What is the cheapest outing you have gone on? Can you think of any nights on the town for under $30 in your town? If so, share your experience by leaving a comment. Even if you live in another city, I bet a lot of ideas can be replicated elsewhere!
Here’s mine to start.
My first idea for a cheap date on Saturday was to go to an art gallery opening, which often have gratis snacks and wine. But we could not find anything nearby. So I checked out Going.com, a Web site devoted to helping people without a nightlight get one in 32 cities across the country. The recession busters tab looked promising but all the events were far-flung – too costly a drive.
Then Hubby stumbled upon Westside Eclectic in Santa Monica on the Third Street Promenade. The club bills itself as a “comedy mecca for literally almost hundreds.” The 9:30 p.m. show was $10 bucks and we could stay for the 11 p.m. show if we wanted more laughs. $10 a head was more than I wanted to spend but we decided to head over and check it out. Maybe I could haggle at the ticket booth.
We were a bit early so we stopped at Angelato and split three scoops of double chocolate fudge, mint chip and pomegranate gelato for $6.45. (Buying a triple is cheaper than two singles). While we ate we were treated to a free performance by a French woman singing songs on her guitar. A street character wearing a lizard on his sombrero stopped to listen, too.
When we got to the comedy club, it was buzzing. I chickened out about asking for a discount – it was busy, we wanted to go inside – so Hubby forked over $20 while I added my BargainBabe.com flyers to their postcard rack. As we waited for the comedy trio Chick Force 3 to come on I spotted a rack at the back of the club with The Onion, a satirical newspaper.
I went back to get one and what did I discover? Three coolers of free beer. Granted it was Bud Light, Tecate and Miller Light. But free beer is free beer. I grabbed two and returned to my seat to tell Hubby.
Chick Force 3 members Michelle Miracle, Laura Baggett and Abbey Schachner, pictured, were all very funny in their own, distinct way. Having a few beers only made me enjoy it more. Later I learned that *most* shows at Westside Eclectic have free beer. Score!
The total cost of our date (we ate dinner at home and found free parking) was $26.45. Not too shabby! Can you do better?
Welcome to Bargain Babe! I’m Mara, and I’m so glad you’re here. I am an obsessive bargain hunter and penny pincher, and I am determined to live a full life without EVER paying full price. 
During the summer, concerts in the park. Picnic dinner and then a free concert at Warner park
this is strictly a nice warm night kind of deal but the nicest and most romantic date ive ever been on was a candle light picnic.. it was at those picnic benches at the state parks.. it was so sweet… he had packed up a whole dinner and candles- afterwards we packed up the stuff and gazed at the stars
This is indooors…and a bit more expensive. Half/low price movie/theater/concert tickets an be found at Goldstar.com. Free membership required. They will e-mail you their list of events on Tuesday…but you can also ask them to e-mail you “Roar of the Crowd” on Thursdays. That e-mail is broken into two parts. Part one is “popular” stuff. Part two [my favoprite] is “stuff for under $10”. Quite often FREE [not including the “service charge]. On “Valentine’s Day”, my GF and I will split a dessert…and see “Philadelphia Story”.
Total cost….$15.
Nice! I use Goldstar too, though I did not know about the Thursday email with free events. Thanks for the tip! I’ll check it out.
LACMA offers “pay what you like” after 5 PM. Plus, parking in their underground lot (off of 6th St) is free after 7 PM. So you can wander around most of the exhibits at LACMA for free! For about an hour, anyway (they close at 8 PM, 9 PM on Fridays)
Not exactly a “date”, but: For those with children, sign them up for LACMA’s Nexgen program, where they and “one accompanying adult” get free admission to LACMA until they turn 18.
Great tips! I’m going to add LACMA to my “cheap date list.”
I was going to say Goldstar too–glad to see that a lot of people are using it!
So…you knew I couldn’t pass up this challenge! When BF and I were first dating, we would grab sandwiches on Main St in Santa Monica and then take my oversized beach towel towards the beach, and spread out a picnic on the grass strips at the beach parking lots. This is something I’m hoping we can get back into as it really was so relaxing and fun! Plenty of places on Main St have cheap sandwiches (or bring your own!), and there’s nothing like lounging in the shade with your beau on a warm breezy day! There are also lots of parks along PCH, so you can change things up and grab cheap sandwiches or seafood (Malibu Seafood I believe is the name of a dive seafood snack bar further up–it’s cheap and fresh, and all seating is outside, with a perfect view of the beach!) along the drive and picnic up the coast (we also like the park across PCH from Pepperdine!). Depending on the weather next weekend, if it’s still unseasonably warm, I just might surprise BF for Valentine’s day with a romantic (cheap) homemade picnic on the beach! What’s more romantic than the two of you alone on the beach, just listening to the waves crashing? 🙂
Hi Bargain Babe! Don’t forget, this week is the end of “Dine LA”, where Prix Fixe menus are significantly discounted. We celebrated my hubby’s bday last night, Super Bowl Sunday night, and saved about $25 off a usual dinner menu price. Still spending, but less than usual for a special night out!
Myself and my friends are very active in live theatre, and new inexpensive opportunities are always popping up. After seeing my best friend’s performance at:
Sacred Fools Theater
660 N. Heliotrope Dr.
Los Angeles, CA 90004
we stuck around for “Serial Killers” at 11:00. A great time for only $7 per person!
From their website:
RECOMMENDED by L.A. Weekly!
A “medley of hysterical chaos!” -SoCal.com
“Five stories.
Five cliffhangers.
Only three can continue.
YOU decide.
Each week, three continuing stories face off against two new tales.
At the end of the show, you vote for the three stories that you would like to see continue on to next Saturday night, where their subsequent episodes will then be pitted against two completely new storylines.
Each week’s serials could live on for weeks… or be quietly smothered in their sleep – it’s up to you. But whichever pieces you vote for, one thing is for certain – by the end of the evening, you will be a Serial killer.”
Some of the “serials” are okay … others are laugh out loud hilarious. Saturday nights @ 11:00 p.m., $7. No advance ticket sales, buy them at the door. Follow the Serial Killers link at http://www.sacredfools.org for more information.
Other than sharing a great time, I have no direct affiliation with Sacred Fools.
The Regency Academy Cinemas in Pasadena is $2 for a matinee (before 5pm, I think?) and $3 any other time. They show stuff that has been out for a month or so in other theaters, but before it gets to DVD. Not a fancy theater, but it does the trick for either a cheap date or some cheap “me time”. I have a hard time justifying a full-price ticket to see a theater movie by myself but for some reason, seeing it for 2 bucks on my day off feels like a treat and a steal.
Great tip, thanks Julie! Next you go take me with you. 🙂
Last Sunday (2/1/2009) the LA Times had a feature on cheap evenings around town for under $25…
Thanks for the tip. Here is a link to the LA Times story about 8 cheap dates for under $25. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-cover1-2009feb01,0,3550273.story