10 Date Ideas That Won’t Break the Bank

We all know that being in a relationship while in college can become a huge strain on your wallet. Coming up with fun ideas while keeping your college weekly allowance in mind is hard, but here are 10 relatively cheap date ideas for New Paltz Students to keep in mind.

1. Go hiking. Legit anywhere. There are numerous places that aren’t far and have the most stunning views.

2. Starbucks date. Everyone loves a warm cup of coffee and a cake pop, so why not do it with the one you love?

3. Stargazing. As long as the weather is permitting, take a blanket out to a field and watch the stars. If you want to bring it to the next level, bring a blanket to one of the mountain look outs!

4. Take a trip to Minnewaska. During the warmer months, it’s the perfect place to relax and take a dip in the refreshing water.

5. Rent a redbox. Redbox is one of the cheapest ways to watch the newest releases without paying full price for the DVD. For $1.25 a night, you can snuggle up with a bag of popcorn and watch a movie. Spice it up and have both of you pick a movie and see whose choice was better.

6. New Paltz cinema. If you are more of a movie theater kinda couple, check out the amazing deals that the New Paltz cinema has to offer. 

7. Walk the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail. The Rail Trail is 22 miles of beautiful scenery and picture perfect spots. 

8. Sign up for one of the Outdoor Pursuit trips. The Wellness Center provides low cost trips for multiple weekends throughout the semester. Each trip is less than $30 and depending on your interests you can spent the day skiing, ziplining, canoeing and more. 

9. Visit the neighboring towns. Rosendale, Red Hook, Poughkeepsie, Rhinebeck and Kingston have a lot to offer in their small towns. There are tons of shops and restaurants that are hidden gems. 

10. Go for a ride. One of my favorite things to do is go for a ride through the mountains or by the farms. The car can be so intimate and when you get lost, it’s the perfect way to have those interesting stories that we all seem to have.

Sometimes it’s hard to keep up with all the things you can do on a low budget when you are focused on school work. However, if there is one thing I’ve learned being a student at New Paltz, it’s that there’s never a dull moment.

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