My husband and I have spent the last month packing up our apartment (with an 8-month-old who unpacked the boxes as quickly as we could pack them), moving 1000 miles to be closer to family, and putting an offer on a new house. We could stand to take a breather together. But with closing costs and appliance purchases looming, the last thing we want is to blow money on are indulgent evenings out. We need a budget date night, stat!

Here are 15 cheap date ideas for frugal date nights: 

 1. Dress to the nines and get coffee at a diner, or grab a cup to go and walk around a cute part of town. There’s something about dressing up that makes any activity feel special!

2. Catch a second-run movie at your local cheap theater. If your town doesn’t have a dollar theater (or $2 theater), you can buy discount movie tickets at Costco or AAA if you’re a member.

3. Cook a new recipe. My husband and I have always talked about picking a local ethnic food store and purchasing an item we’ve never eaten before (perhaps even one with no English on the packaging), and having a foreign food adventure!

4. Go out for happy hour instead of dinner. The Happy Hours app (available for free for iPhone and Android) can help you find happy hours nearby and alert you to deals and times.

5. Play board games at a coffee shop. Or a train station. Or a hotel lobby.

6. Feed ducks at the park.

7. See if your city has a free monthly Art Walk gallery night. Ad mission is almost always free, and some galleries serve wine and snacks.

8. Get ice cream at an old-time soda fountain.

9. Make your own private backyard movie theater with a computer or iPad. Drag a couple of chairs and blankets out, find a spot in your yard close to the wi-fi router, and cue up a flick from Netflix or Hulu.

10. Go for a swing at your local park.

11. See a high school play or musical. Dress nice and go for a nightcap when it ends.

12. Thrift store treasure hunt: Each person has a $5-10 to find the best treasure. This one can be repeated with categories, like Ugliest Sweater, Most Sequins, Best Item from the 70s (or 80s, 90s, etc), Best Kitchen Gadget, etc.

13. Go to the children’s section of your local bookstore and read each other your favorite book from childhood. Or just sit amongst the pages and browse!

14. Make an iTunes playlist and take a double bubble-bath.

15. Rearrange your living room or bedroom furniture to shake things up. Decide that you can return it to its previous state after three days if you both agree.

Need more? Check out some of Bargain Babe’s ideas for a cheap date from a previous post.

What’s your favorite cheap date?