40 Creative & Frugal Date Ideas

40 Frugal Date Ideas

Looking for new things to do with your honey on a budget? We asked readers for suggestions and pooled our own – and came up with some fantastic Frugal Date Night Ideas to help you out!

Just because you’re on a budget doesn’t mean you can’t go on dates with your special someone, you just have to be a little more creative!  Often times, the frugal date ideas end up making some of the BEST memories. 🙂

1. Do the $5 Walmart Challenge

Have you heard of this fun one?  Head into Walmart together and try to find each other the best gift you can for only $5 or order online and have a fun night at home opening gifts. Fun and cheap!

2. Take a Class

New experiences are great ways to build new memories together – and taking a class can be cheap (Try Groupon for deals on dance classes, or cooking/painting/pottery) or FREE if you check your local library (so many fun perks at local libraries)!

3. Cook a New Meal Together

Choose a meal together that you’d both like to try (check our our Valentine’s Menu Plan!)  Put on some music you both like and work together to make a special meal.

4. Play a Game

Being playful and competitive is a great way to spark romance – pull out a board game and prepare some special snacks to make the evening feel special.  Or pick up a new game that you’ve both not played before!  (We love both of these two-player games)

5. Try Geocaching!

If you like treasure hunts, you’ll love this activity!  It uses the GPS on your phone and you search for little “caches” left all over your city by other hunters.  Find out more here!

6. Go on a hike

To a favorite locale or a new place you’ve never been.  Waterfalls are a great destination!

7. Trivia Night

Find a local restaurant that hosts a trivia night and join in as a team – oftentimes they have prizes too!

8. Library Date

Go to the library and pick out some new books together, if they have a little cafe, sit and chat for awhile about your book choices over a cup of coffee or a pastry.

9. Goodwill Makeover

Head to the thrift store to buy one another a date night outfit – or at least one item of clothing – and agree to wear it out on your date together.  (This could be cute and funny if you don’t mind getting the occasional odd look!)

10. Go for a Drive

Drive out somewhere pretty that you know of, or meander down a country rode you’ve never explored.  Take in the scenery and just enjoy each other’s company.

11. Stargazing

Plan an evening to take in some constellations, pack a blanket and if you don’t know much about the constellations, download one of these cool sky mapping apps here!

12. Volunteer Somewhere Together

You’ll spend time together and leave feeling good about what you did! Check out local opportunities like A Night To Shine, or a Habitat for Humanity building day.

13. Go Out for Ice Cream

A classic! (If you have a Costco membership, you cannot beat the price of their food court ice cream!)

14. Have a Nerf War

Leave a note when they walk in the door that says you’re hiding somewhere with a Nerf gun, and come find you. Leave them a Nerf gun too! 🙂

15. Binge-Watch a New Show

Ask friend for recommendations and settle in for a new show on a streaming platform like Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime.  Be sure to pick up yummy snacks for the occasion!

16. Visit the Amish

If you live near an Amish community, plan to visit and purchase something homemade while you’re there.

17.  See a Play

Check out a community theater or even a high-school or college play nearby.  It won’t cost much but will have the feel of an event and give you lots to talk about on the way home.

18. Go Fishing

Grab your gear and head out on a pretty day to sit and relax.

19. Couples Game Night

Invite another couple (or two or three) over for a game night!  Make it a snack-potluck so there isn’t too much stress on yourself 😉

20. Paint a Room

Or do another DIY project that puts you together working towards a common goal – these can make for great quality time!

21. Ice Skating

If you have a local rink, this could be a fun activity you haven’t done since you were a kid.

22. Go Karaoke

Nothing like an on-stage duet to bring you together!

23. Picnic in the Park

Find a pretty park or lake nearby and pack a picnic lunch.

24. Scavenger Hunt

Plan a scavenger hunt for your spouse to lead them to a location where you’ll either be waiting for them (maybe a restaurant?).  Or go along with them on the hunt and enjoy watching them puzzle out your clues to find a gift.

25. Play Video Games

Even if you’re not sure how to play, have your spouse show you how to play a game they enjoy.

26.  Book Club Night

Plan ahead to read the same book and then assign a certain evening to be your “Book Club” evening.  Find some good questions to ask about the book (if it’s a book club book online)

27. Work a Puzzle Together

My husband and I used to do this all the time when we were first married! We’d watch a tv show and work on a puzzle together.  It was very relaxing!

28. Go Bowling

Our local bowling alley often has Groupons for bowling packages!

29. Visit a local Farmer’s Market

I love doing this!

30. Play Putt-Putt

Or just hit some balls at the driving range.

31. Plan a Vacation

Let yourself dream of a great getaway together, and then come up with a plan for how you could save for your vacation.  Check out websites and plan activities, even if they may never happen.

32. Go to Yard Sales or Estate Sales together

Then reward yourself for being cheap by having a late breakfast together 🙂

33. Go Kayaking

Rent a kayak or canoe for an afternoon and explore together.

34. Teach Your Skills

This could be really fun! Teach your spouse something you know how to do well, that they probably don’t know how to do.  (i.e Bake a pie, use a circular saw, play a video game)

35. Pick Fruit

Whatever’s in season – apples, grapes, pumpkins, etc…

36. Learn Your Love Language

If you haven’t read the 5 Love Languages, this can be a great way to figure out your love language and talk about it with your spouse.  There’s even a quiz here.

37. Pretend to Meet for the First Time

Get dressed up at a friend’s house, then meet up somewhere and try to pick each other up as if you’ve never met 🙂

38. Have a Q&A Night

Write down a lot of questions on pieces of paper and fold them up and put them in a bowl.  Plan your evening around sitting and drawing questions out to answer.  Think of things like “What would you do for a honeymoon if we could do it all again?” or “What’s your favorite thing about me?” or “What time period would you most like to have lived in and why?”

39. Test Drive an expensive car

Ohhh, the guys would love this one. 🙂

40. Go to a Town Fair or Carnival

How cheap this will be depends on how much you eat, ride or play – but even walking around with some cotton candy, taking in the atmosphere together, is a fun evening!