Love Don't Cost a Thing: 98 Cheap Date Ideas

Going on dates doesn't always have to mean draining your wallet at fancy restaurants. There are plenty of affordable and entertaining dates you can go on with your significant other. After all, it's really the time you spend with them that matters and not how much you're spending on the dates. Here are 98 cheap dates for you to try.

— Additional reporting by Emily Co

01
Cook family recipes for each other.
Getty | Luis Alvarez

Cook family recipes for each other.

02
Nostalgia movie night. Watch your favorite movies from your school years.
Getty | Carol Yepes

Nostalgia movie night. Watch your favorite movies from your school years.

03
Watch a free improv show.
Getty | Caiaimage/Tom Merton

Watch a free improv show.

04
Go for a hike in a beautiful park.
Getty | martin-dm

Go for a hike in a beautiful park.

05
Picnic outdoors and prep delicious snacks to feed each other.
Getty | Enrique Díaz / 7cero

Picnic outdoors and prep delicious snacks to feed each other.

06
Explore the farmers market together, and share some juicy fruits or tasty snacks to munch on.
Getty | Sascha Kilmer

Explore the farmers market together, and share some juicy fruits or tasty snacks to munch on.

08
Go to open mic night and sing your heart out.
Getty | Manuel Breva Colmeiro

Go to open mic night and sing your heart out.

09
Visit a board game cafe and play games to your heart's content.
Getty | Enes Evren

Visit a board game cafe and play games to your heart's content.

10
Pal up with your partner for trivia nights in neighborhood bars.
Getty | skynesher

Pal up with your partner for trivia nights in neighborhood bars.

11
Create your own city tour, and visit historic landmarks.
Getty | d3sign

Create your own city tour, and visit historic landmarks.

12
Pick a documentary, and discuss it after watching.
Getty | skynesher

Pick a documentary, and discuss it after watching.

13
Have a book club date. Choose a book to read together, and hold an intimate book club meeting when you're both done with it.
Getty | skynesher

Have a book club date. Choose a book to read together, and hold an intimate book club meeting when you're both done with it.

14
Volunteer together at the pound, homeless shelter, or your favorite nonprofit.
Getty | Klaus Vedfelt

Volunteer together at the pound, homeless shelter, or your favorite nonprofit.

15
Go swimming together.
Getty | Artur Debat

Go swimming together.

16
Stargaze and try to name the constellations you're staring at with the help of an app or book.
Getty | John Crux Photography

Stargaze and try to name the constellations you're staring at with the help of an app or book.

17
Watch birds and wildlife, and try to identify them with a book or app.
Getty | Kcris Ramos

Watch birds and wildlife, and try to identify them with a book or app.

18
Pick fruit from a farm, and find recipes to cook the fruit.
Getty | MirageC

Pick fruit from a farm, and find recipes to cook the fruit.

19
Plan a trip together, and share pretty pictures and hot-spot descriptions with each other.
Getty | Hinterhaus Productions

Plan a trip together, and share pretty pictures and hot-spot descriptions with each other.

20
Buy a travel book of your dream travel destination, and read it together.
Getty | Hinterhaus Productions

Buy a travel book of your dream travel destination, and read it together.

22
Take a free meditation class together.
Getty | John Crux Photography

Take a free meditation class together.

23
Bike around the city.
Getty | Klaus Vedfelt

Bike around the city.

24
Bring $5 to the mall and see who ends up with the best buy.
Getty | AscentXmedia

Bring $5 to the mall and see who ends up with the best buy.

25
Rollerblade together or go to a roller skating rink.
Getty | Flashpop

Rollerblade together or go to a roller skating rink.

26
Try ice skating.
Getty | EmirMemedovski

Try ice skating.

27
Go on a free factory tour.
Getty | d3sign

Go on a free factory tour.

29
Play a sport together.
POPSUGAR Photography / Sheila Gim

Play a sport together.

30
Make desserts for each other.
Getty | Dougal Waters

Make desserts for each other.

31
Become a kid again, and play games at the arcade.
Getty | Steve Allen

Become a kid again, and play games at the arcade.

32
Throw a fondue night, and experiment with unique ingredients.
Getty | Tassaphon Vongkittipong

Throw a fondue night, and experiment with unique ingredients.

33
Go fishing.
Getty | vgajic

Go fishing.

34
Watch a movie in a drive-in theater, and make a sundae or a root beer float to consume at home before going.
Getty | Erin Slonaker

Watch a movie in a drive-in theater, and make a sundae or a root beer float to consume at home before going.

36
Go to a jazz bar.
Getty | AdShooter

Go to a jazz bar.

37
Build a jigsaw puzzle together.
Getty | Yamada Taro

Build a jigsaw puzzle together.

38
Go to a local festival.
Getty | Carol Yepes

Go to a local festival.

39
Visit a flea market or thrift store, and try to find things you can restore together.
Getty | lechatnoir

Visit a flea market or thrift store, and try to find things you can restore together.

40
Walk around Ikea, and get a meal there after exploring.
Getty | zeljkosantrac

Walk around Ikea, and get a meal there after exploring.

41
Miniature golf.
Getty | LordRunar

Miniature golf.

43
Check out an art exhibit.
Getty | Justin Pumfrey

Check out an art exhibit.

44
Paint together.
Getty | Alistair Berg

Paint together.

45
Try to fold challenging origami pieces.
Getty | Kelly Sillaste

Try to fold challenging origami pieces.

46
Design mugs for each other.
Getty | Compassionate Eye Foundation/Mar

Design mugs for each other.

