>> UPDATE!!! I’ve updated this MASSIVE list! CLICK HERE to get all 110 Super Cheap Date Ideas delivered right to your email. <<
If you’ve been married 50 years, together for 6, or just getting ready to go on your first date don’t worry about how you’re going to afford all that “relationship stuff”. There are a ton of fun, cheap date ideas!
98 Cheap Date Ideas…
1. Play in the snow, build a snow man, then drink cocoa
2. Go to a community play, a dress rehearsal, high school or college play
3. Do an inside or outside picnic
4. Work out together
It’s fun to subtly flirt with each other at the gym because the other gym patrons don’t necessarily know you’re together.
5. Go roller skating or ice-skating
6. Movie marathon with ice cream sundaes
Pick a genre, queue up some movies, and make the biggest, most obnoxious sundae you can.
7. Play hide and seek in a corn field (or the woods)
8. Go on a very long walk around your neighborhood at night
9. Go to a real- live movie store, pick out a movie together then pop homemade popcorn at home
10. Go to estate sales together
11. Spa night together
Spoil each other with home treatments like bubble baths, exfoliating face and body scrubs, foot massages, etc.
12. Make a romantic dinner at home
13. Play ping-pong
Ping-pong is very inexpensive.
14. Bowl
Most bowling alleys have specials and fun things like black-light bowling with loud music.
15. Go yarn-bombing together
Channel your inner rebel.
16. Go on a midnight bike ride together
17. (Mom cover your eyes) Practice Kama Sutra
18. Go to the hardware store
Wander around, and dream of everything you would do to your house if money was no object. $2,000 chandelier? No problem!
19. Build something together
20. Go canoeing!
21. Go camping!
22. Go hiking!
23. Go fishing!
24. Find the best happy hours in town and make the appetizers your meal
My husband and I go to a place in town that has a happy hour where you can get a burger, fries, and drink for $5. Then, we split it.
25. Take advantage of coupon sites to get great deals on things you wouldn’t normally do
26. Go to a trapeze class!
Seriously. They have them in my city and they just might have them on your city too. For only $10 each it’s a steal.
27. Have friends over and play board games
28. Go to an antique store and talk about the past lives of old objects
29. Get some thrift store tennis rackets and go to your city’s free courts
30. Go to the neighborhood pool
31. Fly kites!
32. Test drive an expensive car
33. Go on a tour beer, food, etc.
Find out what tours businesses in your city offer and try one out.
34. Go thrifting or garage sale-ing together
35. Do a breakfast date
Breakfast is the least expensive meal option (and tastiest if you ask me).
36. Make a new recipe together
37. Play strip poker
38. Find a free (or very cheap) class and take it together
39. Go for an ice cream date. then walk and talk with your cone
40. Find cheap sporting event tickets or go to your local high-school or college games
41. Drive up to the highest point in your city, spread out a blanket, and then gaze up at the stars
42. Go to the animal shelter and pet the animals
43. Teach each other something
You probably know something your partner doesn’t and they probably know how to do something you don’t. This is the perfect opportunity to teach each other
44. Take photos of each other
Maybe your social media profile pictures are out of date. Spend an afternoon photographing each other.
45. Research your local train and bus lines
There just might be a train that goes right up to the mountains or a cheap bus ride might get you to the beach. Either way, it’s definitley worth looking into.
46. Open Mic or Improv nights
I feel like this one shows up on every list but there’s a good reason why. It’s fun!
47. Volunteer together
48. Babysit together
49. Make a time-capsule
50. Take advantage of the season
Maybe it’s carving pumpkins, decorating the Christmas tree, or hiding Easter eggs. No matter the season there’s usually something fun happening.
51. Go through your old yearbooks
Tell your partner all about your high-school days.
52. Reminisce about your 1st date
53. See how creative you can get
Take turns planning dates that have a $10 limit.
54. Train for a race together
55. A book club for two
Select a book, check out a copy for each of you from the library and then discuss it as you go.
