As the holidays approach you might be a little strapped for cash to spend on going out with your bae. Fortunately, my partner and I are super thrifty and have a lot of experience in the cheap date category! Here are eight fun and budget-friendly date ideas we’ve tried that you might love too.
- At-home spa day
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This date can be super casual and chill or totally romantic, it’s really up to your vibe! Personally, my partner and I love to light some incense, put on a face mask and relax in an Epsom salt bath. If you want to step it up a notch, try turning off the lights and burning some candles. There are a lot of options when doing a DIY spa day so get creative with it!
- Get your sweat on
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Even without a gym membership, you can get a great workout done in your living room! Throw on some of your favorite music and jam out while you sweat it out. Recently my partner and I have been getting back into working out and this has been a super fun way for us to stay motivated and bond.
- Make a tier list
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If you and your S/O are very opinionated, this date can be super fun! Getting to know your partner’s thoughts on which fast-food pizza is the best can really tell you a lot about a person. The best part is this date idea is 100% free! Check out Tierlists.com to rank pretty much anything you can think of!
- Try a new recipe
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Even if you aren’t an avid cook, you can still have a great time in the kitchen with your partner! I find that cooking is way more enjoyable when you have someone to share all the tasks with and don’t have to clean everything up by yourself. Plus, dancing around in the kitchen while cooking has total 2000s rom-com vibes!
- swap hobbies
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Yes, I have done this with my partner, and, believe it or not, it was so fun! One of my partner’s hobbies is drifting cars on his gaming computer and while I still can’t do it as well as he can, it helped me learn how to drive manual. I actually got enough practice on his gaming wheel that he let me drive his real-life sports car the other day!
- find a dive bar
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A few weeks ago, my partner’s friend came to town and they really wanted to play pool. We ended up going to a little dive bar that we had driven past multiple times but never bothered to check out. We were honestly shocked at how much fun we had throwing darts and playing pool (or at least trying to play pool in my case). We were also blown away by how cheap our drinks were! My $4 vodka Redbull totally beat my usual $16 margarita from our regular bar.
- hit the trails
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If you and your S/O are getting a little cabin fever from staying inside all weekend, getting out in nature may be just what you need! Even if you don’t live somewhere with beautiful hiking trails, you can still have fun getting some fresh air and soaking up the sunshine!
- start a bae book club
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If you and your partner have been meaning to get back into reading, starting a book together could be great motivation! I know I would love to read more but I struggle to make it a priority. Having weekly dates to discuss the last chapter read is super fun and an affordable way to motivate each other to stick with it and to just hang out together. My partner and I are about to start reading Dune after seeing the new movie last weekend!
So, if you’ve been looking for some budget-friendly date inspo, look no further! These eight date ideas can be personalized or combined to fit your lifestyle and relationship. Let us know over on our Instagram if you try out any of these date ideas! And as always,
XOXO HC