You don’t have to pull out the big bucks to show your sweetie how much you love him. Here are 101 cheap dates you can do throughout the year:
Thank you to a great couple Angie and Jay Russell with their help on this article.
1. Try your luck at a casino – Head up to Harrah’s in Cherokee.
#2. Cook a meal together, lay out a blanket in the den, have a picnic, and watch your favorite movie.
*3. Pack a snack basket and go to the Drive-In.
*4. Go to a park and take a nature walk.
5. Mint Museum of Art has free admission on Tuesdays.
6. Gallery Crawl in NoDa area of Charlotte every other Friday night.
*7. Get kites from Dollar Tree and head to Martha Rivers Park in Gaston to “Go Fly a Kite.”
*8. Go to a local Farmer’s Market and sample all the fresh offerings.
9. Go to a department store with $10 each and come up with creative ideas to gift each other. (a light bulb because she lights up your life, a pack of matches because he’s hot) Have fun gifting your gifts while parked under the stars.
*10. Take a pack of crackers or old bread and go feed the ducks at a pond.
*11. Take a picnic to a secluded spot, read romantic poetry to each other while you listen to the bird’s sing.
12. Gather coupons for free candy bars, shampoo, soap, whatever and see how much you can get for $10.
13. Take $10 to the dollar tree and challenge him to create a date out of whatever he can come up with. Reciprocate the challenge and have her plan a $10 date from Dollar Tree next time.
#14. Go to the park and play on the swings.
15. Watch the paper for free concerts in the park, Friday Night Live in downtown Belmont in the summers offers great free date nights.
16. Firework shows aren’t just for kids.
#17. Play board games, shoot pool (and add a romantic twist).
#18. Strip Poker (don’t forget to close the blinds, you don’t want to give the neighbors a cheap thrill).
19. Take a tour through a new housing development and look at how the show homes are decorated. You can get great ideas and have a wonderful conversation while at it.
20. Go to the airport and watch the planes take off. There is a park nearby for viewing.
21. Take a hike up Crowder’s Mountain and pack a backpack of treats to enjoy when you get to the top.
22. Monday night is Christian Music night at the Skating Rink.
23. Check out ncfestivals.com for a list of festivals in NC. Admission to most of these is free.
#24. Take a drive to nowhere and just enjoy each other and the experience of exploring.
*25. $10 buys a lot of treasure at yard sales. Get up early on morning and go treasure hunting. Who says dates only happen at night?
*26. Go to Lineberger’s Farm in Dallas and pick fruit together. Have fun washing and eating the fruit of your labor while watching a movie later.
*27. Head to a book store and look together. Sneak peaks at books on the Kama Sutra and go practice what you learned at home!
*28. Go bowling during the day. Nights and weekends are more expensive, so check out cheaper rates before noon. Also watch for coupons and specials!
29. Go test drive the most expensive car the dealership will let you drive off the lot!
*30. Dust off the cameras and go out and take pictures of a city together. Try to find unusual sites, artistic looks, then download them and make a memory disc of your date together.
31. Sign up for a free Karate class, yoga class, etc. at a local gym. Most places offer free introductory rates. At the least you’ll end up laughing the night away.
*32. Go to a pottery painting store and make a fun treasure together.
33. Take your bikes to the trails at the NCWhitewater center (If you don’t have a bike, you can borrow one from a friend).
34. Take you guy to Shooters Express in Belmont for a little live fire exercise.
35. Take advantage of a snow day. Take your snow bunny sledding down the hills (this occurs here once every three years or so, that way the date doesn’t become redundant).
#36. Run a bubble bath, get some nice massage oils, and turn down the lights…enough said.
37. Go to Center City Charlotte, find a parking spot and walk around and enjoy the city sights. Almost like a trip to NY, without the airport hassles.
38. Go to a local high school football game on Friday Night. If you are from this area, go back to your alma mater, if not, just borrow a team. Huddle in the stands under a blanket and act like teenagers again.
39. Drive around on Thanksgiving night and laugh at all the people camped out on the sidewalks outside of Best Buy and Toys R Us.
*40. Go on a walk in the woods and collect interesting leaves, bring them home and create a scrapbook of you leaves. Look up the leaves and try to identify them. Put notes on each page about what you were doing on your walk, when it took place, etc. Makes a nice memory keepsake.
41. Get a group together for a scavenger hunt. Each couple brings a list of things that the other couples must try to get(every item must be free). Each couples puts their $5 in the pot, and the winner of the hunt gets the prize to go on a nice date in the future. (some examples are a ticket stub from a movie showing that night, a slurpee spoon/straw)
42. Check out UNCC, CPCC, and Gaston College for guest lectures from visiting professors.
43. Gaston Library often has guest speakers on book tours. Pick up a list of activities at the main branch in Gastonia.
44. Head out to Tee Time for some practice at a driving range.
45. Buy toppings and make ice cream sundae’s together, or better yet, go to Tony’s and share a milkshake(best around!)
46. Head out to Nascar Speedpark at Concord Mills and race around the track.
47. Go window shopping at Concord Mills.
48. Head over to Adventure Landing for a game of Putt Putt.
49. Volunteer together at an event like Hope Gaston.
*50. Get a nice cup of coffee and share a dessert at a local coffee shop.