56. Paint a room together
57. Take swing dance classes together
58. Make a pizza at home
59. Write out the story of how you met
60. Talk about your future together
61. Write love letters to each other than read them to each other
62. Do a puzzle together
63. Wash the car and flirt with each other
64. Draw each other
Close your eyes and draw each other. Yes, eyes closed.
65. Yoga
Most yoga studios offer free yoga. It’s fun to go together, and see how funny you each other in the poses. The worse you are at yoga the more fun it is;)
66. Play frisbee
67. Pretend you’re in a movie
If it rains, go outside, get soaking wet, then run to each other, embrace, and kiss passionately (of course) for like 5 minutes, at least.
68. Pick fruit
This is a good one for the spring and summer months.
69. Go to a friends art opening
70. Bake a cake together
71. Make each other breakfast in bed
72. Be a tourist in your own city
Roam around like you don’t know what’s going on and try to really see your city in a new way.
73. Experimental food
Pretend you’re on a food show and pick out ingredients for the other person (use as many ingredients as possible that you already own). Then you each try to cook something edible. Sweet and sour corn muffins? Sure!
74. Scavenger hunt
Spend some time planning a scavenger hunt either around town or just in your house. Leave something (like a sweet letter) at the end of the trail for your partner to find. Take turns doing this for each other.
75. Take online relationship tests
The Love Languages one is specifically good.
76. Pick a TV show and then watch episode after episode
Any Dexter, Breaking Bad or True Blood fans out there? (I’ve heard Homeland is amazing too!)
77. Get to know each other even more
You might think you know each other really well but if you’e been together for any length of time some of the answers from the beginning of your relationship might be out-of-date. Don’t assume you know your partner so much that they’re not allowed to grow or change their minds.
78. Pray or meditate together
This will make you feel very close and can also be intimating and make you feel vulnerable. But humor me and give it a try (easier said than done, I know). Plus, I’ve got real-live proof that this works! Get this, I know of a couple and they are each 92 years old, and they’ve been married 70 years! Their secret? Transcendental meditation for 20 minutes at least twice a day!
79. Tell each other why you like/love each other so much
This is another thing that’s easy to take for granted in relationships. Like, yeah, yeah, yeah, of course we love each other! But, really telling each other? Worth a shot.
80. Make life lists
Create lists of things you’d like to do together and separately and then share them with each other and get some of the plans in the works!
81. Break a record
Look at the Guinness Book of World Records and see which record you two should try to break together. Even if you don’t break the record it’d be fun to try.
82. Dream about your dream house
Look at Pinterest and dream about what your house would be like if you had no limit on money! (This is my dream home board)
83. Be a kid again
Remember when $5 seemed like SO much money? It can still go pretty far in an arcade. Go to the arcade to play skee-ball, air hockey, and video games.
84. Hit golf balls at a driving range
85. Go to a midnight movie
86. Pretend you don’t know each other, get dressed up, and meet in the bar or at an event
87. Make a mix tape together
88. Play basketball
89. Go look at dream house status real-estate
90. Find a cheap psychic and get a reading
91. Give each other haircuts
Yep, I went there. (Still trying to convince my husband to let me try giving him a homemade hair cut)
92. Make wishes in a fountain together
93. Watch YouTube videos all night
Prank videos or kitten videos for hours?! Yes. It’s amazing.
94. Stay up all night talking or “talking”
95. Climb a tree
96. Go to a bar and cheer for a team
This one could get expensive so either don’t drink, drink beforehand, or bring a flask.
97. BBQ
98. Ask around
Keep your ears (eyes) peeled on your social media sites for free events going on around town or ask your friends if they have any ideas.
Want more ideas? Check out this post: How to be a Cheap Valentine Without Being a Cheap Valentine and this post might help too: 56 Things to do Instead of Spending Money.
What are your favorite cheap date ideas?
P.S. UPDATE!!! I’ve updated this MASSIVE list! CLICK HERE to get all 110 Super Cheap Date Ideas delivered right to your email.
