Like my blog? Sign-Up for a FREE newsletter! OR Give a ‘Like’ to my FaceBook Page
Editor’s note: This is s guest post from Bobby Dee of consumer credit counseling
If you have put yourself on a strict a budget doesn’t mean you can’t have fun on a date. Everybody is looking at ways to save money and taper down their outgoing expenses, because in this financial climate you can’t be too certain about the future of the economy but if you’re creative you can still have a social life in the midst of this recession.
Whether you are going on a blind date, or are an older married couple planning and preparing for a date can be a stressful and if you’re strapped for cash you might think that your options are limited. The truth of the matter is it’s not how much you spend on a date, it’s the quality of the time spent with your partner and some of the enjoyable and engaging on dates where there’s not a lot of money involved.
Beach DateIf you’re close to the water take advantage of it, whether it be a beach or a lake all you need is a blanket, some cheese and crackers, and your favorite bottle of wine to turn a short trip to your local beach into a romantic getaway.Plan your day around the setting of the sun, that way when the sunset hits you two can clink glasses and toast to a prefect date on the beach!
Hike Date
Most likely your date is stuck in a stuffy office eight hours the day, five days out of the week so it should be a pleasant change to get out into the great outdoors and enjoy the environment. Most cities, regardless of size, have a ton of great hiking trails geared towards all fitness levels. So even if you’re not in perfect shape, or your are an experienced rock climber there’s going to be a great hike for you and your date.If you really want to go above and beyond, pack a nice lunch and maybe a bottle of wine when and have nice relaxing lunch when you reach the summit or are done with your hike. Hiking is a great, and economical way to have fun and stay active.
Farmer’s Market Date
Most communities have a local farmer’s market where local growers can set up stands and sell their locally grown, organic produce and goods. It’s also a place where you can find a lot of local artists selling hand made goods, and their most recent wares.One great idea is to plan a dinner before hand, using only locally grown ingredients that you can pick up at the farmer’s market. Once you have a tasty meal planned the next step would be to wake up in the morning, pick up your date to spend the morning and early afternoon, picking up ingredients, and hanging out at the farmer’s market. Once you’ve picked up all the ingredients, go home, enjoy a glass of wine with your date while you cook up dinner.
Indoor Rock Climbing Date
When you hear the word rock climbing a lot of people get intimidated with images of traversing tall mountains dancing through their heads but in reality indoor rock climbing is a fairly enjoyable activity for all ages and fitness levels. It’s also a great way for two people to get to know each other, especially when the couple is using a harness, belay and rope because you two have to trust each other to make sure that the other individual doesn’t fall.Most rock climbing gyms have day passes for around $15 to $20 each, and if this is your first time climbing you are going to want a quick lesson that way you don’t hurt yourself. There are not a lot of people that have experienced rock climbing for the first time and have not enjoyed themselves, so you and your date should be prepared to have a lot of fun.
A Groupon Date
Ever since the group buying phenomenon hit the US around 2008 it seems like everybody is receiving a daily deal email from Groupon, or other sites that offer similar services. The great thing about these sites is that sometimes they have a ton of great activities that you can get purchase for like 50% to 90% off that are perfect for dates.
Some of the most recent Groupon deals that have showed up in my inbox as of late have been, Kayak Tours, Jet Ski rentals, Yoga classes and other activities that could be perfect for you and your date. Getting these daily emails is a pretty simple process, and within a few mouse clicks you too can be receiving the best deals for the coolest activities around town.
Rule #1….Have Fun!
Regardless of if you’re on a budget or not, these activities can be extremely fun while you’re on a date. If you have boat loads of cash and you’re taking vacationing to St. Croix and jet setting around town you don’t have to worry about keeping a budget, but for the rest of us it’s all about what you can do with a little.
About the author: Bobby Dee works for a consumer credit counseling by working with credit counselors by day; at night he is a personal finance and tech blogger.
Like to Add a Guest Post?
This post was written by a guest writer. If you’d like to add a guest post in Money Hacker, please check out Write for Us page for details about how YOU can share your knowledge with our community.