You don’t have to be dating to go on dates. Spending quality time together as an engaged or married couple is important to maintain a healthy relationship. Just because money’s tight doesn’t mean you can’t go out for a night on the town… or spend the weekend doing something new and fun. So get out of your pj’s and check out these budget-friendly date ideas from Marie Claire.
1. Rent bikes and go for a ride in the park or by the beach. Pack a picnic lunch or grab hotdogs at a nearby stand.
2. Grab your partner and go treasure hunting at local garage sales. If you go to the the ritziest neighborhood in your area, you up your chances of finding something special.
3. Go roller skating or ice skating. Treat yourself with ice cream or hot chocolate afterward, depending on the season.
4. Find a local farm to go fruit picking. When you’ve loaded up on all the apples or berries you can transport home, look up some recipes and get busy in the kitchen.
5. The bookstore can be a great place to bond. Browse through the isles sharing your old favorite or the ones you couldn’t stand. Find a section that appeals to a hobby of each of yours, like art, sports, cooking, or gardening, and buy yourself a small gift.
6. Build something together! Been meaning to buy a small bookshelf for the bedroom? Why not put one together yourselves.
7. Go to a fair! Do all the appropriate things: share cotton candy, let him win you a prize, and ride the Ferris wheel until you get dizzy. Your inner children will have a ball!
8. Hauntedhouse.com has listings of spooky mansions in your area. Start off by watching a scary movie before you go, and then spook yourselves silly at a “real” haunted house.
9. Play 20 Questions. Whether you’ve been together for three weeks or three years, there are probably things you don’t know about each other. Make sure your questions are open-ended so you don’t get yes-or-no answers — and fire away.
10. Take a hike. Enjoy the weather, the scenery, and each other.
11. Take a class together at your local community school. You can find lot of options for 8-week classes, from cooking to karate.
12. Go to a museum–there are so many options! Art, science, natural history, cars, Ripley’s, miniature… and the best part is that almost all museums have one day a week where you can get in for free or for a small suggested donation.
13. Check the theater offerings at local colleges and high schools. They’ll often have a spring and a fall show, and it’s a great way to see a version of your favorite plays and musicals for a fraction of the cost.
14. Celebrate the first snow of winter with a day of sledding. Pick a hilly spot in your town, and if you can’t get ahold of real sleds, and use garbage can lids.
15. Stop at your local library and rent a few movies. Toss a coin to see whose pick you’ll watch first, and try not to roll your eyes or snore during each other’s choices.