FIFTY FUN, CHEAP DATE IDEAS

  It's not about having the fanciest date or the most expensive or elaborate one. Date nights work their magic simply by giving you a chance to catch up with each other and shut out the noise of your busy lives. Want romance that doesn't cost a fortune? Fight the urge to splurge with these 50 fun, cheap date ideas.

        by Lisa Sussman
          

          1. Dinner and Movie

          Try brunch and a matinee; fancy restaurant's  are way more affordable in the A.M.

          Angela Bell.

          2. Dinner and Movie

          During warmer months, many cities offer an alternative to sitting inside a stuffy movie theater with free outdoor screenings. Local libraries and museums also sometimes screen unexpected films, from to documentaries. Check schedules in your free city circular.

          Paul Bradley

          3. Dinner and a  Movie

          For dinner and a movie under $5, go to the local library and look over their video selection (some libraries work with other branches and let you preorder a specific title). Then go to the drive-thru at a local fast-food joint and get two meals to take home.

          4. Dinner and a Movie

          Catch up your favorite shows on Hulu.com while snuggling together with a bowl of popcorn.

          5. Dinner and a Movie

          Get take-out pizza and watch home videos of yourselves as kids, your own kids, or your parents. It's not the latest feature flick, but it is your family history and a cool stroll down memory lane.

          6. Romantic Dates

          Take a camera with you on your date. Keep on asking people to take your photo and make it a point to clock lips every time the camera clicks. On your next date, after getting the pictures developed, make a collage of your smooching day.

         7. Romantic Dates

         Turn your backyard or porch into a home spa for under $25: pick up a plastic kiddy pool and fill it with water and bubble bath. Pack every safe and available surface with tea lights and turn out the lights. Burn essential oil in a purpose-made burner or light some incense (citrus scents are high on  sizzle while keeping mosquitoes at bay). Play some soft background music. When you get out of the "Jacuzzi", wrap yourselves in towels warmed in the dryer. Then massage each other into a delightful daze with lavender-scented lotion ( drugstore brands are around $5).

        8. Romantic Dates

        Tell each other stories about your relationship - whether it was the first time you said "I love you," memories from the first date, or funny bloopers during you courtship. It will bring back the butterflies and give you perspective on how far you've come.

        9. Romantic Dates
       
        Make a scrapbook or inspiration board together. Use photos, ticket stubs, and memorabilia to celebrate all the thing you've done as a couple, or create a dual collage of your inspirations and aspirations.

        10. At-Home Dates

         Transform your bedroom into a getaway retreat by setting it up as a hotel room, complete with number on the door, mints on a freshly made bed (use crisp white cotton sheets), a huge stack of towels and a few fizzy bath tablets in the bathroom (for an instant Jacuzzi), nice stationery and a pen (for writing each other love notes), a bottle of something chilling in an ice bucket, and room service.

         Kay Blaschke

         11. At-Home Dates

         Play strip poker, shedding one item of clothing every time you lose. See if you can make it through more than just a few hands.

          12. At-Home Dates

         When it's gray and pouring outside, cozy up indoors. Make hot chocolate and read together on the couch. You'll bond white nesting, and won't even notice the blah weather.ok

          13. At-Home Dates

         Bake something. Whether it's chocolate chip cookies, banana bread, or cupcakes, it's fun (and cheap) to team up in the kitchen. Sample your concoction and then give the rest to coworkers or friends. (Brownie points if you let your other half take baking credit!)

         Nathan Jones

         14. Quickie Dates

         Bask together in the warmth of a new day. Wake him up early so you can snuggle under a blanket and watch the sun rise over the horizon together. Use this classic romantic moment to lean in close as if you are going to whisper something just for him in his ear. Instead, surprise him with this real little eye opener : Nibble his lobe and softly caress his skin with your hot breath.

