Going on dates with someone for the first time can make you jitter. While trying to manage the pressure of making a good impression, choosing the right date idea can be challenging. On the other hand, if you are trying to cut back on costs, you have to find cheap first date ideas that won’t break the bank.
This post will provide you with interesting date activities you can try if you want to spark a good love connection but don’t have a ton of money to spend.
These inexpensive first date ideas won’t only help you save money, but they also create an avenue for you to enjoy the most romantic and fun experiences.
Why Choose A Cheap First Date?
One of the main reasons you want to choose a cheap first date is that you need to save money. Contrary to what a lot of people believe, you don’t need to visit exquisite restaurants to have a good date experience. You can enjoy genuine romantic dates without breaking your budget.
28 Cheap First Date Ideas To Spark A Good Love Connection
The thing about going on cheap dates, whether for the first time or not, is that you get to be yourself and be more comfortable with your love interest. You don’t have to pretend to be what you aren’t. Believe me, this is the best way to have a good date.
Are you ready to check out these cheap first date ideas? Let’s dive straight into it!
Best First Date Ideas That Are Cheap
Who said you needed to spend a lot of money to have the best dates? Here are some affordable first date ideas you’ll like:
1. Make A Craft
One way to make a good impression is to show your date how creative your mind is. Creating handmade items is an amazing way to display your creativity while spending time together. At the end of the day, you’d have enjoyed a great date and also have a beautifully-made craft in your hand. Besides, you can gift each other the items you end up making.
2. Sing Karaoke
Singing Karaoke is fun and one of the good cheap first date ideas you should try soon. Almost everyone is a fan of music. Give your date a chance to sing along to their favorite pop songs.
You don’t even need to attend a Karaoke event. You can do this in your sitting room. Just prepare a great playlist, turn up the music, and use the TV remote as your microphone.
3. Build A Fire
You can build a fire in your backyard during a first date. This is perfect if you are camping with your sweetheart.
You can tell stories and roast marshmallows in the fire through the night. It’ll be such a memorable experience.
4. Visit An Art Gallery
My love for art never gets old. You stare at a piece of work and wonder what was going through the artist’s mind.
You and your date can visit an art gallery to check out some of the most beautiful works in the building. Imagine looking at all that beauty as you bask in romance.
5. Take A Cooking Class
This is one of the cheap first date ideas you can try with your love interest. You don’t have to be a big fan of cooking. Just consider this a fun activity for the time being. Besides, there are countless YouTube videos that can teach you how to cook. You don’t need to pay for any premium cooking classes.
6. Visit The Zoo
Who doesn’t love animals? Take your date to the zoo and spend some quality time together.
If you have never fed fruit to a monkey or seen how tall an adult giraffe can be, here’s your chance. You’ll certainly enjoy doing this.
Fun First Date Ideas On A Budget
It’s okay to go on dates while trying to stick to your budget. Here are some of the best cheap first date ideas that won’t break your budget:
7. Walk Down Memory Lane
Looking back on the beautiful memories you’ve had as individuals is a great way to have a date.
Bring out the photo album or anything that vividly reminds you of the person you were before meeting your date. This can help you build a closer relationship.
8. Try Preparing A New Cuisine
Put your cooking skills to the ultimate test by trying to prepare a meal you’ve never cooked. This doesn’t mean your meal will come out perfectly. After all, you are trying to make it for the first time. However, the process is what makes the experience fun.
9. Play Video Games
If you have no idea what to do on a first date, you should try this.
You don’t have to be a gamer. In fact, this can be fun when you both suck at the particular game you play.
If you don’t have a PlayStation at home, you can use your smartphone. There are a bunch of free mobile games you can download within minutes and start playing.
10. Share Childhood Favorites
Sit at the dinner table and talk about the favorite things you enjoyed as kids. Although it’s not a movie night, make sure there’s popcorn as you reminisce on beautiful times.
11. Play “Never Have I Ever”
Sometimes, you may have no idea how to keep the conversation going on a first date. In this case, you can play this classic game. It’s one of the cheap fun first date ideas to save money.
12. Learn A TikTok Dance
TikTok is a global social media platform with so many fun dance challenges to participate in. Even if you aren’t the best dancer, get your date to learn some new steps.
Don’t forget to create videos of your awkward or cool dance moves.
Cheap First Date Ideas That Are Romantic
There are so many ways you can be romantic without doing anything extreme. Here are some cheap romantic first date ideas you should know:
13. Have A Picnic
Sometimes you want to eat outdoors instead of having a boring lunch. Grab your blanket, get some drinks or a nice bottle of wine, make a sandwich, and you are good to go.
