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Relationships > anniversary & date night

Home Buying Help – Money Management Tools – Home Decorating Ideas – Free Recipes

20 Hot Dates Under $20

date ideas, anniversary ideas, cheap dates

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Remember the days when dinner and a movie made for a cheap night out? Sigh. Neither do we. That’s why we came up with 20 dates for $20 (or less!). We've got date ideas for every type of couple -- from the sporty pair to the creative duo -- and in every price range. Just follow our price keys and plan away!

Key:
$: $1 - $6
$$: $7 - $14
$$$: $15 - $20

See what's on the agenda!

See More: Anniversary & Date Nights , Budgeting , Love & Sex

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Home Buying Help – Money Management Tools – Home Decorating Ideas – Free Recipes

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Hot Summer Dates That'll Keep You Cool

Home Buying Help – Money Management Tools – Home Decorating Ideas – Free Recipes

Outdoor Date Ideas

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Go to a local high school team's game or have a picnic in your living room (spread a blanket down and have some finger foods with candles).

by fizzybauberswed on Jun 23, 2009

The pottery painting is a great idea! My Fiance and I had a great time. And now he has a coffee mug and I have a hamburger bank to remember!

by KJ1226 on Jul 06, 2009

We like to go to the arcade. It costs us about $10-$20. You'll probably be the oldest ones there but it's really fun.

by makieasusanne on Jul 17, 2009

Pac a lunch and take a tour! If you live in an area like i do, there are a ton of historic sights to see. Or while you are there you can wine and dine. It's free to go, shut the radio off in the car, stir up some good conversations...Than sight-see and shop!

by Kelly Anderson on Aug 04, 2009

DH and I are always going on dates that cost less than $20 so I have a lot of ideas but one of our favorite dates is going to play mini golf. It's usually no more than $5 a game and we get to have carefree fun and act young again. We even up the ante by making bets so the date doesn't end when the golf does. It continues when we go home. ;-P Bowling and playing pool are other dates we enjoy going on.

by Southern-Yankee on Aug 06, 2009

Check out our local colleges. There are quite a few where we live and they all have art gallery buildings. And all of them are free.

by Southern-Yankee on Aug 06, 2009

It should be "your local colleges," not "our local colleges."

by Southern-Yankee on Aug 06, 2009

On summer nights we like to take a walk or go on a bike ride and stop at a local mom and pop ice cream shop. But, our favorite free date is to go to a locally owned bookstore and browse the shelves. We always have great conversations about the books we find.

by A.A.M.O. on Aug 19, 2009

The Urban Spoon Slot Machine is an awesome way to plan a cheap and easy dinner date in NYC. You can select your price range, neighborhood, and type of food you're interested in. Lev and I use it all the time!

by jaxgold14 on Aug 19, 2009

We love board games!!! we have had so much fun grabbing a 12 pack,(maybe some take out or cook in) picking out a board game and turning on the music! (or having a funny classic movie on in the back ground) its so much fun!

by kristinf1231 on Aug 19, 2009

For a fun in home date we love to play Scrabble! I know that it seems nerdy but it's good, clean and fun entertainment for us. We ante up the game and the winner gets a "treat"!

by camielle777 on Aug 19, 2009

We've had great luck purchasing certificates 2 fancy restaurants on www.restaurant.com We buy them when they're 80% off so 4 ex, a $25 off cert cost us $2. We've eaten at pricey spots with top o the line creative dishes for @$20 plus tip. The place we went last night had a jazz trio & a bright, airy feel to the place. Gave us both a nice pick-me-up after hard workdays.

by ErinMQ on Aug 20, 2009

We live in a suburban area that has alot of old town centers that used to be far out in the country. Alot of them have been rehabilitated and have several shops and restaurants. We go on a Saturday afternoon and have lunch or coffee and browse the shops. This is anywhere from free when we don't buy anything up to about $25 when we find a bottle of wine, a small gift or decorative piece to buy. We also go to the dog park near our house. This is free. We have recently started hiking in the state parks in the area. This costs the gas to get there plus the $4 parking fee at the park but it fills a whole day. The major league baseball team in our city has $1 tickets for standing room only that go on sale an hour before the game. We get those and go to the bar in the park and hang out there. The minor league team has a grass hill called the berm where you can sit on the grass or a blanket for $5 each.

