Feb 10, 2009

Fun things to do with your date for under $10

Do you have a date but no money? There are plenty of places you can go and be together with your date that don’t cost a lot. Whether you’re a student, a starving artist, between jobs, or just plain poor, you need not lack company just because you don’t have a wad of money to spend on a date. Try some of these ideas to get closer to your sweetie if you’re on a low budget.

Walking in the park can be very romantic. Take along a book of poetry (it could be from the library) and a picnic lunch. A baguette, some cheese, fruit, and a bottle of inexpensive wine can be bought for under $10. Put the lunch in a basket or backpack along with a blanket to spread on the grass, a couple of wine glasses, some utensils, plates and napkins. Surprise your date as you spread out the picnic and read aloud a romantic poem. Before and after the picnic you can walk around the park and enjoy the scenery and each other.

Going to an art museum is an excellent way to get to know your date; as you discuss the paintings or sculptures you can find out a lot about your date’s likes and dislikes. Most museums have a free entrance fee one day a week; it’s usually on a weekday, but you can have a date on any day of the week. Some museums are even free every day. Meet your date after work at the museum and stroll around and look at the exhibits. You can get a coffee or soda in the museum café as you continue your conversation; museum cafes always have great ambience to impress your date.

Exercising together can be lots of fun if your date is like-minded. In-line skating, jogging, and cycling are free if you already have the equipment, or you can rent skates and bikes for reasonable fees. On a pleasant day, you could spend several hours with your date engaging in exercising, and stopping occasionally to chat or enjoy the scenery.

During the summer you can’t beat going to the beach for a cheap date. Choose a free beach and take along an ice chest with some cool drinks and snacks, and don’t forget the towels and sunscreen. The beach is a fun place for group dates, and you can play volleyball, throw balls for your dog, surf, and even swim in the ocean. Some beaches feature free concerts or other entertainment at night, so check the schedule before making your date.

Going to a restaurant is a common destination for a date, but the bill can quickly run up to much more than $10. Try making a date for breakfast; most breakfast menus are fairly inexpensive. Go to a place that has outdoor seating, order a light breakfast, and then sit and watch people passing by on the street. Savor the morning as you and your date look through the newspaper, chat, and enjoy each other’s company.

Join a cause and volunteer on a project along with your date. Help out at a soup kitchen, walk dogs for the animal shelter, or read to a blind person. You and your date will become closer participating in such activities, and will also be helping your community. Talk to your date beforehand and agree on what type of volunteering you would both like to do.

Going puddling is fun if you and your date like rain and don’t mind getting wet. Call up your date the next time a good, warm rainy day comes along, and go out wearing old clothes and shoes. Stomp in all the puddles, splash each other, and get sopping wet. If the sun comes out and ruins your fun, you’ll probably be laughing so hard you won’t even notice.

If your date likes to play games, have a game fest and play nonstop all the board games you have in your closet. If you don’t have any games, pick some up at thrift shops or garage sales. If some of the pieces are missing from your games, consider making up some new rules to accommodate the missing pieces, or even combining a couple of games to make a new one. Be brave and change the rules to some of your favorites; for instance, allow proper nouns to be used in Scrabble. A game-playing date is also fun for more than one couple.

If there’s a lake nearby, rent a paddleboat or rowboat and take your date for a spin. Lake scenery is romantic, and you’ll be alone with your date out on the lake. Take it slow, stop and float, and drag your fingers in the water. If allowed, take some bread crumbs to feed the ducks and geese. Take a camera with you and snap some pictures of you and your date enjoying the sun and water.

Split $10 with your date and spend a morning visiting garage sales or thrift shops. Have a contest to see who can find the best treasure for $3 or less; sell whatever you both buy on an online auction and the one who makes the most profit wins the contest. Use the other $2 to buy your date something special to remember the day, and your date can buy you something also. Unveil the gifts at the end of the date, and tell each other why you selected that particular object for him or her.

Check newspaper or bulletin boards for notices of free events that your date might like. Most towns have some annual free events like parades, festivals, concerts, holiday celebrations, etc. Usually the expensive part of a free event is the food, so eat before you go or take something to eat with you and just buy drinks at the event. Strolling around an art festival, watching a parade, or listening to music can make a fun day with your date.

Check out your local eating establishments for free samples, and tell your date you’re going to a “progressive dinner.” Sample some salads at a deli, have some tastes of entrees at a warehouse club’s frozen food section, and have some samples at an ice cream shop for dessert. Splurge on an expensive flavored coffee afterwards at a café to end your “meal.”

It’s not hard to find inexpensive places to take your date, and there are many activities that are free or very low in cost. You may want to splurge for a first date with someone, but after you’ve been dating someone awhile, inexpensive dates can give you time to get to know each other; after all, the purpose of a date is to be together with someone you like, and you don’t have to do something expensive every time you go out. Use your imagination and you may find that some of your most memorable dates will cost you less than $10.
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