Cheap Date Ideas for Men

Whatever you do, do not bust out a coupon or gift card before the 5th date or before you learn her mother’s maiden name.

As much as we women want you to be savvy with your money, nothing comes off as more cheap then whipping out a gift card for the movie theater on the first date. The key is to hide the fact you are trying to save your money by taking her out on amazing dates.

Here are some ideas that won’t break the bank:

• Picnic: Old school, thoughtful and cheap! Head to your local city park (preferably one without killer ducks and hobos) with a blanket, some yummy sammies from your favorite deli and bottle of wine. Bring bread for the ducks because nothing screams ‘sweet guy’ like guy feeding ducks bread. This is perfect for a weekend date, especially if you have a dog.


• Festivals: Most cities have farmer markets, small music and/or art festivals on the weekend. Grab some sunglasses and mosey around the booths for an hour or so. Take it up a notch and pick out fresh veggies and make her dinner later. Some cities have an outdoor theater and offer some sort of ‘theater under the stars’, typically these are free and offer some decent entertainment.


• Frozen Yogurt/Coffee: Think small when wanting to impress her. A quaint little local coffee shop can be romantic to a woman. There's something about the eclectic junk on the walls and yummy smells that make us feel like we are sitting in Aunt Madge’s living room, in doing so makes us more comfortable. Something just as delicious and inexpensive as a frozen yogurt joint with a place to walk around and chat is always fun.


• Dinner: It’s recommended you take the girl out for a nice dinner for the first date or two. But once you start to settle into ‘getting to know you’ phase better, invite her over for dinner. Yes, you have to make dinner. But come on, girls LOVE a man that can cook, or at least look cute trying to cook. Try to find out what her favorite meal is and cook it. Extra bonus points. Clean up your place, get rid of the roomie, hide the Sports Illustrated Calendar and rent a movie.


• Trivia Night: Here’s the secret to taking her out to your favorite bar without spending a lot of money, go on a school night (during the week). Some bars have trivia nights with awesome specials on cheap beer and yummy food. Tell her you want to take her out for a ‘fun and casual’ night of trivia and beer. Swoon- worthy for any girl that isn’t high maintenance.

If you are concerned that your new lady friend won’t like these ideas, it’s probably best to find a new girl that is actually cool and not a stick in the mud. Plan a date, don’t over think it, be a gentleman and have fun while not spending a ton of money.

About the Author: Nancy Parker was a professional full time nanny and she loves to write about wide range of subjects like health, parenting, child care, babysitting, nanny background check tips etc. You can reach her at nancy.parker015@gmail.com.

Share this: