65 Cheap Date Ideas To Treat Your Partner To Without Breaking The Bank

Going on a date can be pricy with a capital P. These days, a nice dinner, a couple of drinks, and two movie tickets could easily add up to a couple hundred dollars. While it’s nice to splurge and treat yourself occasionally, it’s good to have a few cheap date ideas in your back pocket, too, so that you and your partner can have fun on a budget.

Cheap dates are a necessity when you’re in a long-term relationship. While you might go all-out on an anniversary or a special occasion, the more affordable options can fill the days between, like when you want to reconnect after a long week or when you’re bored on a Sunday and want to spice things up without breaking the bank.

The more affordable options also come in clutch when you’re fresh on the dating scene. If you’re meeting up for a few first dates every month, you probably won’t want to commit too much time or money before you know if you’ll hit it off. Instead, it would make sense to meet up for 30 minutes, grab a coffee, and see how you mesh.

If you’re looking for some cheap date ideas, keep reading for inspiration that fits any mood and occasion.

Grab A Bite

1. Get Ice Cream

Stop by that ice cream shop you’ve been meaning to try. Sample a few flavors, order two cones, and eat them on a bench with a view.

2. Grab A Slice

What could be better than walking around with a slice of pizza?

3. Quesadilla Night

Pick up tortillas, cheese, pico de gallo, and guac and build your own quesadillas at home.

4. Drive-Thru Date

Drive to a Wendy’s, order fries and a big Frosty, and have a picnic in the parking lot.

5. Just Dessert

If you feel like sitting down somewhere, stop by a restaurant but only order dessert.

6. Coffee Walk

This tried-and-true cheap date idea is always a winner. Sip your oat milk lattes while you stroll.

7. Picnic In The Park

Adorbs.

8. Try A New Recipe

Spend a night in and test new recipes. Bonus points if you attempt to use what you already have in the fridge.

9. Apps Only

Go to an outdoor bar and order all the best appetizers.

10. Bake Cookies

Then spend the evening eating them all.

Get Outside

11. Take A Hike

Find a nearby park and have yourselves a mini-hike.

12. Stroll A Farmer’s Market

Meet up on a Saturday morning and peruse the berries, sourdough bread, and homemade jewelry with no pressure to make a purchase.

13. Walk To A Destination

Choose a spot on the map, like a historic building or a good view, and walk there together. See if you can get to 10,000 steps.

14. People Watch

Pull up a bench and create imagine storylines and plots for the people who walk by.

15. Cheap Seats

Get the $15 bleacher tickets and spend an afternoon watching baseball.

16. Tour Your City

Play tourist for a day and visit all the local monuments and hotspots you always forget about.

17. Watch The Sunset

No $$$ required.

18. Get Sporty

Ride bikes, play tennis, or try roller skating in the park.

19. Peruse A Street Fair

Splurge on a $5 shaved ice.

20. Go Window Shopping

Hold hands as you peek into all the fanciest stores.

DIY Dates

21. Make Brunch Together

Or surprise your partner with breakfast in bed.

22. Go On A Scavenger Hut

Leave each other clues to follow.

23. Tie Dye T-Shirts

Get crafty.

24. Give Each Other Manicures

Be as artsy as possible

25. Create A Bucket List

Jot down everything you want to do together in the future.

26. Cook A Family Recipe

Reveal your grandma’s famous eggplant parm.

27. Plant A Garden

Or DIY a terrarium.

28. Volunteer At A Shelter

Go walk dogs and pet cats.

29. Learn A TikTok Dance

Pick one and perfect it.

30. Make “Friendship” Bracelets

Vow to wear them forever.

A Night Out

31. Stop By A Karaoke Bar

See who has the best voice.

32. Go On An Art Walk

Tour your city’s murals.

33. Listen To Live Music

Check local bars, coffee shops, and parks.

34. Look At The Stars

So romantic.

35. Pick Out Books

Go to a cute bookstore and flip through novels together.

36. Get Cozy At A Movie Theater

Split a popcorn.

37. Free Museum Night

See if a nearby museum or art gallery has any free entry nights or discounts for certain age groups.

38. Go Dancing

Boogie till dawn at a rooftop bar.

39. See A Standup Show

Follow theaters on Instagram and stop by when they have a $5 comedy night.

40. Go Bowling

It’s a classic.

A Night In

41. Movie Marathon

Choose a genre — horror, comedy, rom-coms — and watch as many as you can in a night.

42. Build A Fort

Grab all your pillows and blankets and make a tent in your living room.

43. Have A Spa Night

This is your chance to finally use the face masks you’ve been hoarding.

44. DIY Pizza

Make the whole thing from scratch.

44. Wine Tasting

Pick up a few bottom-shelf bottles from Trader Joe’s and pretend you’re sommeliers.

45. Paint Each Other’s Portrait

Don’t forget to share the results on TikTok.

46. Have A Game Night

See who’s more competitive.

47. Start A Book Club

Chat about your favorite novels.

48. Ask Each Other Questions

Get personal.

49. Mix Some Drinks

Create your own signature cocktails.

50. Cuddle Up

Make bed rotting a bonding moment.

Learn Something New Together

51. Go On A Historical Tour

No matter how long you’ve lived in your city, you’ll learn something new.

52. Head To The Library

Explore a new genre together, or you can pick out a book for each other.

53. Take A Dance Lesson

Salsa, ballroom, hip hop — the options are endless.

54. Have A Documentary Day

Pick a topic you’re both curious about and spend the day watching documentaries on it. You’ll both be experts by the end of the day.

55. Take An Online Course

Whether you’re interested in photography, cooking, or learning a new language.

56. Take An Art Class

From Paint and Sips to pottery painting, there are tons of ways to get artsy on a budget.

57. Stargaze With Maps

A way to take star watching up a notch: bring a star map or use a stargazing app to identify constellations.

Competitive Cheap Dates

58. Cook-Off Challenge

Pick a classic, easy-to-make dish — like avocado toast or mac and cheese — and see who can make the best version of it using the ingredients you have in your home.

59. Trivia Night

Find a local bar or restaurant that hosts trivia nights or place against one another at home.

60. Outdoor Obstacle Course

DIY using household items and cones.

61. Mini Golf

Name a more competitive date.

62. Do An Escape Room

Many locations offer discounts for off-peak times.

63. Ping Pong Tournament

This may call for an all-nighter.

64. Video Game Marathon

Go head to head in your favorite games.

65. Fitness Challenge

Include a series of exercises like sprints, squats, planks, etc.