If you watch movies and TV, for some reason they make it seem like the best date night ideas have to be extravagant, over-the-top, and expensive. In reality, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Sure, expensive date nights can still be fun and we’re not knocking anyone for doing them. That said, down here in the land of reality where we have to budget and watch what we spend, cheap date ideas are much more our speed. And what’s amazing is that just because your date is less expensive (or even free), doesn’t mean it can’t still be super fun, special, and memorable.
So, with that said, we’ve got some things to share with you today. We want to share our favorite cheap date night ideas (many of which are free). Additionally, we want to share some ideas on how to tweak higher-priced dates to make them cheaper. And we also want to share a really great resource to find cheap date night ideas whenever you’re ready for another one.
A Great Resource for Cheap Date Ideas
Before we get into our list of the best cheap date ideas, we want to share a free resource with you. And yes, it’s actually free. It would be silly to suggest anything otherwise on an article about being budget conscious!
We’re talking about the LoveTrack app, which is a totally free couples app and date night planner that is filled with cheap and free date night ideas. Every date comes with step by step instructions, where you can affordably get supplies (if any are needed), free recipes and playlists if needed, and even special tips on how to save as much as possible.
LoveTrack is truly the best free couples app out there, and it’s perfect for someone looking for help coming up with (and planning) cheap date night ideas.
Our Favorite Cheap Date Ideas for You
1. Have a picnic in the park.
This is a classic cheap date idea, but for good reason. Setting up a picnic can be as simple or as extravagant as you want. The good part? Most (if not all) of what you need, you should already have. Grab a blanket, a basket (or anything you can carry stuff in), and put together some food. If you do sandwiches and simple snacks, it’s incredibly inexpensive. You can even just plan to eat what you normally would have been eating to make it no extra cost.
- What you’ll need to pay for: Just whatever you plan to eat.
- Expert Tip: Consider having an activity to go with the food. There are several other options on this list that can be combined for an epic, two-part cheap date idea.
2. Make ‘elevated’ fancy ramen for dinner.
This is one of our favorite date ideas from the LoveTrack app, so definitely check it out because it gives step by step instructions. What you do in this date is make the cheap ramen (any brand, but we like the classic Maruchan one that is under $1), and then you add things to make it like the expensive ramen you’d get at a restaurant. This can be veggies, spices, meat, and even a soft boiled egg!
- What you’ll need to pay for: Just need to pay for the food.
- Expert Tip: The LoveTrack app has a free guide on how to soft boil an egg which is the staple of fancy ramen and makes it look (and taste) so cool.
3. Research free museum or art gallery days.
If you do a little research, you’ll find that most museums or art galleries have free days throughout the month when you can come for no cost. Sometimes these are offered through banks (like Bank of America), but also straight through the galleries. A little quick research goes a long way.
- What you’ll need to pay for: Nothing!
- Expert Tip: This is a date you can take advantage of monthly or as frequently as they offer the free entry especially because exhibits tend to rotate.
4. Check the city’s website for free events (there are a ton).
Speaking of free events, most major (and smaller) cities have a website with an event calendar. If you find that, you’ll see that they almost all offer tons of community events that are super fun and generally cost nothing. These can be fairs, festivals, expos, etc.
- What you’ll need to pay for: Nothing! (Unless you want to buy something there)
- Expert Tip: Sometimes city websites are hard to navigate or search, but if you put in the effort, you’ll be able to find some really neat events.
5. Build an epic blanket fort together and cuddle or watch a movie.
Another favorite from the LoveTrack app is the epic blanket fort date. Simply put, you either build the fort and surprise them or you build it together. Use blankets, pillows, etc. Then, either cuddle up inside and talk or set it up where you can see the TV and watch a movie together.
- What you’ll need to pay for: Most likely nothing if you have blankets and pillows at home.
- Expert Tip: Building together is half the fun. We’d probably recommend this option, but the surprise version is also super awesome.
6. Explore a local farmer’s market together.
Farmers markets are so much fun to walk around and see the sights. If the weather is great, this is a huge plus. You can make this date totally free, or budget a few bucks to grab a lemonade or a sweet treat (if you want to).
- What you’ll need to pay for: Nothing! Unless you want to get something at the market.
- Expert Tip: Do a little research beforehand to know what booths are going to be there. This can help you plan where you might spend a few bucks to protect the budget.
7. Get a reusable piece of sports equipment and take it to the park.
This is a simple one, but a great one. You’ll see in a later section we talk about the value of reusability with it comes to finding cheap date ideas. For this one, get something like a football, frisbee, or soccer ball that you can throw or kick around at the park.
- What you’ll need to pay for: Just one-time for a ball or piece of equipment.
- Expert Tip: You can check thrift stores for old sports equipment to save considerably. Just make sure you find something that will last so you get the value out of the reusability.
8. Board games, board games, board games!
Speaking of reusability, board games are amazing when it comes to this. Find a fun game, and you can turn that into a $0 date night over and over again (minus the initial purchase). And to mix things up, you can always change the venue where you play (inside or outside).
- What you’ll need to pay for: The boardgame (just once, though).
- Expert Tip: Make sure the game you choose is a two-person game (and is fun for two people).
9. Have breakfast for dinner.
Another one of our favorite dates that’s in the LoveTrack app and is a perfect cheap date night is breakfast for dinner. Get in your PJs, turn on some cartoons, and make breakfast for dinner while celebrating like it’s Saturday morning when you were kids.
- What you’ll need to pay for: Whatever you want to eat for breakfast.
- Expert tip: If you need so save more, skip the bacon and expensive meats.
10. Volunteer together.
Going somewhere to volunteer and give back the community will always be the greatest cheap date idea ever. This gives you a way to do something fun and change lives in the process. What’s neat is that often this will be at fundraiser events that are a blast to be at and would normally cost a lot to attend.
- What you’ll need to pay for: Nothing!
- Expert Tip: Look for something where you’ll be able to work side by side. You don’t want to be too picky when it comes to volunteering, but you can gauge the type of work and even ask the coordinator if you’ll be able to work together before signing up.
11. Go for a self-guided walking tour of your town.
Your town (or a neighboring town) probably has a lot more history to see than might meet the eye. Set up a self-guided walking tour of the town to see some of the sites. This is a fantastic cheap date idea that takes advantage of getting outside and learning about where you live.
- What you’ll need to pay for: This one’s totally free! You can bring along some snacks and drinks in a cooler if you want or spend a few bucks grabbing a coffee for the walk.
- Expert Tip: To make it special, do some actual research before the date. You can even make an agenda with stops where you share something neat.
12. Plan an epic movie marathon.
Movie marathons typically hit the list of cheap date night ideas. If you already have the movies, it’s free. If you have to buy or rent them, it may cost you a little bit. But! By having the date at home, snacks and drinks are a lot cheaper coming from your fridge.
If you need great ideas for movie marathons, we have a ton of them in the LoveTrack app that all come with special trivia and neat snack suggestions.
- What you’ll need to pay for: Nothing if you already have the movies!
- Expert Tip: Consider if you’ll watch the movies again. If you will, consider buying over renting. It might be more upfront, but makes for $0 dates in the future.
13. Visit a local landmark.
Does your town have a local landmark? If they do, go check it out together! This costs nothing and is a very cultured date idea.
- What you’ll need to pay for: Nothing!
- Expert Tip: Do some research before the date to learn a little about the landmark. You can always include this on the walking tour of the town if you want to extend things (or if it’s a small landmark).
14. Have a lip sync challenge.
Ever watch that lip sync battle show? You can do that at home now! All you have to do is turn on some music, lip sync the words, and put it to a dance routine. You can do this on the fly or spend some time individually before the date coming up with your routines.
- What you’ll need to pay for: Nothing!
- Expert Tip: Figure out how you’re going to play the songs before the date. Ideally, you have some sort of speaker you can use, or you can connect your phone to a TV.
15. Do some chalk art together.
Chalk art is not reserved for kids! This cheap date idea is a fun one that kicks it back to when we were younger. If you don’t have chalk, it’s super inexpensive, which makes this date very affordable.
- What you’ll need to pay for: Just the chalk!
- Expert Tip: Look up some chalk games like hopscotch and tic tac toe that you can play.
16. Take the How Well Do We Know Each Other Quiz.
Have you taken our How Well Do We Know Each Other Questions Quiz yet? If not, this is a fun and free way to spend a date night learning about each other.
- What you’ll need to pay for: Totally free!
- Expert Tip: Make sure you try both versions we have for you! Also, printing the questions out does add to the experience if that’s possible.
17. Do the ‘Powers Out’ date night.
We highly recommend checking this date out in the LoveTrack app because it walks you through everything you need to make this cheap date happen. The premise? You pretend the power is out and have some fun with the lights out. Make sure to read the guide on safety we have on the date, but this is an absolute blast.
- What you’ll need to pay for: Nothing!
- Expert Tip: This date does take a little planning to make it more fun, but it’s well worth it.
18. Listen to podcasts or watch unique interviews together.
Podcasts and interviews can make for a great date that costs you nothing and spurs great conversation. You can always use your favorite podcast or the LoveTrack app offers several suggestions including some about building stronger relationships. It’s totally up to you, but this date is free!
- What you’ll need to pay for: Nothing, it’s free!
- Expert Tip: Spend a little time coming up with some pre and post questions to answer together. This helps to add some conversation to the date. The ones we recommend in the app have this all set up for you (and are free, of course).
19. Spend time answering couples questions with each other.
Connecting is always free! And one of the best ways to do that is with couples question. You have two options here. One—you can check out our big list of couples questions that are filled with options to use. Or two—the LoveTrack app gives you three brand new questions every single day which helps you build a really neat relationship rhythm.
- What you’ll need to pay for: Nothing! We have all the questions for you already.
- Expert Tip: Our recommendation is to use these on a regular basis (as well as with date night) for a super healthy habit!
Here are some ways to make more expensive date ideas less expensive.
Got a great date idea that you want to do but it’s a little out of the budget? Here are a few ideas that may help.
Use coupons (seriously).
If you look for coupons, Groupons, and everything in between, you may find some great ways to save. Just make sure you read the fine print with your coupon so you don’t get roped into spending more than you expected just to save a few bucks.
Look for discount days, nights, and special times.
Like we said with the museums, look for special days, nights or times when things are free or heavily discounted. Most businesses have adopted some version of the happy hour concept where during their slower times, you can save.
Bring your own from home (when you can).
If you have an option to bring anything from home, do it! Often, little things like bringing your own water or snacks (when allowed) can save you a boatload.
Maximize your dollar where it makes sense.
If you are going to spend money, make sure you’re getting the most bang for your buck. A little extra research beforehand goes a long way. And if you’re unsure on something, call ahead!
What Makes a Date Cheaper
This may sound like a really silly section. Obviously, what makes a date cheaper is that it costs less money (or no money at all). That said, there are two things to look at where a date that costs more money might actually be better for you.
We’re talking about reusability and value.
Reusability
Let’s say one date costs $10 and another date costs $5. Let’s also say both dates are equally as fun. Which date is cheaper? You might say the $5 one. However, what if the $10 one is a card game that you can play over and over again and the $5 one is a one-time experience? Now which date is cheaper?
Because you can redo the “more expensive” date and it costs you $0 the next time, it could actually be cheaper while still being more expensive upfront.
Value
The second tenet here only applies if the date idea is within your budget. Let’s look at the same example from before of a $5 and $10 date night idea. However, this time let’s say that neither date is reusable. But, let’s also say that the $10 date is a once in a lifetime type experience. Which date is cheaper?
Well, technically, the $5 is still less expensive, but when you compare it with the value you’re getting, it doesn’t change which is cheaper, but it might change which option you choose.
The point here is that you should absolutely pay close attention to the price of a date, but don’t let price be your only deciding factor in what you choose to do (as long as you stay within what you can afford).