P.S. Here’s a FREE DOWNLOAD for you! 110 Cheap Date Ideas! Enjoy!
Thanks for posting all these good ideas. We are always looking for cheap ways to have fun together:)
So glad it’s helpful Ali! :)
Cute!!!
Good ideas-although trapeze classes are not cheap. Fun, but not cheap.
They’re just $10 here in Denver! :)
That’s awesome!!!
Glad you like it!
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My boyfriend and I like to see who can make 5$ last the longest playing penny slots at the casino! Plus free soda means we don’t have to pay for drinks!
Ha! That’s awesome! Love that idea!
Just wanted you to know that you were featured in our ULTIMATE Date Idea Round-up today! http://www.thedatingdivas.com/romantic-rendezvous/101-date-idea-round-ups-the-ultimate-date-night-list/ Thanks for sharing your date ideas! XOXO, The Dating Divas
Thanks!
Hi Anna, i love all of your ideas, but some are quite hard to find a hold of when your’e living in the English countryside. One thing that bothers me is what happened to a midnight swim at the local pool? The only way to get in nowadays without get serious consequences is several bucks later and a booking in advance. What happened to spontaneity?
Go to a coffee shop, get the house brew coffee. People watch and play board games! They often have a good selection, or you can bring playing cards
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Thank you, the are helpful
These are really cool ideas! I need to try some of them! Thanks for sharing this Anna!
I absolutely LOVED this. I’m 17, yea, but I saw a whole bunch of dates that me and my boyfriend can do. ?
fantastic ideas.. really romantic as well fun to do.
It’s a bit funny, I found a lot of ideas on your list that my husband & I have already done. Not trying to save $$ but for different things to do rather than the norm. I have to give him the credit tho, he came up w/the ideas.
Here are a few other we enjoyed:
• Taste test @ wineries (most are free or a few $$ @ most). Buying anything is not a requirement but you can if you want.
• Go to craft shows & eat there (they usually have really good food).
• Go to watch fireworks other than 4th of July. Go early to get a good spot. Bring chairs or a blanket & a game to play (cards works great if not windy) while waiting or talk to others nearby.
• Go to a carnival
• If no ocean nearby, go & walk along the river
• Play a board or video game, just the two of you.
• Go to a drive in movie theater either alone or w/friends
• Go to an arts festival in the city.
• Go to a parade in the city rather than your local one because they are so much longer & have more “energy.” Afterwards, walk through the city for a while checking out the sites.
• Take a hike.
• Research what places of interest w/a low or donation entrance fee are 6-8 hours away. Then plan for a weekend trip, leaving Fri. if @ all possible. Also, book your rooms in advance & ask for a discount. Most times they will give it to you, but generally you need to be speaking to the hotel not some random reservation number.
Hope some of those suggestions help! I know some of yours did!! ☺? ? ?
I loved it! Absolutely LOVE.
My husband and I like going for a walk around our neighborhood or in the mall too. It’s free!
Awesome ideas.
BINGO night!
I’m 13 and I got an amazing boyfriend, we always want to go out, as a matter of fact we do every weekend but we’re running out of ideas, but now that I’ve seen this we can finally do something new:) This is a great list,, I love it a lot, thanks for the ideas!! I’ll be sure to try them out:)
I’m in high school what are some highschool date ideas for me and my new gf?
i am SOOO excited to RESEARCH my LOCAL TRAINS w my bf!!! HOW MUCH FUN! I get my SCHOOL homework done AND I get to spend time w my bf!!! EFFICIENCY!!!!
Great site! I really loved it!
This is helpful!! My boyfriend and I might like this!! I’ll tell him these ideas when I go to his house tomorrow!! I already picked some out to!!
Summer date idea!!! Have a water gun fight or a water balloon fight. You can buy water guns for a few bucks.
We BBQ… it was great! Thanks for the idea!
My wife and I are looking things to do starting with the letters of the alphabet, I’m having a hard time coming up with something for the letter A? Any ideas?
Apple picking
Autumn leaf hunting
Answering prayers for the needy.