by kayt4444 on Aug 26, 2009

We have a couple 2nd run movie theaters close by. Tickets are only $2-$3 a person, so it's worth it to wait the extra month for something we want to see. Oh and there's also the dollar menu at McD's! lol Just kidding of course--I never eat fast food ;-)

by samwilkening on Nov 06, 2009

A few months ago my husband and I got married. After all the expenses we try to keep things on a budget. So his job gave him free movie ticket for being a good employee.Movie tickets are expensive including the food. Sometimes we order a payperview movie once a month for $4.95. Also we shop only if we really need to. There are affordable restaurants where we live and a meal for two could be $12-$20.

by mariedavid27 on Nov 13, 2009

$ We organise a dessert & board game night at least once a week with either my husbands family or grandparents. One of us bakes a nice dessert, and we have coffees and nibblies during the game. $$$ We love to have Thai as 1 meat dish plus rice for two is under $20 we usually follow this by walking around late-open asian supermarkets and buying nteresting new foods. $$ We love to cook, so one of us will do a 3-course meal. Sometimes we have a couple over to share the fun $ Beach or swimming pool, but bring drinks, snacks, books, massage oil, and do things like collect shells, sunbake together, walks to get hot chips or icecream $$$ When we have an upcoming friend/family birthday we go shopping for the present together - my husband loves shopping when we have a goal (even if it includes a new dress for me ;)) and it's doing something that has to be done together.

by Em4JC on Nov 16, 2009

$ I forgot to mention garage sailing and going to antique actions, fun, interesting, and lots of interesting things to talk about!

by Em4JC on Nov 16, 2009

If you live near a University, hit up some of their plays or music deparment performances. The tickets are usually around $10/piece and the shows are good quality. You get a classy evening and you don't have to pay the downtown theatre prices.

by mrssorensen on Dec 10, 2009

My Favorite thing to do with DH is pick a new recipe that requires a little bit of prep time and alter it to our liking and make it together. We listen to music and joke around while cooking .Then we choose a couple of old school comedies and pop them in while we eat our masterpieces.

by bearsinpants on Jan 10, 2010

We go to the local improv groug for $5 each. They also have a "frequent flyer" card, go five times next visit is free. And we found a local contra dancing community group. Once a month lessons are free and before hand there is a pot luck!

by msskmm on Jan 13, 2010

When it's cold outside we like to build a fire, watch a movie and make smores.

by mel6909 on Jan 16, 2010

Date night is a must! My DH and I go every Wed. and Sat.! One of our favorite cheap things to do is go to our local pub where they have video golf and play a few rounds of golf! Cost is about 12 dollars for two games of golf and we have fun playing on the different courses and enjoying some "friendly playful" competition!

by julianneschoder on Jan 20, 2010

We live close to an IKEA and will go there and walk around for a few hours looking at all the crazy furniture. The trip usually ends with the $1 cinnamon rolls as well. Recently, we've been house-hunting and just driving through neighborhoods and going into open houses has been a lot of fun. Also, Barnes and Noble with coffee and browsing is a fun cheap date.

by mindle22 on Jan 20, 2010

many cities have 'first fridays' or something like that where all of the art studios and museums are open late night once a month and most of them are free plus snacks and wine! we live in a football town so on friday nights there is a street party and all day saturday there is tail-gating...no need to go to the game-just make friends with your alum and chill in the sun with a sweet view of the stadium ;) we are fortunate to have a gorgeous stadium ie: in miami this would be a suck date ;)

by smg09 on Jan 20, 2010

I thought the volunteer date was a great idea - nothing better then bonding over a joint mitzvah

by rat132 on Mar 02, 2010

Depending on where you live, go to the drive-in movies. There is a GREAT drive-in called Showboat Drive-in about 15-20 min North of Houston,TX. $5 a person for a double feature (that's TWO movies for $10!) The movies are always new releases and There are two screens to choose from.

