First Date Ideas on a Budget

The thrill of victory after getting that elusive phone number of the hottie across the bar is ever so quickly replaced by the anxiety over how to make the call. Should I sound ultra casual? Super-sophisticated? Indifferent? Or even, dare you think it, like yourself? But you eventually do call, and some how get through the seemingly endless rambles that fall carelessly out of your mouth, only to hang up the phone and breathe a sigh of relief before you realize (cue the dramatic pause) this date you made will require funds—money even, something that you are sorely in lack of these days. Not to worry—first dates don’t have to cost you a lot of money, and there are indeed plenty of ways to have fun with that hottie from the bar on a budget.


If you’re lucky enough to live near a big city or even a small rural town that has a local agricultural association, find out if they have a weekend farmer’s market and make a trip with your date. You can plan a menu or make a list of needed ingredients together, and then set out and see who is the best at bargaining for the lowest prices. Purchase items like wine and meat ahead of time at your local supermarket and keep it in a cooler in your car while you peruse the growers’ wares. A handy tip: You are more likely to get better prices at the end of the day towards the early evening hours just before the vendors have to clean up to go home—they will lower prices drastically just so they have less to pack up! Afterwards, find your way to a local park that has outdoor grills and cook up your dinner amidst the romance of the out-of-doors.


Another great idea for a cheap first date in the out-doors is to go on a hike and bring along a picnic lunch. Plan on a nice easy trail hike for about half an hour so that you both have the chance to talk and get to know each other for a little while before you eat. Once you find a nice enough spot, set up your blanket and picnic basket and settle in for a nice lunch. Make sure you listen to the weather report before you plan such a trip—getting caught in the rain is not always as romantic as the movies makes it seem.





Everyone loves old-fashioned photos—the ones where you have to dress up in costumes and pose in some sort of scene or backdrop and the pictures come out in sepia or black and white. They are fun to do and a great icebreaker—plus, it gives both you and your date a souvenir to hold onto! Investigate in your area about places that do these types of photos. Some may have different themes like Victorian or Western costumes, or scary/haunted or sports related settings, etc., depending on what sorts of tourist or commercial industries are around your area. Bring along the date whose fun side you are just dying to see—or the one you wouldn’t mind playing dress up with.

Brainstorm your own ideas keeping in mind the area you are in and what kind of activities your date might like. Someone from a big city might think it’s funky and retro to go bowling on a first date, whereas someone from the suburbs might have fun on a hayride or going apple-picking. Some of these ideas sound too adventurous for you? Worried that your nerves will get the best of your usually flawless bowling skill set? Not to worry, the simple dinner and a movie can be done on a budget as well! Research online for special offers from restaurants in your area, or register at a website like Opentable.com, where you can earn points when you use their site to make reservations. After you earn a certain number of points, you receive gift certificates that can be used at any of the restaurants that are registered with their service. Other sites offer gift certificates you can purchase on the spot that are worth more at the restaurant than what you paid for them. The internet is also a great resource for finding discounts on movie tickets and other special offers. Check to see if your local theater does midnight movies; some theaters show previously released movies on Friday and Saturday nights and tickets are usually discounted. Also, if you are a member of AAA, you can purchase movie gift certificates that can be used at different theater chains and are less expensive than the regular ticket price.

Whatever you do, be creative and have fun. No matter where you go or what you do, the thing that matters most on a first date is that you both have fun and get to know each other. Showing your date a good time doesn’t require gobs of cash, just a great attitude, plenty of energy, a healthy dose of enthusiasm, and it probably wouldn’t hurt to wear those jeans that make your butt look really good.



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