30 Cheap Date Ideas
Whether you're a newlywed, married a decade, or married many decades, spending quality time with your spouse is a vital component to remaining connected. If things are feeling dry between the two of you, think back to those early days in your relationship. You will probably remember how much focused time you spent together. You went on dates, you had fun, you talked. Of course you felt deeply connected!
Dates can get expensive. And although there's nothing wrong with a little splurge here and there, it's probably not feasible to go all out with extravagance every time. Therefore, I have concocted a list of affordable (and even some free!) date ideas for you and your spouse!
At Home Date Ideas
Sometimes it doesn't work to get out for a date. Maybe you have kids and can't get a babysitter, or you just want something quick and easy. Here's some things you can do:
Play a card or board game. Our all time favorite is Settlers of Catan.
Have a glass of wine (or special beverage of choice) and sit and chat. Some of our best conversations have taken place during a nice quiet evening with our feet up sitting on the couch.
Movie night (or binge watch a tv series). Search a top rated classic. Start a trilogy or series. Watch a good bad movie and laugh at it.
Cook a new dish together. Try making some sort of ethnic food you've never tried. Or prepare a full on 3 course meal. Make a favorite. Homemade pizza. Dessert only. There's so many options here!
Read a book out loud to one another. We've done this before where we take turns reading a chapter. Can even pull out the poetry books.
Baking. Kind of the same as cooking a meal together. But some prefer baking over cooking or vice versa so I gotta have them both on this list!
Explore a new hobby. Grab some paint and canvases. Build a little piece of furniture. If your spouse loves doing a particular hobby ir craft maybe they can give you a lesson.
Dream together. You can plan your dream trip, or talk about your goals for the future, plan what your perfect home would look like, etc.
Learn a dance. You can look up a how to video online. Move the living room furniture to make some room and poof! You've got yourself a dancefloor.
Order pizza and play some video games. Why not? If you both enjoy playing once in awhile, this can be a fun thing to do together. And of course, pizza just makes everything better in my opinion.
Affordable Date Ideas for Going Out
Ready to get out of the house but don't want to break the bank? Check out this list:
Grab a coffee and go for a walk. A simple classic. Can add a little interest by exploring a new part of town. Or you can drive to a different town entirely and check out their local coffee shops and parks.
Bike ride. Exercise, fresh air, and time with your spouse. All very good things!
Hiking. One of our favourites!
Geocaching. We did this a few times while we were dating and it was fun. Just download an app, take a couple trinkets along, and you're good to go.
Picnic. Find somewhere nice, lay out a blanket and enjoy. Can make your own food or make it a take out picnic. Whatever you feel like doing!
Fishing. Do you both enjoy fishing? Or maybe you want to buy a couple rods, research some how-tos and give it a try. Even if you don't catch anything, sitting by the water on a nice day is relaxing.
Go to a library. Find yourselves a couple books then sit and read. Or maybe you can make it a mission to see who can find the most ridiculous looking book you can,
Go for a drive and explore somewhere new. Mini road trip anyone? Look somewhere up and head that way or make it random and drive aimlessly. Roll a dice. Make odd numbers you turn right and even numbers you turn left.
Recreate your first date. Pretty self explanatory.
Camping. Or better yet, go backwoods camping. If you go backwoods, you don't have to reserve or pay for a spot. We especially love it for the quiet and privacy.
Antiquing or thrifting. Go explore and check out a few different antique stores or secondhand shops. Bring a few bucks and see what kind of treasures you can find.
Beach Day. Hot summer days are perfect for going to the beach.
Play Tennis. Most places should have a public tennis court or two. You can probably purchase the equipment you need secondhand.
Fly a kite. We made our own kite out of garbage bags and balsa wood once. Was very funny looking but it totally worked.
Go somewhere nice and have a mini photoshoot. I'd probably have to drag my husband by the ear to do this with me (or bribe. Lots of bribing), but if you two enjoy taking photos, dress up nice and have a photoshoot!
Generosity Dates
Here's a unique list for you. Sometimes doing something together that blesses others can be a great thing to do! You get to spend time with your partner and gain the joyful feeling that comes with being generous.
Volunteer somewhere. You could volunteer at a soup kitchen, your church if you attend one, or an animal shelter. If there are any festivals or events running nearby they are often in need of volunteers as well.
Community clean up. Grab a couple garbage bags and clean up a park, your neighborhood, etc.
Anonymous notes. Write encouraging notes and leave them on peoples cars or doorsteps. I've actually had people do this for me and it brought me so much joy!
Bake cookies and deliver to all your neighbors. Who doesn't love fresh baked goods delivered at their doorstep? Not only does this bring joy, but it's a great way to connect with your neighbors.
Buy a few $5 gift cards and hand them out to strangers. Coffee shops are a good one for this.
There you have it. I hope this can offer some fresh new ideas for you and your partner to try. If you have any other ideas please share below!
