When I started the 30 Day No
Restaurant Challenge, one of my goals was to find cheaper date ideas. I’ve compiled
a list of 20 things to do with your significant other that are cheap or free.
1. Visit
your local/county/state parks. Most parks don’t cost a dime to visit. The
occasional state park charges admission, but you can sometimes find free days
to parks if you’re willing to check out websites such as the NorthernCheapskate or That Freebie Site.
2. Go
for a walk in your downtown area. There are a lot of neat buildings in the
downtowns of cities and towns nationwide. Grab your significant other and see
what there is to see in your downtown.
3. Stay
home and make dinner together. Cooking with a loved one is a fun activity. See
if you can find a new recipe to enjoy together and make it romantic by sharing
a glass of wine or just sitting at the table talking during dinner without any
distractions.
4. Go
to the library. I love to go to the bookstore with a significant other. Why not
check out the library instead? There are just as many books and the books there
are FREE.
5. Go
to the zoo. Going to our local zoo before it becomes busy during the summer
months means we got a discount. We spent all day at the zoo for a total of $20.
A two hour movie costs at least 8 dollars per person plus 3 dollars per drink
and almost 7 dollars for a popcorn. You
may even find that your zoo has a free day or two during the year that you can
take advantage of.
6. Visit
your local Redbox. A rental from Redbox costs $1.25. The only catch is that you
have to return it the next day. However, this is a lot cheaper than going to a
movie and they tend to have the latest releases at the kiosks. You can even
check their website and reserve a movie before you go to the kiosk to ensure
someone else doesn’t rent it. We found a code on That Freebie Site for a free
rental day, so we rented a movie for free.
7. Visit
an art gallery.
8. Drive
out into the country and find a place to lie down and stargaze.
9. Volunteer
for your community. Find a Boys & Girls Club, food pantry or other place
where you can spend some time helping others. This will make you both feel good
and you’ll have contributed to your community at the same time.
10. Go
to the museum. The Carnegie Museums in Pittsburgh offer a free night during the
week (Thursday). It’s typically a weeknight. Check with your local museum to
see if they have a free night.
11. Is
it winter? Go sledding or build a snowman. Let your inner child out and just
have some fun.
12. Poetry/Reading
Nights at local coffee shops. The Lemon Grove in Youngstown, Ohio, is a great
example of a great local coffee shops that has several readings during the
month.
13. Free
Wine Tasting! Check with your local winery to see if they have tastings. You
can usually sample 6-8 wines for free.
14. Go
on a bike ride. We have a lot of rails to trails around here. They make for
nice flat riding for an inexperienced person like me. Also check for local
parks that have biking trails. My boyfriend is a more experienced biker and he
is a fan of the true hilly and challenging terrain that you can find at a local
park or state park.
15. Go
canoeing or kayaking. A lot of state parks and county parks rent canoes and
other boats for fairly cheap. For a few dollars, you can rent a canoe or kayak
for a few hours and enjoy doing something outdoors together.
16. Go
for a drive. Pick a scenic route and take a nice drive with the windows down.
17. Don’t
like the outdoors? Play some board games. The Settlers of Catan, Yahtzee and
Ticket to Ride are just a few of my favorites.
18. Go
to a Farmers Market. This is one of my favorite things to do on Saturdays in
the summer time.
19. Go
to a playground. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m still 8 years old inside
sometimes. Go to a local playground and let that inner child out!
20. Go
to an amateur theater for a play or musical. You’ll see some amazing shows for
a quarter the price of a professional show. Heck, maybe you’ll decide you want
to be a thespian!
Hopefully
these 20 ideas will give you some inspiration to enjoy each other without
spending all your hard earned cash on a fancy dinner! Do you have any other
ideas?
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