by harvey2584 on Mar 03, 2010

I also think the pottery painting is a great idea! My fiance and I have gone a couple times. I painted him a giant coffee mug (he uses all the time!) and we just recently went together and painted tiki mugs (mine is like day @ the beach and his is like night!) The employees loved them. As a matter of fact, I'm using mine right now lol. We even went with another couple and everyone had a great time.

by psuxray07 on Mar 05, 2010

Three words: World of Warcraft! Few women know how much fun it is. I think it costs him $15 a month, I guess you need two accounts to play together on two computers. Maybe it isn't as cheap as I think...also Wii. We love it, a one time investment of a few clams but over the course of a lifetime it's cheap.

by mayoppenheim on Mar 22, 2010

It's maybe not considered a date, but my husband and I like to go to the local ice cream shop, grab a malt, and go for a drive. We have a wildlife refuge only 15 minutes from us and we'll drive through the country to the refuge, drive through there, walk around a bit, and then drive through the serene country home. I"m sure we'll do this a lot since it's warming up outside again, and we can even do this with the baby!

by Jacquie_Palma on Mar 23, 2010

We go out to grab pizza at a local pizza place instead of having it delivered. It gives us 30-60 minutes to talk about each others day, etc.

by kimamos on May 03, 2010

Sometimes there are certain days of the week where clubs/dancehalls give free dance lessons during the early evening before the crowds come. It's usually on nights that aren't so busy- ask around in your town! My fiancé has agreed to check out one in San Antonio with me so we can brush up on our two-stepping

by kristichelle on May 11, 2010

Me and my DH love to cook a mean together as a couple, then sit on the couch or in bed watching movies. It's one of our favorite things to do. Food cost...what ever you spend at the store and the movie...$3.50. It's also a great way to catch up on your cuddeling =]

by samenright on May 17, 2010

We go garage sale'ing most Saturdays, we pick out our route and go around checking them out...many of them have BBQ's so you get lunch in too! Its a really cheap date, unless you actually buy anything it just cost whatever you spend in gas...

by rleppington on Jun 03, 2010

My fiance and I live near an airfield. We'll take our lunch with us, sit in the car, and watch the skydivers. It's awesome! The first time I did this I surprised him with sushi and Pom tea.

by kharrell@stetson.edu on Jun 03, 2010

Go to a state park! You'll be supporting conservation of wildlife and their habitats and it's great fun.

by kharrell@stetson.edu on Jun 03, 2010

Our city 'Garden' offers "Date Night" once a month. For $7 each, you get admission into the Gardens and at sunset they show a movie on a large screen under the stars. Picnics are welcomed (even alcohol!). It is a cheap and romantic way to spend a warm summer evening!

by parbelsa on Jun 07, 2010

would love to have a date with the husbo. we both work nights, on different days. one of us has to take a day off to have a "date night." sigh.

by katielou1118 on Jun 07, 2010

Hint for the Minor (& Major) league games: lots of stadiums allow you to take in a cooler of food & drinks (non-alcoholic), so that's a great way to save on over-priced snacks you know you'll crave once you're there, without feeling deprived.

by carabrian on Jun 07, 2010

My husband and I like to take a long leisurely drive to a country grocery store, where we get hand dipped ice cream. We then drive to a close by state park and sit on the lake dam and watch the sunset. Very romantic and costs less than $10.

by murrey7@msn.com on Jun 08, 2010

We enjoy walking around local scenic locations and then relaxing to read a comic book or such. A great combination! Also going places with a purpose, such as to find pretty leaves for family art activities or to look for the most unique item in a shop =)

by TKCB on Jun 13, 2010

We host poker night and invite a ffew friends or family members and play for nickles and dimes. We rarely start with more than $3.00 in change. The worst case senerio is that we spend $3.00 to have a fun filled together time.

by debjr on Jun 21, 2010

Around here, pottery painting is super expensive! One place even charges $10 for each person just to get in, then you also have to pay for the overpriced stuff to paint! Where do you find that for cheap?

