Lots of people think of a cheap date as a woman that you only have to buy a couple of drinks for, and she’ll be drunk enough to take home for the night or a few hours. That’s not the only thing it means, though. In today’s economy, dating is a lot different from it was even just ten years ago. Dating may seem to be only for the very wealthy these days, but there are ways to get around the astronomical costs of activities.
First, movie dates don’t HAVE to be unaffordable. Granted, these won’t be the brand-new releases that are showing in the theaters because those ARE expensive dates. However, you can stage a showing of a recently released DVD right in your own living room. If you can’t afford the cost of buying the movie, renting is pretty reasonable, or you can see if any of your friends have it already and borrow it for the night. Add some popcorn, also cheap, and soda to your viewing experience, and you’ve got a movie date for a fraction of the cost that you would normally pay in a theater.
Dinner dates can also be done on a budget. One of the cheapest meals you can find besides just sandwiches is spaghetti. Now, before you turn up your nose, spaghetti can be delicious and quite elegant when done the right way. Hit up your local dollar store and get the pasta and sauce. Those are your basics. While you’re there, pick up a couple of candles for a bit of ambiance. All of that will cost around $5. Next, head to the grocery store for either a head of lettuce and a tomato or one of those small already made salads. Depending on your budget, you can add a couple more vegetables to it. All that’s left now is some Mozzarella or Parmesan cheese to go on top of the spaghetti and a loaf of garlic bread. You can probably do the beefed-up version of this dinner for around $15. Tell your date to bring the wine.
Picnics are also very cheap dates. This is the time for sandwiches, sliced fruit, chips, and whatever else you feel like throwing into the mix. Food that you choose for a picnic is something that you can adapt easily to your budget. Then, the two of you can head off to a nice park where you can enjoy your picnic for free. If it happens to rain, picnics are just as much fun on the living room floor. The point is to have some quality time together without worrying about money.
Play tourist in your own city. Many times, when you live somewhere you tend to miss all the things that visitors come to see. Lots of these things will have low to no admission prices, and you can have the chance to appreciate where you live. This can be done on more than one occasion because you might not be able to do it all in one day.
The important thing is that you find ways to be together that are also fun and don’t break your budget.
