Ask the Readers: Cheap Date Ideas

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My wife and I always try to have a date night once a week.  It’s a good way to reconnect after a busy  week of hardly seeing each other. We usually just end up going out to eat. While it’s a nice treat, it’s not always frugal. We’d also like to mix it up some. What are your cheap date ideas? Let us know! Make your cheap date suggestion in the comments below. At the end of the week, I’ll collect all the tips together and write them in a post. If you have a blog, I’ll include a link to your site next to your tip. I’m looking forward to reading your tips!

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15 Comments

1. Vixen on 16.10.2007 at 07:36 (Reply)

   Depending on where you live, making use of scenery is a great tool for cheap dates. I adore buying a cup of coffee or hot chocolate and walking on the pier. It’s traditionally terribly romantic and you get fresh air.

   One of the best dates my boyfriend and I ever shared was when I took him to a creek near my house and we had a picnic. After a little bit of hiking, we found the perfect spot and spent hours beneath the canopy of the foliage laughing and drinking wine.

2. FinanceAndFat on 16.10.2007 at 09:16 (Reply)

   McDonalds! lol

   That’s a good question. My wife and I enjoy being at home, we live just out of the city so after a week of being busy with work and running around town we really don’t feel like ‘going out’.

   We have fun on a Friday night staying home and watching our favorite shows from the week on our DVR and I make dinner. Here is an interesting touch I added last week- my wife really loves the Pasta Milano dish at Macaroni Grill. I spent some time Googling and found the recipe and made it for dinner. It turned out really well (helps if you like to cook anyway). That’s like a frugal ‘night out’ instead of spending $20 at the movies and $50 at dinner.

3. christine on 16.10.2007 at 10:14 (Reply)

   Is restaurant.com available in your area? We use that often, as well as finding out which restaurants have specials on certain nights. The movie theater near us has a $5 movie card - it makes it cheap enough to see a movie. There are also things like HotTix that offer half-price tickets to plays and other shows in our area.

4. Jamie on 16.10.2007 at 18:43 (Reply)

   My husband is still in school, and I have only been out for a few months. He has long days at school, so we try to figure out things to make his “school nights” more bearable. We have the Blockbuster Total Access deal, where you get movies in the mail and can trade them in for store rentals (instant gratification!). Its a good deal for us because we were renting a couple a week anyway. One of our favorite weeknight dates is easy and fun-the Baskin Robbins by our apartment has $1 scoops on Tuesdays, so we walk over there and each get a scoop. Delicious and fun, and it gets us out on a walk so we can talk to each other.

5. Jeff on 17.10.2007 at 11:54 (Reply)

   Amateur sporting events are usually a cheap date…high school football, Little League Baseball, etc. Typically little to nothing to get in, concessions are reasonably price, and you could even take your own snacks. This is all given your wife/girlfriend enjoys sports.

6. strange bird on 17.10.2007 at 17:52 (Reply)

   My boyfriend and I like to cook dinner and watch a Netflix movie together as a cheap date idea. We get quality time to chat while we’re cooking, and we enjoy it on the coffee table in front of the TV to watch a movie. We also try just going out for ice cream instead of a meal on a weekend night, or going to a restaurant happy hour for a drink. Sometimes during the daytime we’ll go to the park, each with a book, and sit and read together.

7. Katie (Mrs. FLS) on 17.10.2007 at 22:11 (Reply)

   Brett and I like to go to Borders together and sit and read the magazines and books. Fun and free.

8. Christine on 19.10.2007 at 11:14 (Reply)

   I second amateur sports… I can’t afford NHL games, but I love hockey, so my significant other and I go to a lot of Ontario Hockey League games. It’s just as much fun as going to see pro game (sometimes better because even the nosebleed seats are close to the ice, and the players are still trying to prove themselves, so they come to play every game), and tickets are only about $12 each.

   Also, making pizza is always a fun date. Pizza and a movie.

9. 11 Cheap Date Ideas | The Frugal Law Student on 22.10.2007 at 12:30

   […] make sure to sign up for email updates or subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!Last week, I asked my amazing readers for ideas for cheap dates and the readers really came through with some great ideas. As usual, I’ve included the name […]

10. Law School Blog on 23.11.2007 at 20:57 (Reply)

    Great scenery and wine never gets old!

    My favorite is taking my girl to the market we have off the bay… we around for a while, holding hands… listening to music from the bands playing with the cruise ships in the distance… then sitting on the docks.. looking at the sunset with the birds flying around and squawking randomly lol… it’s nice

    -Mike

11. adam on 10.01.2008 at 09:30 (Reply)

    I live near New York and I love museums. Almost every museum has a free night (in New York this is usually Friday night). I think this is a great date. Even if you can’t get in for free, you get a student discount as a law student. Beyond that, if there is a suggested donation, don’t be afraid to leave a dollar: most of these museums have larger endowments than most porn stars.

    Other options are outdoor concerts during the summer. In New York there are lots: Central Park Summerstage in Saturdays and Sundays and the Philharmonic and Metropolitan Opera a few times during the season. Get a blanket and a bottle of wine - voila.

    1. Brett McKay on 10.01.2008 at 13:32 (Reply)

       Adam-
       Great tips! If only I lived in near New York…. There aren’t a lot of museums here in Tulsa, but I should do a better job taking advantage of the ones that are here.

       I’ll have to look into whether there are any outside concerts this summer. That would be great to take my wife to.

       1. Date Ideas on 09.09.2008 at 18:20 (Reply)

          If you want cheap date ideas head google $30 date night. You’ll love it, all the ideas are $30 or less.

12. Date Ideas on 09.09.2008 at 18:19 (Reply)

    If you want cheap date ideas head over to http://thirtydollardatenight.com. You’ll love it, all the ideas are $30 or less.

13. Boca Raton Cuisine on 17.11.2008 at 14:14 (Reply)

    There aren’t too many places in South Florida where you can get away cheap for a night out. A picnic on the beach usually works for me, and has some scenery! Better than the overpriced Boca restaurants in the area!

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