Dating Advice: Cheap Dates

Are you sick of the usual dinner-and-a-movie dates? Does your wallet scream in protest when you take it out to pay for your share of another over-priced meal? While you may think the only way to have fun is to continue draining your bank account every weekend, with our creative and inexpensive outings, you’ll soon enjoy the idea of being a “cheap date.”

Cheap Date Idea No. 1: Take a Cue from MTV’s Cribs Go to an upscale neighborhood near you and find an open house (meaning a real estate open house, not just an unlocked door obviously). Walk around and dream about actually living there or act like you already do and give each other the grand tour. For a swanky night in, ask your well-to-do friend with the gorgeous apartment to let you borrow it for the evening. You can make dinner and eat in style … plus get some great decorating tips.

Cheap Date Idea No. 2: Booze it up for (Nearly) Free See if you can find a winery or brewery in your area. (You’d be surprised how many towns have these now.) Most places offer tours and will let you sample their wares for little or no cost. Pretend to be experts and impress each other with words like “bouquet” (a way to describe the smell of wine) and “carbonic maceration” (the method in which most red wines are made).

Cheap Date Idea No. 3: Get Classy Sign up for a free class. Stores like Williams and Sonoma offer cooking tutorials that you can see for free and hardware stores like Home Depot often offer classes on home repair and improvement. Not only are they free, but you’ll learn skills that can save you money later on too!

Cheap Date Idea No. 4: Cycle the Day Away Rent bikes—if you don’t have your own—and explore your town or a nearby city. Bring a cheap picnic: baguette, red wine and chocolate. You’ll feel like you’re touring the French countryside (well, close enough).