20 Ideas for Dating on a Dime

Taking time for regular date nights with your sweetheart is not only fun and shows that you care enough to take time for each other, but they can also help you have opportunities to communicate, rekindle the spark, and relieve stress. But despite all the benefits, it can still be hard to get out on dates with your spouse sometimes- especially if your budget is a little tight. But having fun doesn’t have to be expensive. Here are some ideas for dates that won’t break the bank, but will be so fun and meaningful that you will always remember them.

Take a walk downtown and try to find every letter of the alphabet. Take a selfie or steal a kiss in front of every letter to document your night together.
Create a dream board of pictures or a list of places you want to visit or fun things you would like to do together in the future. Make a plan to make one of them happen.
Volunteer together at a local shelter, soup kitchen, or donation center. Not only will this be helpful to the community, but it will increase teamwork between the two of you.
Play “name that tune” with one another and see who can guess the name of each song first.
Enroll in a class together and learn something new. USU Extension offers many classes that couples can attend for free and learn together. See www.extension.usu.edu for a calendar of events.
Take $10.00 to the grocery store and purchase supplies to make a new recipe for dinner. The challenge is to not exceed the budget, so get creative. Cook the meal together at home.
Visit a local store and spend some time in the greeting card section together. Pick out funny cards you would buy each other or for others that you know.
Find “buy one get one” coupons in your local newspaper for meals. Go to dinner and use your coupon, but then use the money you would have spent on the second meal to get dessert to-go. Stargaze in a park or a field and share your dessert.
Hardware or home improvement stores often hold workshops where you can learn a new skill or build something small for your home for free. Register for one of these classes and learn something new or create something together.
Take an afternoon and explore open houses in your area to get inspiration for home improvement projects. Dreaming about the future together can bring you closer.
Take the dinner you would have normally eaten at home, out for a picnic. Find a unique spot in your town (challenge yourselves to find somewhere with a view) and eat dinner together there. While there, try to learn five new things about one another.
Go for a scenic drive and play “I Spy” or “20 Questions” with one another while enjoying your journey.
Cook dinner together at home, and after the kids go to bed, dress up in “dinner clothes” and eat together on the fancy china. Light candles and dim the lights to increase the romance.
Make a new popcorn seasoning together and try it out while watching a movie together.
Put together a time capsule full of your favorite memories, photos, and maybe a note to each other to read in the future. Bury it in your backyard and come back to it in a few years to reminisce about what you find special about each other and your relationship at the time you made the capsule.
Snuggle up together in a blanket and enjoy the night sky together. For an added bonus, find a place to star gaze where you can also cozy up together in the glow of a small fire.
Have a fondue party. Dip your favorite veggies, fruits or snack foods in cheese or chocolate. Yum!
Look through old photo albums and reminisce together. If you feel really energetic, make it a time to put loose photos into albums or delete out-of-focus and duplicate digital files.
Sample a few types of cheese you haven’t tried before with crackers, bread or fruit and critique each one.
Get active. Try a new exercise or dance video together or take a stroll outside. For extra romance, try going for a walk at sunset.