Happy Valentine’s week! Eric and I don’t usually exchange gifts on Valentine’s Day, but we do try to get out and spend some quality time together. Our first “real” date, that wasn’t a school dance, was to see “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” on Valentine’s Day in 2014. (You can read more about how we met here.) Yes, we’re kind of nerdy.
A friend asked me the other day what I thought she should get her boyfriend for Valentine’s Day. My answer was, an experience to share. I’m a huge fan of experience gifts–that is, ones that aren’t vastly expensive. Whilst we usually try for a date that’s a little out of the ordinary on Valentine’s Day, there are plenty of inexpensive or free dates out there that are just as good as a pricey dinner or concert.
The list would be longer if Valentine’s Day were in the summer… but there are plenty of indoor date options if you get creative. Here are some of my favorite budget-friendly date night ideas!
Dates Outside the Home
- A trip to your local arboretum, zoo, or conservatory. Is it just me who could spend every weekend at the zoo? So fun! Plus, if you’re a student, these places usually have discounted rates for you.
- Visit a free or low-cost museum near you. A surprising number of history and art museums are free or inexpensive–under $10/person–in our area. Check out yours!
- Hiking or a picnic at a local park or nature preserve. If it’s not too cold/snowy, head to a local park for a walk, and bring snacks! Also, it can be fun to bring a camera and take photos together.
- Visit the local animal shelter or humane society. Before we adopted Nelly, Eric and I loved visiting the Animal Humane Society for some puppy and kitty cuddles. Most places are glad to have you even if you have no intention of adopting.
- Go sledding. Most of my readers live where Valentine’s Day is cold–so take advantage of the weather. Buy a couple of cheap sleds and visit the local sledding hill for some good, old-fashioned fun!
- Go bowling! Not at an upscale place, but at the kind of alley where you’d have your childhood birthday parties. See if you can score over 100 without bumpers… it’s harder than it looks, okay?
- Go antiquing. I’m quite keen to do this with Eric as my family used to love antiquing together. We rarely bought anything, but it’s so fun to look through all of the old treasures and books in an antique store!
- Browse a used bookshop. They have huge selections and you can often find old/special editions of books for very cheap. Quietly browsing books side-by-side is a wonderful way to spend an evening, especially for introverts 🙂
- Grab dessert or coffee. If you’re not up for paying for a whole fancy dinner, head to a bakery, coffee or ice cream shop after dinner for a sweet treat.
- Find a class or experience on Groupon. This takes a bit of foresight, but especially if you live near a big city, there are tons of cheap date options on Groupon!
Dates at Home
- Make a memory album on Snapfish or Shutterfly. You don’t need to be engaged or married–or even order an album–to enjoy looking through photos of good memories together.
- Have a game night. Card games, board games, video games, whichever type of game you prefer!
- Plan your next vacation. Even if it’s not set in stone or it’s years away. Research tourist attractions, restaurants, natural wonders, and more to build your perfect vacation itinerary. Look for some travel or nature documentaries about the place to get you excited, too!
- Movie night at home. You might know I’m not really into TV or movies, but I’ll never turn down a nature documentary and a bowl of homemade popcorn! And, at home, you can have as many snacks as you want without spending a trillion dollars on them ;P
- Romantic dinner at home. A basic pasta dish or risotto + a pan of brownies, eaten by candlelight, is the perfect romantic dinner if you don’t want to go out. Plus wine, if that’s your thing!
- Experiment with a new, fancy recipe. Of course, “new” and “fancy” depend on the couple: a cut of meat you’ve never cooked before, a fussy custard or souffle, something with a wow factor like bananas flambé. You can always order takeout if the recipe fails.
- Make a craft or DIY together. Some easy ideas are coloring pages for adults, making a decorative wall collage, painting Christmas ornaments, learning to knit or crochet, or making a no-sew blanket or statement pillow.
- Home spa night. Once Eric and I went all out with homemade oatmeal masks, cucumber slices on our eyes, etc–I’m not sure my skin was any better, but we laughed a lot at how ridiculous each other looked!
- Have a reading night. Get in your PJs early, eat something simple, and skip the post-dinner dishes. Then curl up together with a bar of chocolate (or your sweet of choice) and good books!
- Hang out with friends or family. While the day can be a nice excuse to spend a private evening together, sometimes Eric and I feel more social and spend it with others, and it’s just as much fun!
What are your favorite easy, cheap date ideas? And what are your plans for this Valentine’s Day?