        Andersen Ross

       
        15. Quickie Dates

         Make a phone date to talk for fifteen minutes. This is different from hitting the speed dial to remind him that you'll be late tonight or to pick up on the way home. Ink it into your calendar and make sure you are in a space where are no other distractions (screaming kids nosy coworkers, cheery checkout workers, and so on) so you can give each other your full attention.

         Lise Gagne

         16. Quickie Dates

         Multitask clearing out the fridge by packing up all the leftovers for a picnic. Add your best china and glassware, and then make a date to meet at your local park during your lunch hour.

         17. Quickie Dates

         Next time you're in busy public place a pack or mall, sit on bench for 15 minutes, holding hands and people-watching.

         
        18. Quickie Dates

         Write down all the nice thoughts you have about each other for a week, and then make a date to sit down with a glass of wine and read them aloud.

         
        19. Adventurous Dates
  
         Take a stroll through a house you'd (someday) love to own. Check out the real estate listings for weekend open houses so you don't have to deal with a hard sell from the agent.
Greg Nicholas

         20. Adventurous Dates

         Check out your local performance-art scene. The shows are rarely sold out, and you never know what bizarre spectacle you might be treated to - or asked to take part in. "My husband and I went to this show where we were told to throw cream pies at the actors. It was hilarious and, somehow, art!' laughs Anne, 45.
Lukas Pobuda

        21. Adventurous Dates

        See if there is a Renaissance Fair in your area. Enjoy the jugglers, jousts, tankards of ale, and turkey legs the size of your thigh. Challenge each other to talk in fake British accents the whole day.

        22. Adventurous Dates

        Explore a new neighborhood. walk around, window-shop, and check out the people who frequent the area. If you don't live in a city, take a drive through a nearby investigated town, or just try a different walking route through your own area. 

        23. Adventurous Dates

        Volunteer at a soup kitchen, ,homeless shelter, or nursing home. The experience of helping others will unite you and make you appreciate one another. Check out volunteermatch.orig to see what's available in your area.

         24. Adventurous Dates

         Take a new class together. Depending on where you live, free options can include meditation classes, gardening workshops, improve groups, language sessions, and a variety of fitness classes. Even if you don't end up sticking with it in the long run, first classes are almost always free, and it's 99 percent likely to be a cool experience. Site like skillshare.com and butterfly.com can help you find great ones in your area.

         25. Adventurous Dates

          Just once, try each other's favorite hobby. Bring him to your yoga class or show him how to knit, ask him to teach you play chess or guitar.

         26. Adventurous Dates

         Go dancing. Find a place that's reputed to have great music - whether it's a band, DJ, or great mix - and boogie the night (or at least an hour and a half) away. The activity will get your endorphins buzzing, and you'll laugh at each other's moves.

         27. Out door Dates

          Train together to compete in race. A little friendly rivalry can be good for your relationship You stimulate, energize, and spur each other on to do more and be more while working toward a common goal (to ensure that harmony reigns, always go at the slower person's pace) . How you work out together can also be a clue to how you are together as a couple because you need listen to, compromise with, and anticipate each other's need and abilities - and to stop without recrimination if one of you is driven to tears. The sweet payoff (besides getting fit): Getting sweaty with your partner give you both better understanding of each others bodies, not a bad thing for affter-workout workouts in the bedroom. 

          28. Out door Dates

           Go on bird-feeding expedition at a park with a lake. Take along stable bread or crackers for the ducks and a Thermos of homemade lemonade or iced tea (spiked) for the two of you. See if you can spot the pairs.

          29. Outdoor Dates

           Laugh like a five year-old and play at the play ground. See who can swing the highest.

          30. Outdoor Dates

           Ride bikes. If you don't own any, average rentals cost bout $15 per hour. Pedal your way around town, bring a picnic, or race to a destination. To find a rental shop in your area, go to bikerentusa.com

          31. Outdoor Dates

           Visit the zoo. For a typical entrance fee between $10 - 20, you can wander and watch the animals for hours. Bring snacks and drinks to avoid inflated concession prices once you're inside.