Art classes
Adventure night
Aromatherapy night
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Try reading a short 2-person play! It’s a fun dating activity for intellectual entertainment that will turn a few minutes into a enjoyable shared experience. There are suggestions for additional enjoyment and questions to get to know one another.
Great idea! That could be a lot of fun!
Try reading a short 2-person play! Find it on Plays2Play.com – It’s a fun dating activity for intellectual entertainment that will turn a few minutes into a enjoyable shared experience. There are suggestions for additional enjoyment and questions to get to know one another.
Great list. For trending location specific date ideas, I have been using this app called Trapeze.
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Omg nothing i love more than making a mixtape with my girlfriend
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Add two more. You can’t put 98. It has to be 100
Haha, I get you. Do you have two more?
Omg thanks!! My girlfriend and i are both underage and im still dealing with the restrictions that come with a JOL liscence, so a few of these are definitely not an option, but honestly a lot of them are actually really good still. We’ve been going out for a year and a half and im the one in charge of planning dates and i never have any clue what to do. We typically just end up in a state park or cinema.
Hi Ria. Thank you for your perspective as a young person. I hope you have fun and new dates ideas! :)
Thank you so much for posting this <3
Thank you for coming by and reading our post. :)
#4 and #38 are my partner and I’s go-to. Since we’re both trying to get in better shape, a Friday night workout is really fun or if we want to be more social, fun classes are great. We just did a cocktail class where we learned about the history of Tiki drinks and got to try them. It was a great day!
Good ideas,
Andrew
My boss set up a team building activity for this summer. I’d never done an escape room, so I wasn’t sure what I was in for. The hosts were great though. They explained how we had to ‘escape’ by stopping a timer. While I thought being put in 1 room for an hour would be dull, it was actually a lot of fun. There were a ton of puzzles that we solved to open the timer box and win. I thought it was going to be another dull dinner, but instead it was a ton of fun. I already booked another for my friends to show them how much fun it is!
You guys forgot to mention “watching paint dry”
HAHAHA Thank you for the tip, Harry. ;) The list is meant as inspiration. We can all come up with a list of free or cheap plans to socialize and have fun.
That list will often change from time to time.
Very useful and innovative ideas presented very nice form the author.
Thank you, Branko!
I’m so glad you found it helpful.
Doing today anything?
Hi Ron. Always up for a good plan, especially if it’s on a budget ;)
Go to your closest center city (Philadelphia is mine) and fountain jump. Philly has many fountains in a small area and they are on at night. I have done it with my daughter and it made the best memories. I can imagine doing it on a date would be super romantic. Dry eachother off and be wrapped in a towel together after getting wet.
That is the most wonderful tip, Jaimie! ❤️
You are very sweet. Have a great weekend!
Also add “date on a hill-top on the super-moon night”. Trust me, it was the most romantic experience I have ever had, a quite and bright night – just two of us and above the whole world. We were far away from the city hectic rush.
Thank you for sharing that idea with us! Have a nice week.
I’ve just thought of a new idea we are trying. Tonight we are headed to a thrift store to buy each other a complete outfit (minus the underwear). I’ll be buying for my hubby and he’ll buy one for me. Then we will wear them out on our next date after they have have washed… no complaining.
My boyfriend and I like to see who can make 5$ last the longest playing penny slots at the casino! Plus free soda means we don’t have to pay for drinks! and he plays basketball a lot and I gamble for his hoops, most of the time I loss – LoL
Hi Leona. That sounds fun and a great strategy for saving: setting a limit in spending before an activity.
Are you in our Spending Fasters Facebook group?! We share tips all the time!! Here’s the link: SpendingFastersGroup.com
Wow Amazing Tips Thank you for sharing
You’re welcome! Glad you found the Cheap Date Ideas helpful!
I read this article! I hope you will continue to post great articles and share them with everyone! thank you!
Thank you for your comment, Nilesh! Of course, there is always more content coming.
Have a great weekend!
I love your ides
THANK YOU, VICTORIA! Have a great thursday. :)