By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of BobbisBargains.
Karen Horton/flickr
A person’s ability to come up with a creative, romantic, and frugal Valentine’s date is a true indicator of that person’s ability to come up with creative, thoughtful, and debt-free lifestyle choices.
We’ve already covered many frugal and creative Valentine’s dates in nine unusual Valentine’s dates that are frugal too, cheap debt-free valentine’s dates, and you calling me a cheap date? You betcha. Browse all three of these articles and you will have enough great date ideas to take you through to your 25th wedding anniversary.
However, these ideas still require you follow some very important rules:
Art gallery openings are free and even have snacks! Credit: robokirby/Flickr
My little brother confided in me that having a girlfriend is squeezing his budget. When he was in college, she often picked up the tab. But now that he has his degree and is working, it’s his turn to take her out. “Eating out is expensive!” he told me. Um, yeah.
Part of the problem is that because of their work schedules, the evening is the only time they can get together. In my budget for a new college grad I allotted $20/week for fun and $30/week for food. That is not enough to eat out every night. So how are two twenty-somethings to find fun without spending a lot? I brainstormed this list of 9 dates.
1. Get a Netflix subscription for $10.69 per month, including tax. This “one DVD at a time” subscription gives you about 3-6 DVDs per month, depending on how quick you watch and return each disc. The two of you can fill your Netflix queue with movies and TV shows you pick together. Cost: $2.50 per week.
2. Get moving. Pull on your sweats and go (more…)
Looks like their date went well! Credit: kissyface/Flickr
Stay tuned for Bobbi’s post tomorrow about five simple Valentine’s Day crafts. I’m going to use at least two of her ideas!
1. Go see improv comedy. It’s often very cheap, say $10 or less a ticket, and some clubs even have a BYOB policy. Ask about specials, check the troupe’s website for coupons, or plan a group outing and call ahead for bulk discounts. Improv.com has some improv comedy listings but a better bet might be to Google “improv comedy + your zip code.”
2. Take your date to the taping of a TV show. BargainBabe.com blogger Bobbi knows all the ins and outs to scoring free TV show tickets.
3. Participate in a (more…)
joshua l/flickr
By Mike Barclay of 10CentsWorth
Picture this. You’re getting ready to go out with the girl (or guy) of your dreams for the first time and you want everything to be perfect. Dinner and a movie won’t cut it. Your brain starts spinning trying to come up with “unique” date ideas. Wouldn’t it help if there was a bunch of date ideas in one place, organized by category?
Well friends, look no further than HotDateIdeas.com.
The site is owned and run by a man named Dave who’s done a fabulous job of making that first impression a good one. Dave spends personal time evaluating and trying his date ideas so he can give a more personal review of each date, which is my favorite part of the site.
HotDateIdeas.com has a top 10 list of rated date ideas to look at right off the bat, a news feed with blog posts about new dates Dave is trying out, and a new section called “romantic ideas” that shares creative ways to let your significant other know you’re thinking of them. There’s even a forum where you can ask questions about dating and relationships and get advice from other users.
HotDateIdeas is a great site if you struggle with originality when it comes to wowing the person you’re taking out. The left column of the home page is categorized into different “genres” of dating ideas. Click on any category and it’ll take you to a separate page with summaries of all the ideas. Click further on any idea and you’ll see Dave’s experience with the date, including extra tips to make the date successful.
Here’s a few of my favorites.
Stargazing – Not groundbreaking material, but when’s the last time you laid out in a dark area and watched the stars? If you have any phone made by Google there’s a free application called “Google Sky Map” that shows star charts and constellations to add to the conversation.
Blackout – I’ve done variations of this myself just because so much of my life revolves around technology that it’s nice to “step back” for a moment. Use candles, turn off cell phones, computers and TV and just enjoy each other!
Now I know my ABC’s! – This one caught my attention as a day date. Find an activity for every letter of the alphabet. You’ll need the whole day to get through this type of activity, but it’s a great way to get to know each other as well as have a memorable date!
The only part about HotDateIdeas.com that bugged me was having to dig to find the purpose of the site. The About tab could be more visible. The only ways Dave makes money that I can see is via advertisements all over the site. I like the free information on HotDateIdeas.com, but he could make this a membership site or at the very least have a “donate” button.
If you want fantastic ways to spice up a relationship that’s fallen into a routine, or sweep that new special someone off their feet with something they’ve never seen before, HotDateIdeas is a great way to get those creative juices flowing.
What are some ideas you’ve used or would like to try when it comes to dating? Are there spin offs of anything on HotDateIdeas that you’ve done, or any ideas you have personal experience with? Let the love flow!
Axle/Flickr
By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of BobbisBargains.
Trying to impress a new or old love can be an expensive proposition unless you are a highly trained frugalista. I know seven truly unique dates on a tight budget beyond the usual (taking a hike, walk, or bike ride, going to a flea market or farmer’s market, or having a picnic at a park or beach).
Here are my unusually cheap and romantic date ideas:
- Go letterboxing or geocaching. “Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices,” says Geocaching.com. Letterboxing is the same sort of game without the GPS. Chances are that neither your date nor you have done this great treasure hunting game.
- Visit a museum on one of their free days. All museums that receive government money must have at least one day a month that is free to the public. You don’t have to go to just your regular everyday museum. You can go to an off-beat museum like The Museum of Bad Art in Boston, MA, or The Circus World Museum in Baraboo, WI or Fort Necessity (a hop skip and a jump from General Braddock’s grave) near Farmington, PA.
- Sign up to be extras for a movie shoot or TV show taping. Even in remote areas of the world, you can probably find ads for movie extras on Craigslist.
- See a minor league baseball game. Tickets to a minor league game are cheaper and you can get up close and personal. There are lots of fun activities like doing the wave and buying peanuts. Plus it usually is really easy to get in and out of the parking lot instead of sitting in a huge traffic jam. You might find yourself becoming a regular.
- Dine at a local culinary school. Excellent cuisine at rock bottom prices. Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena, CA has a student run restaurant that offers both à la carte options and, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the Chef’s Tasting Menu.
- Play a round of Frisbee golf, which is officially called Disc Golf. This is an actual sport with a professional association and world standings. Players throw a Frisbee into a series of goal nets. You walk a lot… just like golf.
- Go for a ride in a balloon. If you are in Southern California, here is one place to go for a balloon ride.
- Here are 10 more cheap date ideas from an earlier post on BargainBabe.com.
What’s your favorite frugal date?