by jesuslovingchik on Jun 28, 2010

we go to the local hardware store and look at all the stuff: paint, wallpaper, sinks, cabnets, etc. its really fun to talk and daydream about what we wanna do to the house someday. and to finish it off we go to a cheap fast food place and then back home to watch whatever movie is on while laying on the couch rubbing each others feet. its relaxing

by steenienichole on Jul 26, 2010

Spend a couple of hours making a really nice finger food buffet for the two of you to enjoy while playing a board or card game. Perfect for encouraging him to give that poker night a miss :D

by MissGide on Sep 03, 2010

BOOTYCALLS ARE FREE

by retroduck on Oct 07, 2010

We have Netflix, which we can now 'instant watch' via our xbox system. So we decide on a series, like we've watched all the seasons of True Blood and have moved to Dexter. It's like our late night date throughout the week (when we have time). Sometimes we watch 1 episode, sometimes 2 or 3. Netflix is like $10-12/month! And we get new instant-watch movies each month too

by tgoldsmith01 on Oct 09, 2010

My H and I like to go to the local orchard. They offer several picking trails for a reasonable price. You can also use what you pick to make dessert for two when you get back home.

by miriamjackson on Oct 11, 2010

dollar store date is one of our favorites. Head to the local dollar store with a $5.00 limit each. Each person has to come out with a purchase and an idea of how to use it for the rest of the day. It makes for a great afternoon of laughing as you try to fly your cheap plastic kites and eat generic gummy bears

by sarah.lenarz@gmail.com on Oct 11, 2010

I love the dollar store idea...how creative and I'm sure leads to some funny days! We love to have picnics in our living room or when it's nice out at the park in the middle of the woods

by DP111484 on Oct 26, 2010

How about a bedroom board game? Lots of fun and not expensive. Great way to open up communication--always a good thing! For some more great ideas, visit my site: www.TammyDoesPassionParties.com !

by IMTammyP on Nov 05, 2010

We like to watch football together. We are both football fans, he likes Dallas, and I like Pittsburgh. It makes it interesting when they play eachother. And it doesn't cost anything.

by Stephy69418 on Nov 11, 2010

Great Ideas..i espcially like the idea about netflix...we too have it and never thought of watching a season together...BTW True Blood is AWESOME...

by MrsShaw10210 on Nov 24, 2010

kayaking is one of my fiance and I's favorite thing to do together. Not only does it help us stay in shape, but we're gone all day and get to spend some fun alone time together. If you don't own a kayak, you can rent a canoe or ducky from a local park!

by malloryvining on Jan 08, 2011

our date nights usually have to be something kid friendly...we usually have one if not both the kiddos with us...my mom isnt up to keeping both at once while they are still this little and i don't trust my fiance's parents to keep my kids for any length of time when one of us isnt present to supervise them.(sad but true...i really dont know how my fiance survived being raised by them) lets just say AA needs to be #1 on their to do list. anyway so unless its chuckie cheese, the mall, eating out in general or a tour of the local zoo or museum we don't usually have much of a night out. our dates usually consist of a movie rental, cheap (but good) wine and a healthy home cooked meal

by princessallimom on Jan 10, 2011

My hubby and I love to take old bread and go to the local park and feed ducks!

by beachdreams on Jul 23, 2011

These are some great ideas. But they need to not list a ethnic fair or county fair. Its 20$ just to get in those these days. And goodness forbid you want to eat there!!!

by brownbear123 on Aug 31, 2011

Bring the frisbee for a throw on a nice day. Go for a walk down a street with shops we have never been in before. Drive around a part of town or neighborhood we have never been in and look at houses and talk about what we like and don't like about the area taking flyers for house that are for sale and looking at the pictures... We go on work dates sometimes, since we both work from home, while the kid is at school we hit up our favorite coffee shop and work a couple hours then get lunch.

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by Apollosan on Jan 17, 2012

Even if you have experienced at least once in your lifemittelschmerz, you would certainly be able to enjoy these inexpensive date tips. Under $20 is a deal!

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