You don’t have to spend a lot of money to have a nice night out. In fact, cheap dates have a lot of things going for them. When well thought out they can be very inventive and memorable.
The key is to go in with a good plan. In this article, we take a look at how you can share a special moment with your significant other without spending a lot of money.
Read on to learn more about how you can become the best cheap date in town.
The Power of Picnics
A good picnic is a low-cost way to enjoy an exclusive meal you won’t be able to find at even the best high-end restaurants in your town. After all what restaurant is so exclusive that it only has seating for two?
Would you believe there is even science supporting the benefits of eating outside? Spending time in nature releases serotonin and dopamine in your brain—the chemicals responsible for feelings of well-being. Those dark romantic restaurants may feel luxurious but they don’t tap into your brain’s primal craving for open skies and fresh breezes the way a nice picnic does.
Don’t settle on sandwiches in the park. Start by finding an excellent venue. Maybe a waterfront feature or a location that has special significance to you and your significant other.
Once you have the location, develop a menu. The food does not have to be non-perishable. Coolers are a great way to store and transport food items that are sensitive to spoilage.
In fact, you should be more worried about foods that need to be kept warm than those that need to remain cool. Believe it or not. Sushi is easier to manage on a picnic than fried chicken.
Generally speaking, public drinking is frowned upon in most communities, but perhaps you can find a discreet spot to share a glass of wine in plastic cups. Or if you’re feeling so inclined, use some of the money you would’ve spent at a nice restaurant on cocktail hour before you hit your picnic spot.
Cheap Entertainment
We’ve all been on the receiving end of an obscenely expensive movie night. Between evening tickets and a bucket of popcorn, two lovebirds could easily expect to drop north of $50 on a simple night at a movie theater.
Look for free entertainment options in your community. Many art galleries will do free or reduced-price evenings. Museum exhibitions may have similar opportunities. For example, there are many cities across the United States that grant universal free museum access on Friday afternoon. Sometimes you will need to acquire a ticket in advance, so do your research before trying to take advantage of one of these programs.
If your town does not have anything like that, there may still be ways to have fun while saving money. Hiking. Stargazing. Even going on a long scenic walk at a romantic park.
Not only will these dates save you money, but they will also be more interesting than so many of the paid options that most couples reach for consistently come date night. You probably won’t wind up with a distinct memory of your latest trip to the theater to see a new Marvel movie, but you will remember the time, you had a romantic picnic followed by a (slightly frisky?) moonlit hike.
Spend Smart
Maybe you don’t need your date to be entirely free. You just need to control the costs. In situations where you do have a small budget to work with think first about how much you are able to spend and then develop a strategy to use that money as effectively as possible.
Dates being the subjective thing that they are, this will mean different things for different people. Maybe food is the most important thing to you. In that case, you may spend your budget on a nice dinner. Or maybe your community does not have a wealth of free experiences to take advantage of. In that case, you might direct your budget towards a concert, or a movie, or even a special museum exhibit.
If you have all of your activities covered, you may instead decide to spend your money on a gift.
Chocolates and flowers are nice, but they are a little cliché aren’t they? And a traditional bouquet usually lasts just long enough to get a good wiff or two in before it turns to compost.
Our gold dipped roses are an awesome alternative to traditional flowers. Not only are they strikingly beautiful, but they are made to last.
Each stem comes from a living flower hand-dipped in 22-karat gold. It’s a unique way to show someone how you feel about them.
The best part? Our product line is designed to accommodate a wide range of budgets. There are plenty of cool gifts, geared towards men and women that can be purchased for under $100 making these products and awesome way to cap off a great cheap date.