You don’t have to spend a fortune to have some great quality time with your significant other. There are plenty of things you can do for cheap or even free!
I’ve come up with a list of frugal and fun date ideas to inspire your next date night/day! Depending on the weather, I’ve separated the ideas by whether they can take place indoors or outdoors.
Indoor Date Ideas:
- Find a Groupon deal or a Restaurant.com certificate to try out a new restaurant
- Try making a copycat recipe from your favorite restaurant at home
- Have a Neflix binge at home cuddled up on the couch
- Many museums and aquariums have free or discount admission days – find out when those are and take advantage
- Find a new ice cream parlor to grab ice cream cones or share a sundae
- Go bowling – many bowling alleys have discount nights
- Find an arcade, arm yourself with quarters, and let your inner kid out
- Go for a round of indoor go-karts
- Rent a movie through Redbox or for free at the library, and enjoy with some popcorn. We’re kind of obsessed with our air popper popcorn maker lately.
- Bring out some board games or a deck of cards and play together
- Volunteer together
- See a movie at a discount movie theater
- Make cheese or chocolate fondue at home for a fun treat to share
- Attend a night at a local improv comedy club – tickets are typically a lot more affordable than seeing well-known comedians
- Go to your local coffee shop for coffee and a pastry to split
- Find a daily deal from Groupon, Amazon Local or Living Social for a spontaneous activity or dining experience
- Scope out open houses in your area and have fun walking through and picking out characteristics you would like in your dream home
- Take a tour of a local candy factory
Outdoor Date Ideas:
- Visit local public gardens and enjoy the beautiful flowers
- Go for a bike ride or hike at a forest preserve or other outdoor nature area
- Visit a local winery for a tasting
- Drive around an upscale neighborhood and have fun checking out all the homes
- Visit a nearby pond and bring some bread to feed the ducks
- Check out some farmer’s markets
- Have your own private bonfire in your backyard complete with s’mores
- Watch a sunset together with some wine or coffee and homemade dessert
- Play miniature golf
- Buy a kite from the dollar store and fly it together
- Visit a drive-in movie theater
- Lay down a blanket on the lawn or at a park and watch the stars or a meteor shower at night
- Rent a paddle boat or kayak at a pond through your park district
- Have lunch at a cafe in a local downtown and browse the shops nearby
- Seek out some craft fairs and enjoy perusing all the unique items
- Plan a picnic with some delicious finger foods and a bottle of wine
I hope you have fun trying some of these ideas out for your next date! What are some other frugal date ideas that you enjoy doing with your significant other?
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Great ideas! We cook a lot and watch movies and play games at the house. Free neighborhood activities are also a plus and bowling is only $1 on Sundays so we try that out as well. I can’t wait until it gets warmer because there are a ton of fun and frugal things to do outside with your SO in good weather 🙂
Agreed Chonce, the possibilities for free fun are endless once it gets warm out!
These are awesome ideas!! My husband and I love spending time together outdoors… especially hiking or visiting a local botanical garden!
Thanks Daisy!
These are great ideas Christina. I think tucking them away for one of those times when we’re thinking to ourselves, hmmmm, I’m bored, there’s nothing to do! Well, TADA, here’s a list, special delivery from EmbracingSimpleBlog.com! 😀
Thanks Kay! Haha love it!! 🙂
Sweet list… and now I want to make popcorn. At the rate I’m going today, I’m going to end up eating it for dinner.
Anne, did you end up eating it? I so wouldn’t have judged you 😉 It’s grain…right? hah!
We love the discount theater near us. Tuesdays are half price, so we pay $1.50 each. Hubby insists on popcorn, but even so we pay less than two regular priced tickets.
We’ve started going to a happy hour at a local bar. Mondays have free pool, and there are half-price appetizers.
Sounds like you’ve found a lot of frugal ways to still have fun going out! Thanks for sharing Abigail 🙂
I especially love the idea of scoping out open houses! That is probably my favorite thing to do. I thought I was weird;0)
Haha maybe you are Jayleen, and I’m just weird too 🙂 heh!
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