fun doing these. Count on that.  

3. Picnic at a Garden

Some people consider picnics old school. But they are not, really. When speaking about low-budget and affordable dates, it is unlikely that anyone will leave picnics out.

I mean, all you need for a picnic is a location, some cloth to spread over the ground, a partner, and some food or snacks and drinks. 

Choose a location for your picnic. I advise that you choose a garden—a picnic at a garden or park that offers you a serene sight and an amazing view of nature.

As you both sit here, have your partner lean into you and watch the sky together. Ruffle her hair as you talk about the breeze over the chirping of birds. 

If you have got a boombox with you and are allowed to play some music, then, by all means, play some love songs. Create the feel. Remember, a date does not have to be expensive for it to be a great date. 

In relationships, and when dates are concerned, even the little thing counts. Budget-friendly or cheap dates can count. You just have to put yourself out there with your partner and bask in the love that you both share. 

4. Movie Night/ Day at Home

Watching a movie together with your partner is bang-on for cheap date ideas. ‘Netflix and Chill’ has always been fun since the inception of Netflix and chill. Netflix, as used here, does not necessarily mean ‘Netflix.’ It could be any movie app. Any movie—as long as it is a movie and you and your partner are both seeing it together. 

Have your partner come over, and you both have a traditional see-a-movie-together moment. Let it be a movie both of you have chosen—a movie that she has been itching to see. 

Now, don’t forget the popcorn and the soda, and don’t forget to put off all the lights. Have your partner hold you as you both see the movie. 

It is important that couples have much physical contact because physical contact with a loved one causes the body to secrete hormones that are able to make them feel closer and more in love with their partners. 

As a tease, you could steal her popcorn and have her chase you around the house for it. Remember, memories. Have fun together. Just have fun. And create as many memories as you can. 

Read: Exciting Things You Can Do to Keep Yourself Busy at Home 

5. Workout Dates

Couples looking for cheap date ideas will enjoy working out together. Yes. It is a thing, and it is fun. You can have a date with your partner wherever you both want, as long as it makes both of you feel loved and comfortable. 

You can have a date when you are working outIf you both work out at home, then have the date at home. If you both have a workout at the gym, then you both have your dates at the gym. 

Workout together, and when you both are done and tired, walk over to your partner and sit and have a drink and talk. 

Talk about fun stuff, about your relationship, and how it has bloomed into something you now do not want to let go of. 

6. Walk in the Woods

A date does not have to be ‘conventional’ to be considered a date. A date can be anything, and it can happen anywhere—even a walk in the woods. 

A walk in the wood is such an affordable date, and it costs almost nothing for something as adventurous as that. Maybe a drink and some food: it most times costs nothing more. 

Make sure the woods you intend to walk in is safe. Hold hands with your partner as you walk and talk about your relationship. 

Play and tease each other. You can play chase—tease your partner and have them chase you. 

A walk in the woods can end as a picnic. When you both have grown tired, look for a spot and sit and chill.

7. A visit to The Lake

When in search of cheap dates ideas, don’t overlook a visit to the late. A visit to the lake is such an affordable date. Lakes are beautiful, and watching them can be soothing. 

Take a trip to the lake with your partner, and make a lot of memories there. Walk around the lake, observing the ripples, listening to the swoosh of water. 

Take note of the birds, if any, that come to glance at the water. When you both have had enough of walking, sit and talk about anything you choose. Body contact. A lot of it. 

8. Game Night at Home

Not Netflix and Chill this time. Call it “Game and Chill.” 

When couples do challenging stuff together, they tend to grow fonder of each other. Games offer quite the necessary challenge. 

Sit on the sofa or in bed with your partner, and you both play a game together. If it is an online game, you can be on the same team, facing other opponents, or you both can face each other. 

I’d suggest you both face each other, as a bond can be formed this way. No one will want to lose, so you will have to play over and over. 

Make it a little more challenging by infusing some romance. “You owe me a cupcake if I win you again.”

Now, see how challenging and interesting gaming is going to go. A cheap date that does wonders. 

9. A Drive Around Town

Driving around town doesn’t cost much and is fun when you are driving with your date is seated just next to you. All you need is gas for the car. You both can create a lot of memories this way. 

Drive through streets and alleys. If your woman is new to town, show her some places; your high school, your city’s museum. You know, fun places like that. 

Tell as many jokes as you can. Stop by somewhere and get a drink and some snacks if you both see any need for that. 

10. Book Clubs

If you and your partner both love reading books, then a book club will be such a great place for you to go on a date. It’s cheap and can be very exciting for book lovers.

Pick a book club you both like, and go there!

Wrapping Up

While some dates may require cash, that doesn’t mean we can’t go on a date without breaking the bank. We hope that recommendations like these cheap date ideas will help you enjoy cheap or budget-friendly dates without spending much cash.

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

By Emilie Schleif

Emilie Schleif is a Lifestyle Writer at Whatsdalatest, where she covers all things relationships and wellness—born and raised in La Canada Flintridge. She currently lives in Hamburg and loves running, hiking, and walking with her dog, Jasper.

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