           32. Outdoor Dates

           Take hula hoops, bubble-blowers, or a kite to the park and play like kids.

           Kirby Hamilton

           33. Illuminating Dates

           If it take a little black dress (and a little red wine) to put you in the mood, get yourself on the invitation list of local art galleries. They usually serve completmentary wine and hors d'oeuvres.

           Michele Lugaresi

           34. Illuminating Dates

           Museums usually have one free night a week. (Many  also have a suggested entrance fee; read the fine print.)

          Ken Seet/Corbis

          35. Illuminating Dates

          Form your own private book club for two. Read the same book and spend the night at a local coffee shop discussing your thoughts.

          Anja Hild

          36. Illuminating Dates

          See if your liquor store host wine-tasting nights (it's only expensive if you buy). Cheers to if you pull off vino vocab like "full-bodied" or "supple" with a straight face.

         37. Illuminating Dates

         Experience a jazz club. Some don't have cover charge; others vary from $5 - 20, depending on location. Look for a local affordable one on allaboutjazz.com to enjoy an evening of low-key romantic music.

         38. Illuminating Dates

         Check with your local symphony, opera, and theater houses to see if they offer discounts on dress rehearsal performances or standing room tickets. "The San Francisco Ballet sells tickets. "The San Francisco Ballet sells tickets as low as $15 for standing room, "advises Jeanette Pavini, a consumer savings expert for Coupons.com.

         39. Illuminating Dates

         Check online - try cookingschools.com - to see if you live in the vicinity of a culinary school. "They often have amazing deals, "says Pavini. Sign up for one as a couple, and then try your newly acquired kitchen skills at home.

         40. Illuminating Dates

         Explore local college campus plays and musical recitals. "You can get great prices on these events, " recommends Pavini. Plus, you can pretend you're in college again and make out in the back row.
          Kristian Septimius Krogh

          41. Mini Getaways

          BED AND BREAKFAST : Check out smaller towns for affordable B&Bs.

          42. Mini Gateways

          CAMPING: State parks are usually a good deal and the nightlife is usually nothing wilder than a cricket concert. You can set up a tent, cook over an open fire, and gaze at the stars at night.

          43. Mini Getaways

          Let your friend and relatives (with clean, comfortable homes) know that you're willing and available to house-sit for them next time they're away, even if it's for a night and they only live a couple hours away. Extra points if you go from city to county or vice versa. The change of pace will refresh you both, and you'll return even more appreciative of each other and your home.

          Diane Macdonald

          44. Double Dates

          Dig out your favorite group board games and invite friend over for a night of fun. Jessica, 28, says because she and her husband don't have much money for a night on the town, they started picking up games at garage sales. "At first, just the two of us played. But we had friends over for dinner one night and discovered the fun of competing with other people. Sometimes it's very person on their own or else we play in teams; the girls against the guy or couples against couples, I think we have more fun than if we just went out somewhere on a regular date night, and it is certainly a lot cheaper. We all pitch in for a big pasta dinner and one of those big bottles of wine."

          Arthur Carlo Franco

          45. Double Dates

          Instead of a book club, start a music club. Every get-together, have participants bring a favorite CD to spin and talk about these tunes move them. Depending on the type of beat, everyone can then get down and start dancing, or, if it's more like background music, talking the night away.

         46. Double Dates

         Hit up bingo or Jeopardy night at a local bar or restaurant. The competition (or teamwork, depending on the game) gets everyone chatting, and you can split the bill for appetizers between four.

         47. Night on the Town

         Attend a comedy show. Most joints have amateur stand-up on weeknights where local comedians perform for free. Bond and relax on a date where the only agenda is laughter. Find a comedy venue nearby at coasttocoasttickets.com/comedy.

         48. Night on the Town

         See if any venues in your area, parks and cafes included, host free concerts or solo acts. At bars, the price of admission could be a beer, and if one outdoors you can bring a picnic.