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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Oregon chapter.

Following my recent 21st birthday this past April, I brilliantly chose to squander my monthly allowance away on lemon drop ingredients and cervezas (obviously a necessary component of my Cinco de Mayo festivities). As a result, I have been poorer—and more hungover—this month than I have the entire school year. This is not exactly ideal, given the fact that I have recently started dating someone new, but at least he adores me for reasons other than being his Sugar Mama! As we all know, dating costs money
money that most of us don’t really have to spend. To remedy this little issue, my guy and I have brainstormed and tried out several creative, cheap date ideas that I’d like to share!
 

Picnic at Pisgah

Eugene is riddled with lush, green natural landscape, thanks to the buckets of rain that flood this little city each year. Several great places are wonderful to hang out at, especially in the summer, such as Mt. Pisgah, Alton Baker Park, and Hendricks Park.. It seems like all of the rom coms in the world have a romantic picnic scene, so why aren’t they a greater staple in the list of traditional date ideas? They certainly should be. So grab your guy, slap together a couple of PB&J’s, pack ‘em up, and head off to a park for a good old-fashioned picnic!
 
The Coupon Date

Feeling especially frugal? Go online (Groupon and LivingSocial offer great deals), browse the newspaper, or pick up a coupon book from the grocery store. Cut out coupons for food items or restaurants, and then pick and choose what you’re in the mood for. Then, go out and round up everything you need for super cheap and cook together at home, or head to your restaurant of choice, and dine at a discounted price!
 
Be Bookish

Maybe you like to read. Maybe you don’t. Personally, I don’t. But something I really, really love doing is going to a bookstore and exploring funny and random books with my guy. It can be really entertaining, and sometimes you even learn things about each other! Books can spark conversation on a variety of topics, ranging from favorite pastimes to favorite sex positions. I think the humor and sex books are by far the most exciting because it’s always great to laugh together, and once you start exploring the Kama Sutra, it’s practically impossible to resist each other!
 
Got Sticky Notes?

If you and your man love to goof around like we do, go to Rite Aid or Walgreens, and load up on sticky notes. Then, write funny quotes, words, drawings, or random sayings on them, and go to a busy store like Target or Costco. Stick them EVERYWHERE. It’s a really clever way to pass the time, and even more fun to then watch customers’ reactions.
 

Paint a Canvas

If you’re creative, go to Ben Franklin Crafts by Target at Gateway and buy a blank canvas. They range from $10 to $40, depending on the size. I’d recommend splitting a $20 canvas with your guy, so that you each only pay $10. If you haven’t already got paints, get a few of those too. Don’t worry about what kind to get or quality; it’s not like you’re Picasso. Then paint the canvas! It’s a really enjoyable way to spend time together, and also nice to have a little something you’ve made together to hang at your place or his.
 
Dollar Theater

Don’t forget about the dollar theater at Gateway Mall. It’s right next to Chuck E. Cheese! It literally costs $1.50 for a ticket, and they show all of the movies that have recently left the big screen, but aren’t out for sale or rental yet. I love going there because it’s ridiculously cheap, but also shows new movies that I might have missed out on when they were at the top of the box office.
 
Putters

Putters in downtown Eugene is a great little family play place that offers mini golf and laser tag. I’ve tried both, and they’re fantastic! It’s a great way to entertain yourself for under $10 a person. The mini golf course seems small, but can take an hour or two to play all 18 holes. I couldn’t remember the last time I had played mini golf when my boyfriend took me, so it was especially awesome to take a trip down memory lane! Also, laser tag is two stories and a blast. It could be even more exciting to play on a double/group date!

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A University of Oregon junior and San Francisco native, Charmaine Ng loves authentic noodle dishes and will always opt for Asian and Italian cuisine when pressed to choose a restaurant. She is a self-proclaimed "noodler," someone who uses her noodle to collaborate with others and bring big ideas to life. She interns for a student-run full-service ad agency, blogs for a wedding and event planning company, and runs the UO Muggle Quidditch League. In her spare time, she sleeps, and sleeps, and sleeps - and dabbles in social media and blogging, her two biggest passions. Her quirkiness isn't apparent at first, but then she starts talking about packaging design and making funny faces, and you wonder what happened to that shy Asian girl you first met. With ambition bursting beyond the campus walls, Charmaine can't wait to graduate and work for an agency, company, or publication in community outreach efforts using social media.