50 Fun And Frugal Date Ideas To Save Money

50 Fun But Frugal Date Ideas To Save Money
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Let’s face it. Dates can get really expensive and they can become a burden on any budget.

No matter which party in the relationship is shelling out the cash, a combination of getting drinks, food, and paying for entertainment eventually all adds up.

Luckily, you don’t need to pay a lot of money to have fun and enjoy time together.

Here are 50 frugal date ideas you can do with your partner to save money that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg or are free.

best cheap date ideas

50 Cheap But Fun Dates

1. Go grocery shopping or a farmer’s market and cook a feast at home together. Cooking at home is a lot cheaper than eating at an expensive restaurant so have some fun looking up some recipes, head to the grocery store, and cook your favorite meal together.

2. Take a walk down the beach at sunset. It’s one of the best cheap date ideas if you like long romantic walks and are lucky enough to live by the water.

3. Go hiking on a trail in the wilderness.

4. Pretend you’re both tourists in your own city. Don’t forget to bring a camera and a selfie stick.

pink house

5. Have a TV show marathon. Binge-watch all of the seasons of your favorite TV show together at home.

6. Get cheap Groupon tickets to go-karting, mini golfing, sporting events, concerts, and more. There are always deals on Groupon that will allow you to do fun local activities for a huge discount. Don’t forget to also check out Stubhub for resale tickets. Those 2 sites are perfect for those who love to be frugal because you can save a lot of money buying through those sites instead of directly from the vendor.

7. Enjoy a day at the zoo. This is perfect for animal lovers!

8. Play a racquet sport together such as tennis or squash. 

9. Attend a local fair or carnival. Get some funnel cake and play some games!

beach in portugal

10. Bike along the coast. 

11. Join a local brewery tour and enjoy some beer samples. Many of them will show you how they make their beer and are free to join.

12. Go to the library or second-hand bookstore. This is the perfect date idea for book lovers.

13. Sing karaoke at home.

14. Go to a local food-tasting event.

15. Go wine tasting in the countryside. If you’re going to spend the day outside of the city, go to your local vineyard and join a wine tasting tour.

boho tent with flowers

16. Set up a tent in the backyard and go stargazing.

17. Spend some time at the mall and window shop together. Or go to a thrift store or outlet mall if you want some cheap deals.

18. Spend the day at a museum.

19. Attend an open house. Pretend you’re looking for a new place with your partner. It can be a whole lot of fun checking out houses or apartments for sale together especially if you’re into interior design.

20. Hit up a local ice cream joint. This is always a great idea to cool down on a hot summer day.

21. Volunteer at a charity or event together.

frugal date ideas to save money

22. Have a board game night at home and play your favorite childhood games.

23. Watch a movie at the drive-in.

24. Go to a stand-up comedy club. Don’t forget to check out deals from Groupon for your local comedy club.

25. Hit up local garage sales. One person’s junk is another person’s treasure. You never know what you and your partner may find.

26. Go to a pet adoption event together. 

charcuterie board with a cup of coffee

27. Take a cooking class. Learn a cuisine you guys have both always been interested in trying.

28. Make ugly Christmas sweaters. It’s never too early to make an ugly Christmas sweater.

29. Go fishing at the break of dawn.

30. Play video games at home.

31. Go skating. This is always a nice, romantic date idea in the winter.

32. Make a bucket list of things to do together in the future. Want to travel the world? Go skydiving? Write them all down in a bucket list journal and start crossing things off your list!

cookies and a sweet drink

33. Bake desserts. Look on Pinterest for great dessert ideas.

34. Test drive your dream cars.

35. Finish a 1000-piece puzzle.

36. Turn up some music, pour some alcohol, and have a dance party at home. Forget about going to the club! Save money by having your own dance party at home and playing music you actually like.

37. Go fruit picking.

38. Have fun at the local water park.

drinks on the sand

39. Create your own beer or wine. Check out beer kits and wine kits and make your own delicious drinks at home. They also have cider kits if that’s your thing.

40. Go swimming at the local pool. Also, check out a wave pool if you want to try something new and different.

41. Go tobogganing in the snow.

42. Have a spa night with massages, back rubs, and face masks. This is perfect for a night when you and your partner want to relax after a busy day and want to have a stay at home date.

43. Re-enact your first date night.

44. Have a water balloon fight in your backyard.

picnic with scones with raspberries

45. Have a picnic in the park on a bright and sunny day.

46. Enjoy some time at a dog park. Any dog lover will enjoy this.

47. Have a BBQ and roast marshmallows around the campfire. This is perfect for chilly nights!

48. Go to a paint night together and see who is the better artist.

49. Have a movie night at home. Make some popcorn and get cozy on the couch. This is perfect during cold, winter nights.

50. Go rollerblading.

There you have it – 50 cheap romantic date ideas!

I hope this list gives you some ideas on how to save some money on your next date but still have fun.

cheap but fun dates

More Cheap And Easy Date Ideas

What are some ideas of cheap creative dates you like that won’t break the bank?

30 Comments

  1. These are all such sweet date ideas! My partner and I are movie buffs, so we have a lot of movie nights at home, or we go to a local cinema that has really cheap tickets (like, less than half price of what the bigger cinemas charge!).

    We also enjoy visiting museums and aquariums together. We’ve had annual passes to our local aquarium for a few years now because we go so often, and you end up saving SO much money! ☺️

    1. I love the idea of getting an annual pass! What a great way to save money!

  2. Ann F. Snook-Moreau says:

    My hubby and I love doing picnics! We don’t have a drive-in near us but we do like going to free outdoor movie screenings in the summer.

  3. Aw I loved reading through these ideas. My husband and I have been trying to find more activities that do not cost a lot of money so this is right up our alley!

    Mallory

    1. Thanks Mallory. Glad this came at the right time for you!

  4. Great ideas! Definitely bookmarking for later.

    XO

  5. Nicole Pyles says:

    Oh what fantastic ideas! I love the idea of being a tourist in your own town too. Most cities publish some kind of ‘best of’ guide and if you can track that down, that can be a great way to discover places neither of you have been before!

  6. I love the mix of ideas between going out and staying home. Drive in theater is super fun but so are stay in netflix binge marathons!

    1. Having a balance between staying in and going out is a great way to save money! Thanks Kate!

  7. Heather Castillo says:

    So many great ideas! My husband and I don’t go on enough dates but I will definitely be trying some of these!

  8. NicoleAnderson says:

    What a fabulous list! This would have taken me ages to think of and develop as they are all really great, appealing and practical ideas. So useful and something I can definitely use.

    1. Thank you!! I’m glad they’re practical and appealing!

  9. Jessi M Fearon says:

    Oh I love #4! We definitely need to do more of that!

  10. Ina at Crafty For Home says:

    Love this, biking, hiking and watch Netflix always the best one, super budget friendly!

  11. Maegan Lin O'Loughlin says:

    We love the bucket list date and playing board games. Pinned your fun list!

  12. Marya Sutimi says:

    TV show marathon and anything related to the food are definitely the things that I’d love to do for a date in budget! πŸ˜€

  13. Becca Wilson says:

    I am always down for date ideas that are not that expensive. These are some really great ideas!

  14. Fabulous post!!! Lots of very good ideas!!!!!

  15. Checking out a ‘best of’ guide from your city is a great idea to start planning where to go! πŸ™‚

  16. A free outdoor movie screening sounds like a lot of fun!

  17. Awesome list ! My boyfriend and I have done a few of these

  18. It definitely is! There’s always more to explore!

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