When Amanda and I first quit our jobs to start businesses our date nights went from $100 dinners to… well stuff that’s a lot less expensive!

It was a big change in our relationship since we no longer had those ‘top of the world’ experiences which had defined how we connected. It took a while but we found how to have fun on the cheap!

Price is no barrier to the man with a creative soul!

#1 Creativity Crushes Caviar!

Anyone with a job and no long term plan can drop a lot of cash for a fancy dinner but what you really want on date night is to have fun together.

This is great news for anyone on a budget because you (thankfully) don’t need to try and be the ‘Dinner & Movie‘ couple. Instead you can do interesting activities that you would both enjoy even if you were by yourself!

Try some of these dates to get the ball rolling.

#2 Groupon is totally OK!

(So long as it’s not a first date!)

On a first date you’re not going to wow her if she feel you’re a cheap person. After you’ve been on a few dates, however, it’s totally OK to discuss your long term financial plan and budget. If you can communicate this well then being frugal is Smart not Cheap. Once you reach this point it’s time to start saving $$

Sites like Groupon, and Living Social are a great place to find deals. Most of these will be for dining or entertainment experiences which make up a big part of any date life so you’ll find something you like.

You’ll need to do some filtering since there’s some really good deals as well as terrible ones but if you check regularly you’ll save some serious cash and still have epic date nights together!

Authenticity Tip

On a first date you need to avoid the ‘You’re not a priority’ vibe. This really kills stuff dead.

Instead spend a little more than normal on date #1 where you can discuss finances and see if she’s on the same page. If so she’ll love being spoiled for a night but then be happy to tone it down after that.

Keep an eye out for sales to

#3 Restock Your Date stash

A Date Stash is a box of cards, wrapping paper, supplies and small gifts that make date night awesome with minimal effort. If you plan ahead, and grab the stuff you need while it’s on sale, it also saves you a bunch of cash! Here’s some economical ways to fill it:

Lingerie

This is a present you’re guaranteed to give her in the future so be smart and buy it on promotion or as a 2 for 1 deal. This means you’ve always got a surprise present ready to go when finances are tight. Epic!

Stationary

When you’re getting the groceries (by yourself) swing past the stationary isle and grab anything on sale that will help on date night. E.g. Nice paper, ribbon, envelopes, etc… If you have this you can bust out a creative surprise in no time!

Gift Cards

When you’re buying a gift card simply grab 4 more for the future and stash them ready to go. There’s heaps of uses for these – I’m sorry card, thankyou card, date night invite etc…

Presents

Buy Christmas and birthday presents ahead of time on sale and stash them ready to go. This also takes heaps of pressure off down the track.

Escape Room Game

A printable escape room kit is far cheaper than going to a ‘live’ escape room, plus you can do it in the comfort of your own home. Check out how this couple used a printable escape room kit for a wonderful date night in, or, make your own.

Blow her away with

#4 Build up and surprise

Surprise dates are awesome but often buildup is better since it lets her look forward to the night all day! One easy and inexpensive way to do this is with a physical invitation. In a world of 140 characters this spells
A-W-E-S-O-M-E!

Check out these creative guides:

Easiest invites

Write a your invite on the toilet roll using a marker
Make a paper aeroplane with a message on the inside
Use a card from your Date Stash
Hide a romantic ‘It’s date night!’ note in her shoe
Put a few post-it-notes in places you know she’ll see

P.S. It’d love to know what low-cost ideas you have for your Date Stash! Just drop a note in the comments!

by Elliott Bailey
Filed under Cheap dates, Date Hacks, Date Training.

How to pull off cheap date nights like a boss!