47
Go to a playground, and exchange childhood memories.
POPSUGAR Photography | Sheila Gim

Go to a playground, and exchange childhood memories.

48
Visit a dog park with your dog.
Getty | Dima Viunnyk

Visit a dog park with your dog.

50
Make a scrapbook of your best memories together.
Getty | Carol Yepes

Make a scrapbook of your best memories together.

51
Practice photo shoots if one of you is into photography.
Getty | matrixnis

Practice photo shoots if one of you is into photography.

52
Attend free lectures.
Getty | Django

Attend free lectures.

53
Go to a book signing.
Getty | skaman306

Go to a book signing.

54
Do crossword puzzles together.
Getty | mattjeacock

Do crossword puzzles together.

55
Take a dance class.
Getty | Tom Werner

Take a dance class.

56
Go to '80s or '90s night at a club or bar in your city, and dress up in clothes from that era.
POPSUGAR Photography | Benjamin Stone

Go to '80s or '90s night at a club or bar in your city, and dress up in clothes from that era.

57
Paint ceramics together.
Getty | Kohei Hara

Paint ceramics together.

58
Take a scenic road trip.
Getty | Klaus Vedfelt

Take a scenic road trip.

59
Play video games from your childhood.
Getty | 10'000 Hours

Play video games from your childhood.

60
Go to an airport and watch planes take off together.
Getty | Jodie Griggs

Go to an airport and watch planes take off together.

61
Make and experiment with cocktails. Come up with your own names for the concoctions.
Getty | Klaus Vedfelt

Make and experiment with cocktails. Come up with your own names for the concoctions.

62
Take a ferry ride.
Getty | Stacey Bramhall

Take a ferry ride.

64
Fly a kite together. Perhaps even make the kite together before flying it.
Getty | Brett Davies - Photosightfaces

Fly a kite together. Perhaps even make the kite together before flying it.

65
Play truth or dare with each other.
Getty | svetikd

Play truth or dare with each other.

67
Visit movie locations in your city, and watch the movies after your tour.
Getty | jin chu ferrer

Visit movie locations in your city, and watch the movies after your tour.

68
Go to the beach, and enjoy activities like building sandcastles and skipping rocks.
Getty | Compassionate Eye Foundation/Ste

Go to the beach, and enjoy activities like building sandcastles and skipping rocks.

69
Do a spa night at home, and give each other massages.
Getty | kate_sept2004

Do a spa night at home, and give each other massages.

71
Start watching a TV series together.
Getty | Marco_Piunti

Start watching a TV series together.

72
Start a blog together.
Unsplash | Raw Pixel

Start a blog together.

73
Go to the rooftop of a very high building and enjoy the view. Bring some sparklers to play with.
Unsplash | Enka80

Go to the rooftop of a very high building and enjoy the view. Bring some sparklers to play with.

74
Tackle an upcycling project.
Getty | ondacaracola photography

Tackle an upcycling project.

75
Write out your bucket list with each other.
Getty | Emilija Manevska

Write out your bucket list with each other.

76
Admire the architecture in your city.
Getty | Chris Tobin

Admire the architecture in your city.

78
Pet-sit together.
Getty | Sally Anscombe

Pet-sit together.

79
Go to a dive bar, and challenge each other to a game of pool, darts, or shuffleboard.
Getty | Witthaya Prasongsin

Go to a dive bar, and challenge each other to a game of pool, darts, or shuffleboard.

80
Go open-house-hopping together.
Getty | Caiaimage/Martin Barraud

Go open-house-hopping together.

81
Check out an indoor rock climbing gym.
Unsplash | Bady

Check out an indoor rock climbing gym.

82
Play in the snow. Make snow angels and snowmen. Start a snowball fight, and slide down a hill on a sled.
Unsplash | Heftiba

Play in the snow. Make snow angels and snowmen. Start a snowball fight, and slide down a hill on a sled.

83
Check out a local band.
Unsplash | Michael Mongin

Check out a local band.

85
Visit a candy store or ice cream parlor, and spend time talking and enjoying sweets.
Getty | Massimo Merlini

Visit a candy store or ice cream parlor, and spend time talking and enjoying sweets.

86
Watch a sports game together.
Getty | RgStudio

Watch a sports game together.

87
Attend a poetry reading.
Unsplash | Gift

Attend a poetry reading.

88
Attend a carnival or local fair.
Getty | Pollyana Ventura

Attend a carnival or local fair.

89
Attend free mixers in your city.
Getty | Henrik Sorensen

Attend free mixers in your city.

90
Explore a haunted house.
Getty | Pixza

Explore a haunted house.

92
Make a pizza together with all your favorite toppings. Get creative, and attempt to make a dessert pizza.
Getty | mixetto

Make a pizza together with all your favorite toppings. Get creative, and attempt to make a dessert pizza.

93
Watch a high school or college sport together.
Getty | Pgiam

Watch a high school or college sport together.

94
Go to a foreign film night. They usually host one at a school or the library.
Getty | MediaProduction

Go to a foreign film night. They usually host one at a school or the library.

95
Volunteer at an archeological dig.
Getty | wundervisuals

Volunteer at an archeological dig.

96
Attend a Home Depot workshop.
Getty | Christina Reichl Photography

Attend a Home Depot workshop.

97
Learn a language together.
Getty | Klaus Vedfelt

Learn a language together.

98
Go geochaching together.
Getty | PeopleImages

Go geochaching together.

99
POPSUGAR Photography / Sheila Gim