*51. Clear out space in living room, put on your favorite music, and dance the evening away with your loved one.
*52. Go swimming without the kids.
#53. Play in the rain together (clean up can be fun, too).
*54. Go canoeing or kayaking.
55. Skip rocks at a lake.
56. People watch, and make up funny stories about the people you see. In this town, you could write a novel!
57. AMC Movies at Northlake has cheap matinee admission for all movies Mon-Thurs.
58. Attend your art school’s year-end show for a peek into the minds of up-and-coming artisans.
59. Contact your local chamber of commerce for a walking tour map of your community, highlighting areas like the local museums or architectural highlights.
60. Volunteer yourselves as models for a hairdressing school.
61. Take in amateur night at the coffeehouse, bar or comedy club. You could also get up on stage yourself and belt out a tune, tell a joke or read romantic poetry you’ve written while on your cheap date.
*62. Host a home-cooked meal for your entire family, lovingly prepared by you and your date.
63. Challenge other family members to a game of backyard badminton, charades or another board or card game, pitting you and your date against other teams of two.
*64. Pull out some bug spray and a cozy blanket and curl up together in your backyard or a local park for some stargazing.
*65. Have a movie night with your date, challenging each other to bring a flick within the allotted theme of the night – such as worst movie of all time or the best classic you’ve never heard of. You could even go so far as to make a cheap date weekend out of it and create your own personal Oscars screening or private themed film festival.
#66. Find a swing set, playground or water park and spend the cheap date there together.
*67. Farmers markets and street fairs usually cost nothing and you’ll enjoy some time together learning more about your community’s offerings.
*68. Visit the zoo together.
*69. Challenge each other to a contest. Anything works, and the sillier the better! Try sand castle building, hop scotch, name that tune, marbles, or kite flying.
#70. Make a special cheap date dinner for your sweetie, complete with sexy music and candles.
*71. Learn how to do a strip-tease and perform it for your partner.
72. Pack a picnic and take your date for a bike ride to a secluded location for a special, inexpensive getaway.
73. Learn a new sport or activity together, such as ultimate frisbee or mountaineering. Alternatively, take a peek to see if there are any singles-oriented sport leagues in your area and sign up for something together.
*74. Invite some friends over for a big game or pay-per-view event and make a day of it, complete with munchies and prizes for the most supportive at-home fans.
75. Read through the Guinness Book of World Records together, and find something the two of you could potentially achieve as a couple and then do it together as a cheap date idea.
76. Go for a drive together where you only stop or turn when you encounter a pre-determined area or event, such as a garage sale sign or a street that starts with the letter M. Travel games are also a great idea for those dating with kids.
77. Attend a poetry or book reading together. Most of these events are free, and you’ll learn something new to discuss over coffee later.
*78. Sign up to volunteer together for a cause that you are both passionate about or a festival that otherwise would be too expensive to attend.
*79. Take a tour of a local brew pub or winery, which typically are free or very heavily discounted.
80. Pick up the ingredients you need to create a fabulous meal at the grocery store and then return home and cook it together.
#81. Throw a slumber party for two. Have dinner in bed and have each other for dessert.
#82. Plan a movie night. Rent a flick that you’ll both enjoy, make popcorn, and get cozy under the blanket on the couch.
*83. Get coffee at your favorite coffee house and just talk to one another.
84. Perform a duet at a karaoke bar.
85. If you’re adventure seekers, you can go skydiving together.
*86. Attend a concert and sing out loud to one another. Rocking out – even if you’re more Beethoven than Bon Jovi – is a great stress reliever.
*87. Take a sculpting or drawing class together. Or go to one of those stores where you can paint pottery. Your art will give your beloved a new window into your personality.
*88. Miniature golf, bowling, pool, or the arcade are always great for some old-fashioned fun and friendly competition.
*89. Go to a diner and share a milkshake. Delicious!
90. Rent a motor scooter and go for a spin. Think Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck in Roman Holiday!
*91. Flowers are an eternal symbol of romance. Head to the botanical gardens and learn all about them together.
*92. Fill up a picnic basket with goodies – bread, wine, cheese, fruit. Go to the park and share your feast with one another. Don’t forget your picnic blanket.
*93. Draw sketches of one another. Even if you can’t draw, you’ll have fun and create a lovely memory.
*94. Shoot each other – at your nearby paint ball or laser tag facility.
95. Climb a wall or a real mountain together. This sort of activity is fun but also helps couples build trust.
*96. Participate in a wine tasting.
*97. Volunteer for a worthy cause together. Visit the ill, organize a fundraiser for a non-profit, or work at a shelter. You’ll spend time with each other, but you’ll also make a difference and help others.
*98. Look at the homes and properties for sale in your area. You may find a bargain that you’ll actually buy or you’ll just dream out loud about your future together. Either way, you win!
*99. Have a tournament of your choice – Battleship, Monopoly, cards, Playstation, etc. For a twist, the winner has to take the loser out to dinner for another date night.
*100. Think outside the box and go out for a romantic breakfast instead of dinner.
*101. Have dessert for dinner – a huge sundae, sinful brownies, decadent cheesecake.
