I got this list emailed to me from
The Nest today. I think it has a lot of great ideas. I added on a couple as you'll see in parenthesis. Tell me in the comments some of your favorite cheap date ideas!
At-Home Dates$–$$$ Bathroom SpaGrab a bottle of bubble bath ($3 and up), candles and massage oil. Take turns giving each other massages and rinse off all that oil with a bubble bath. Just don’t get too relaxed. Falling asleep really kills the mood!
$$ Movie Theme NightMatch your taste in movies with your taste for food. If you’re in the mood for Italian, rent The Godfather and cook up some pasta. Feel like a comedy? Watch the new classic Wedding Crashers and pick up two slices of cake from your favorite bakery.
Artsy Dates$ Art GalleryMost art galleries are free, so check out the latest and greatest by artists in your area. Bonus: Free wine is often served on the opening night of exhibits. Cheers!
$–$$ Local ConcertsCheck your local paper or its website for upcoming free concerts. For shows in the park, pack a picnic basket and blanket so you can dance and dine in the same place.
$$$ Pottery PaintingOkay, you won’t exactly be able to reenact the scene from Ghost at a pottery shop, but you’ll be able to paint funky coffee mugs!
Free: Book reading (or signing)Check out a local book reading. They’re free, so you’ll have plenty of cash to grab coffee and talk about your latest read. You could even meet the author.
Sporty Dates$ HikingEven for couples living in a city, a wooded area or hiking trail is almost always within a 30-minute drive. Pack your hiking boots or a comfortable pair of sneakers, two large bottles of water and a small snack (unless you’ll be hiking all day, in which case, go all out with sandwiches). If you live somewhere with cool enough weather, plan your hike for the first snowfall of the season. Then warm up by the fireplace or snuggle on the couch by candlelight when you get home.
$$ Ice skating (or Roller skating)If you own skates, gliding around at a public rink is often free. If not, expect to pay about $6 for rental skates. Bring a thermos of hot chocolate and marshmallows plus a sweet treat to share. Or plan to stop by a diner afterward to share some dessert and warm up.
$$–$$$ Minor league gamesBuy tickets for seats farther in the back of the stadium and you’ll spend as little as $8 a piece. Standing room goes for even less at about $4 per person. Check the websites of your favorite minor league teams for special promotions or get a few of your friends together for a group outing. Buying tickets in sets of 10 or more will come with an extra discount (sometimes as high as 60 percent off regular prices). Can’t wait until April? Go online for tickets to see your local minor league hockey team for a winter sports fix. Or relive the glory days and share a blanket on the bleachers at a high school football game. Go ahead, make out (who’ll recognize you?).
$15: Driving rangeYou don’t need to have a four-star swing like Tiger Woods to have a good time hitting golf balls. Whether it’s outside on a sunny day or at an indoor range to escape the cold, teeing up is a cheap way to get your golf on together.
Foodie Dates$ Street or county fairWhether it’s a pie bake-off on a farm or a falafel stand in the city, street and county fairs are great places to sample food and soak up the local flavor. During the holiday season, check out craft fairs too. You just might find some cool gifts.
$$$ BrunchAsk about the brunch specials at a favorite restaurant. Many weekend hot spots offer deals on brunch buffets, limited brunch menus and drinks. For the bravest couples, there’s often the “unlimited drinks” special.
$$ Cooking classGet a group of friends together and ask everyone to bring their favorite recipes and the ingredients to make them. Prepare each dish separately and invite everyone to sample each other’s cuisine. This can be an inexpensive way to eat new foods and get recipes you might never have thought of!
$$ Farmers’ marketWake up early on a weekend morning, grab your canvas grocery bag and head over to your local farmers’ market or health food store. Strolling through the stands of locally grown food and homemade breads and other treats is a fun way to spend time together and stock up on healthy eats.
$9: Ethnic EatsHere’s the thing about low-key ethnic restaurants: The food is often just as good as (if not better than) fancier, pricier cuisine. Even picky eaters can’t resist pad Thai with chicken, veggies, and peanuts.
Offbeat Dates$$$ Thrift store shoppingHere’s a challenge: Head to a flea market or thrift store and have a contest to see who can find the strangest, wackiest, most where did you find that? item. The only catch? You can spend no more than $10 each. After you shop, play a funny game of guessing where each other’s bizarre “lost and found” items have been before.
$$$ Amateur comedy showsLaugh it up during open mic night at a comedy club. Admission rates are cheaper when you watch amateurs get on stage, and the comedic value—intentional or not—is more than worth the low (or even free) cover charge.
On-the-go DatesFree-$ Volunteer “work”Doing good together can be a lot of fun. If you love the outdoors, find an organization that plants trees or cleans beaches.
$ Historic tourEvery town or city has a unique history, so find out yours by taking a walking tour of local sites with historical significance.
$$$ Dance classSo you’ve seen Dancing With the Stars and secretly wish you could twirl like Kristi Yamaguchi or AC Slater from Saved by the Bell. It’s time to test your own skills by taking a couples dance class.
Key:
$: $1 - $6
$$: $7 - $14
$$$: $15 - $20
One of the gifts I received for my bridal shower was this Crock Pot. I finally got around to using it a couple of weeks ago after my sweet ol’ mudder shipped it to me. I unpacked the Crock Pot itself and then pulled out the lid. When I picked up the lid by the handle, the handle completely separated from the lid. Nerts! I called the nicest customer service person I’ve ever talked to to get a replacement lid for my Crock Pot. She informs me that they don’t stock lids for my model number so they will have to just send me a whole new unit. All I had to do was fax her a copy of my receipt which, thanks to a thoughtful friend, was taped to the box the Crock Pot came in. Crock Pot customer service calls me today to let me know that they received my fax and unfortunately they don’t have my model Crock Pot in the color that I wanted and that they feel terrible for that fact and they want to give me a gift. A GIFT! Woot! They let me choose from a cookbook on CD, a travel case or a Little Dipper.
