Although dinner and a movie sounds like a foolproof plan for a date, it’s not the best idea for frequent dates. Assuming that dinner is about $20 per person and then the movie is another $20 per person, that’s about $80+ in total if you’re paying for yourself and your date. These estimates are probably too low to be realistic, which means that you can spend upwards of $100 on one date! It’d be hard to keep it up every week especially when there are other responsibilities you have to consider like bills (ugh).
The best part of the date is getting to know the other person anyways, which is hard to do during a movie even if it’s an opportunity to hold hands for the first time. And there are a ton of good date ideas that don’t require much spending, if any.
Try out some of these fun date ideas that are free for your next night out!
1. Have a Picnic
Enjoy a beautiful day outside with an easy to set up picnic. Prep some sandwiches or bring some snacks and a blanket to a park to people watch. You can play games like “I Spy” people style, ex. “I spy a little old lady” amongst many old ladies and then try to guess which old lady the other person chose. You can also try to pet every dog that crosses your path because that’s fun for everyone, especially the dog!
2. Netflix and Chill with a Twist
We all know what Netflix and Chill can mean, but before that happens, build a pillow fort with cozy blankets, string lights to make it romantic, and pop some popcorn to set the scene. Pick a movie that you’ll actually pay attention to and then let the rest happen naturally.
3. The Good Ol’ Pillow Fort
If you want to build your team building skills, you can ask your date to help you build the pillow fort with you! Two minds can be better than one when it comes to the architecture of your fort. Should there be only one entrance or two? How many pillows are too many pillows? Once you’ve completed your masterpiece, you can do #2, play boardgames, or read through an interesting Reddit thread together.
4. YouTube Challenges
The Internet has enough trends that you can jump on and do-it-yourself. Try the whisper challenge with your date or have a bottle flipping competition. Recording your experience is optional, but recommended for the potential future when you can look back and watch yourselves being silly.
5. Quiz Each Other
Choose from the many “I quiz my partner” quizzes and try them on each other. This can be a way of getting to know each other or to laugh at the results of your quizzes. It’s all fun and games and you might just end up swapping stories that come up with some of the questions.
Whether it’s your first date or your fifteenth, switch up the night with some fun date ideas that veer from the traditional dinner and a movie!