101 Free or Cheap Dates Ideas for 2024!

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Spending time with your special someone doesn’t have to break the bank. We gathered up a whopping 100 cheap date ideas to help keep the romance alive without busting your budget!

Free & Inexpensive Date Ideas

If you’ve been around here a while you know that I’m all about saving money and living debt-free. When we were working to get out of debt we had to get creative with our date night ideas. We learned that with a little creativity you can have a blast without spending a fortune (or spending anything at all in many cases!)

I’ve compiled a great list of 100, yes 100, fun and cheap dates night ideas, (and some are totally free date ideas!) most should be under $20 (depending on where you live.) So no excuses this weekend-go out with your honey and have some fun!!

couple sitting on ground together

Outdoor Dates

  1. Hiking-Find your nearest state or county park and spend some time outdoors together. Hiking is the perfect activity to be active and still be able to have great conversations!
  2. Pick seasonal fruit or berries-Summer is perfect for picking blueberries or strawberries, while fall offers pumpkin patches and apple picking!
  3. Rock Climbing-Get adventurous and find a local rock climbing area or indoor climbing facility. You’ll challenge yourselves and make great memories in the process.
  4. Fly Kites-Flying kites is cheap and surprisingly fun, you’ll feel like kids again! It makes for guaranteed laughter, I promise!
  5. Camping-Pack your tent and find the nearest local campground. Make s’mores around the campfire and sleep under the starts for a date night to remember.
  6. Visit a Farmer’s Market 
  7. Go Stargazing does it get more romantic?
  8. Watch the Sunset together grab a blanket, pack some wine and cheese and choose a great spot to watch the colors of the sunset
  9. Have a picnic pack your favorite foods and pick a picturesque spot
  10. Have a bonfire and make S’mores
  11. Rent a tandem bike and go for a ride
  12. Go Canoeing or Kayaking rentals are very affordable
  13. Play Frisbee
  14. Take a day trip to a lake, beach, state park, or mountains enjoy the beauty of nature near where you live
  15. Go sledding
  16. Go fishing
  17. Try geocaching
  18. Build a snowman
  19. Take a slow walk around your neighborhood holding hands just enjoy each other’s conversation and maybe take a walk down memory lane
  20. Visit a local park or playground and play like you’re 8 again!
  21. Go snorkeling if you are near a beach or lake
  22. Have a water gunfight
  23. Feed ducks at a lake
  24. Take a run together

At Home

  1. Board Game Night-Gather up your games and make a night of it, better yet make it a double date and invite friends to join in.
  2. Exercise together
  3. Have a Netflix TV Series Marathon
  4. Poker Night
  5. Cook a new, exotic recipe together
  6. Work on a Puzzle together
  7. DIY Fondue at home
  8. Have a Shrimp Boil
  9. Have a Redbox movie marathon
  10. Bake cookies together
  11. Have a candlelit dinner at home
  12. Write a Bucket List together dream up adventures you’d like to share
  13. Have a themed cuisine night at home-Italian, Mexican, etc
  14. Have an at-home romantic spa night-bubble bath, lotions, you get the picture!

Under $20

  1. Rollerskating – indoors or out!
  2. Bowling – look for discount nights!
  3. Minor League Baseball– less expensive than the major leagues but still so much fun!
  4. Paint your own pottery
  5. Attend a Wine Tasting (or have one with friends-everyone bring one bottle to share!)
  6. Happy Hour move date night earlier and get a discount on your cocktails!
  7. Go out for Ice Cream
  8. Attend a showing at a Dollar Theater check your theater for discounted showings
  9. Go to the Arcade and play video games there’s nothing like some old school pac-man!
  10. Play miniature golf Putt-putt or mini golf is fun and inexpensive
  11. Ride Go-Karts
  12. Play at the Batting Cages
  13. Play Laser Tag we did this recently and I had side stitches from laughing so hard, it was a blast!
  14. Go to a Fair
  15. Attend a Matinee Movie another case of how moving the time of your date can help you save cash!
  16. Visit a Winery take a tour and try the wine flights after, they are usually quite affordable and a great way to taste test the wine
  17. Play pool (billiards)
  18. Take a Ballroom Dance Class, many studios offer your first class free
  19. Attend a High School Football game cheer for your local team!
  20. Go to the circus
  21. Play tennis you can often find very inexpensive rackets on Craigslist or Facebook marketplace if you don’t already have them
  22. Go horseback riding
  23. Play bingo at a Bingo Hall
  24. Attend a show at a comedy club earlier shows are often less expensive than late night shows
  25. Go to a drive-in movie
  26. Visit an aquarium
  27. Take a class at a community center and learn a new skill
  28. Go to the Zoo
  29. Tour a brewery. Like the wineries, they often have inexpensive flights to taste their different brews
  30. Go to a carnival
  31. Take a cooking class together
  32. Go out for breakfast at a local diner breakfast is less expensive than a dinner date most of the time!
  33. Enjoy a cup of coffee at a coffeehouse and people watch
  34. Have your palms read
  35. Go to a driving range

Around Town

  1. Volunteer together
  2. Tour Open Houses in your area – for the House Hunters lovers!
  3. Browse Art Galleries
  4. Attend a local Community Concert
  5. Go Thrift Store Shopping spend some time finding treasures together! Flea markets are another fun place to explore.
  6. Find a local Historic Tour
  7. Attend a Community Theater Performance
  8. Swim at a community pool
  9. Attend a “Free Day” at a museum most museums have monthly or quarterly discounted or free admission days, take advantage!
  10. Take a walking tour of a nearby town or city
  11. Sing Karaoke fun and free!
  12. Visit a local farm or petting zoo
  13. Visit a Botanical Gardens
  14. Visit the library and browse books/read together
  15. Take a Scenic Drive together make sure you stop to explore anything interesting you come across!
  16. Go garage sale hopping
  17. Test Drive your Dream Car
  18. Tour a local factory
  19. Attend a local festival check your newspaper for things happening in your area
  20. Attend a poetry reading
  21. Look at travel books at the bookstore and plan a dream vacation
  22. Attend an Open Mike night at a local coffeehouse or bar
  23. Help out at a local animal shelter together
  24. Go window shopping at stores you can’t afford
  25. Attend a lecture at a local university or college
  26. See a local band play you might just find the next big stars!
  27. Walk around town taking silly tourist-y pictures

I hope you found some inspiration in this list of free and cheap date ideas…did I miss any fun dating ideas? Leave them in the comments! You can also look at my money-saving DIY Gift ideas as well!

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