Sure, you need cheap date night ideas because you want to stay on budget. But if you’re like me and my partner, you probably need them just for an injection of creativity!
Lucky for you, I’ve got a whole list of date night ideas you can do at home, outdoors, or around your city. Some are best done during the day, but some are better at night. Feel free to amend these for whatever season it is. Most are best in summer, but others can certainly still be done during wintertime. It all depends on how adventurous you are.
Let’s go!
1. Stay in with a date night subscription box.
Date night subscription boxes contain games, recipes to make, and questionnaires that get delivered to you on a monthly basis. This takes the planning out of the equation, and it’s ideal if you’re busy or just tapped out on date night ideas.
Check out these different date night boxes to get started: Datebox, Crated With Love, Crate Joy
2. Eat at your favorite date night restaurants for half the cost.
There’s no need to spend a fortune on date night dinners thanks to Restaurant.com. This website will give you a list of restaurants based on your zip code that offer cheap gift certificates. We see deals all the time, like a $25 gift card for $10, or a $50 gift card for $25.
Just remember that most of these require that a minimum be spent. For a $25 gift card for $10, you’ll most likely have to spend at least $50. This all depends on the individual restaurant, however.
Tip: Keep your eye out for specials and discounted certificates. We often see a $25 gift card for as low as $4! Check out all KCL dining deals.
3. Go on a geocaching scavenger hunt date night.
Geocaching is basically a nature scavenger hunt, and it’s an awesome way to get outdoors and go on an adventure. Geocaches come in all shapes and sizes — some are small or large boxes, tubes, or even logs that open up. They’re hidden all over the world.
Pick the ones you want to find through the Geocache website. Then use the coordinates they give you with a GPS device to find the geocache, and sign the “log book” that’s inside.
4. Use Groupon to make a cheap date night out of a couples massage.
Do something relaxing with your partner by getting a couples massage with a Groupon deal! Their deals are usually 50 – 80% off, so you won’t need to be stressing about the price during your date.
5. Skip expensive date night cooking classes and do a meal kit instead!
Instead of paying for a cooking class, why not get a recipe with ingredients delivered to you and make a meal together at home? Pick out a Home Chef box and get cooking!
6. Use Recreation.gov to find a camping spot.
Pack your bags and get out of town for a night or even a weekend to camp! Put in your location at Recreation.gov, and it’ll show you campsites, RV sites, and even cabins you can rent (normally for very cheap).
7. Put a budget-friendly spin on a classic date night idea — go to the movies for cheap!
Going to the movies isn’t cheap, but thanks to Raise.com, you can land discounted movie gift cards! Raise will save you at least 6% on purchases, sometimes even up to 20% off.
We found Fandango gift cards for 11% off, making our $25 purchase only $22.25.
Another idea is to buy discounted gift cards at Costco or Sam’s Club whenever you see them!
8. Use Tablespoon to find date night drink recipes.
Nobody likes paying $15 for a cocktail, so make a date out of it instead! Grab a couple of cocktail recipes from Tablespoon by typing “cocktails” in the search bar. Buy the ingredients, and see who can make a better drink!
You’ll also get more drinks for your money this way.
Here are a few tips for saving money on alcohol.
9. Pick a new bike route with MapMyRide.
Bike rides are a great way to enjoy the sun and get outdoors, so why not find a great bike path to ride along? There are tons of websites that have bike routes people have uploaded.
Also check out Plotaroute and Ride with GPS to find more routes and even upload your own!
Note: All of these websites/apps are free to use but have paid “upgraded” versions as well.
10. Go star gazing and use Heavens Above to find constellations — even in winter!
Pick a night where it’s going to be clear by checking out the forecast, and do some research to find an area with very minimal artificial light and trees.
Use Heavens Above (an interactive sky chart) to print off constellations and see if you can point any of them out!
11. Find a hiking trail with Backpacker.com.
Find hiking trails through websites like Backpacker.com or AllTrails.com, or go get lost! Bring your pup along for added fun.
12. Get cheap sports or concert tickets with StubHub.
A sports date night will probably be decided by what season of the year you’re in, but before you pay full price, try a site like StubHub where people re-sell their tickets.
StubHub also offers cheap concert and theater tickets!
13. Grab a cheap fishing pole and go catch some fish.
Have a couple fishing poles lying around or can borrow some from a friend? Go to your favorite watering hole and fish! Bring some bait and sandwiches, and compete to see how many each of you can catch. Extra credit if you bring one home and cook it for dinner!
Tip: Buy a cheap fishing pole on Amazon.
14. Find a farm near you to pick your own berries.
Instead of going to the store to buy berries, why don’t you pick them yourself and make a date out of it?
Check out PickYourOwn.org to find a farm near you that allows you to pick your own fruits! The website even has a crop calendar for each state, so you’ll know what’s in season.
15. Train for The Color Run together.
If you and your partner are striving towards certain fitness goals, try training for something together. Pick something shorter and fun like The Color Run, or if you’re feeling ambitious try a half or full marathon!
16. Find a local beer festival or do your own beer tasting.
If both of you are into beer, why not do some beer tasting? Use BeerFests.com to find a beer festival near you! Or if you want to taste beer for really cheap, most specialty beer stores have the option to create your own six pack. Pick six beers you haven’t tried before, split them into glasses, and see which ones pique your tastebuds.
17. Head to your local farmers market.
Instead of getting your produce from a grocery store and making a chore out of it, head to your local farmers market! Get veggies for the week here with your date while browsing other local vendors with handmade items.
18. Make a date night of exploring your city with a cheap disposable camera.
Grab a disposable camera and spend a day taking photos downtown, or pick a city nearby to explore! Get the photos developed and scanned at your nearest drugstore. Then use Shutterfly to upload your pictures and get them printed on mugs, a calendar, or make an album with them!
Tip: Get a cheap two-pack of disposable cameras on Amazon!
19. Date night games, anyone? Take it outdoors!
Just like the board games you have lying around, you’re sure to have some outdoor ones as well. Badminton, bocce ball, croquet, corn hole — all of these make excellent date ideas.
Set up a couple of games to make your own “Olympics,” or just pick one to play casually. You can’t go wrong either way.
Tip: Amazon has an entire Outdoor Games & Activities section!
20. Find hidden gems at the flea market.
Similarly to farmers markets, local flea markets also make great date night ideas. Set a certain amount of cash each of you can spend, like $5 or $10, and see who can land the coolest stuff!
21. Find a volunteer opportunity to donate your time together.
If both of you have a cause you’re particularly drawn to, set up a time to go volunteer! After all, these date night ideas are mostly just to get you two spending time together anyway.
Not only will this be rewarding to your relationship but personally as well.
Tip: Check out VolunteerMatch and Idealist for volunteer opportunities in your area.
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