You can have picnics at a beach or the local park close to you. It’s one of the common first date ideas that are cheap.
14. Visit A Winery
Go wine tasting at one of the local wineries near you.
This is usually fun not only because of the taste of a fresh alcoholic beverage, but due to the fact that you get to learn something new. This is pretty different from a typical drinks date.
15. Stargazing
This is one of the first cheap date ideas that is romantic. Lie facing up and count as many stars as you can. Grab a blanket and hot chocolate, as you both get a chance to feel like astronomers.
16. Go Bird-Watching
Have you tried observing and identifying wild birds in their natural habitat? It’s one of the things you can do with someone on a first date.
You’ll be fascinated by how different species of birds build nests or fetch food for their young ones. It’s truly a beautiful and romantic date experience.
17. Paint Each Other’s Nails
No, this is not weird. It’s a fun and romantic thing to do on a first date.
After painting each other’s nails, you can compare to see who did a better job.
If you want to clean them up after the date, that’s totally fine. The most important thing is that you actually did the activity.
18. Watch A Movie Together
This is a classic date activity that never gets old. Find a nice movie you both can enjoy—maybe horror, comedy, romance, family drama, or action. Then, grab a few bottles of soda and popcorn to make this an enjoyable experience. Of course, you don’t have to visit the cinema. You can see movies at home.
Cheap First Date Ideas Indoors
You don’t like spending time outdoors with your date? Here are some cheap first date ideas indoors you would like to experience:
19. Attend A Comedy Show
There’s no better way to feel comfortable together than laughing at some hilarious jokes. Of course, you don’t have to grab tickets to a Dave Chappelle comedy special. Remember, we are trying to save money. You can visit a local comedy club instead and follow up with desserts or drinks later.
20. Go See A Play
This is another way to get entertained with your date. You probably won’t have any major conversations during the play since you need to keep up with the story and avoid disturbing other people. But as soon as the show is over, you have a lot to chat about.
21. Watch Sports Games
No, you aren’t visiting Emirate Stadium or Stanford Bridge to see the English Premier League. You can go to a high school basketball game and still have a lot of fun, especially if you’re a huge fan of the sport.
Don’t forget that your date needs to also be really into any sports game you decide to watch.
22. Visit An Aquarium
How many fun fish facts do you know? When you visit an aquarium, there are a lot of fascinating things you can learn about these aquatic animals.
If you can’t visit the zoo, this is another cool option to consider. Besides, it’s still one of the cheap first date ideas to save costs.
23. Go Bowling
Watching a bowling game on TV would make you wonder why the players can’t just knock off all the pins at once. Maybe you should go see for yourself.
Visit a bowling alley with your date on a beautiful evening and play some games.
24. Go To An Arcade
During my years in middle school, I went to the arcade a lot of times. You might want to feel like a child again by hanging out at an arcade with your partner. You may end up leaving with a stuffed animal without even spending a lot of money. This is one of the best cheap first idea ideas to have indoors.
Cheap First Date Ideas Outdoors
Do you want to create the most iconic first date experience without splurging too much money? Here are some cool ideas for you:
25. Go Karting
This is one of the most interesting outdoor date activities you may want to try soon.
How fast can you go? If your date is competitive, they would probably be interested in racing you to the finish line. Of course, this is inexpensive. Anyone can afford to rent a go-kart and speed off on the track.
26. Go Kayaking Or Canoeing
I used to go canoeing as a teenager. It was a bit risky, but I always enjoyed the gentle wind and the sight of a large open river.
You should try this if you are looking for a thrilling activity to do with your date. But bear in mind since there’s an element of risk involved, you have to be cautious. For example, you can stick to the shore if you are scared of the water.
27. Play Tennis Or Pickleball
If you are going to explore different cheap first date ideas outdoors, you might want to consider playing tennis or pickleball. This is a fun way to get your heart racing as you have fun. Besides, the rules are quite easy to understand. So even if it’s your first time, you don’t have to worry about nothing.
28. Try Rock Climbing
This one is a little bit adventurous. See it as an opportunity to test your upper body strength. But in this case, you aren’t climbing an actual rock. That’s super risky. You can do it instead at an indoor climbing gym.
Also, there would be instructors to assist newbies or those who have never done rock climbing.
Final Thoughts On Cheap First Dates
Your love life doesn’t have to be in shambles just because you aren’t financially stable. These cheap first date ideas listed here are great options for anyone who wants to save money while having fun with their dates. Even though they are quite inexpensive, they can help you create quality date experiences you can look back on and be grateful for.
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