There is a fine line between being a frugal spender and being downright cheap about everything that you do. A first date is your opportunity to impress a new person with all of your most positive attributes.
While frugality is certainly a positive attribute, acting like a complete and utter cheapskate is definitely not a positive attribute and may leave your date with a poor opinion of you. Following are some good date ideas for the budget-conscious dater.
1Frugal First Date Tips: Keep Your First Date Simple
One of the best methods of keeping your first date in the budget-friendly and frugal realms is to suggest something as simple a perhaps meeting for coffee and pastries in the middle of the afternoon. This not only ensures that you keep your first date expenditures under $20 but it also provides a somewhat neutral environment for you and your date to have a chat and get to know one another in a very casual setting.
If things progress from a great afternoon spent together to you and your date making plans for a second date together, consider opting for a lunch date; your lunch date can be kept in the frugal realms by opting for lunch at a deli or a salad bar.
By avoiding dinner, at least for the first few dates, you can avoid places that serve alcohol; not only is alcohol a poor choice during a first date but it can rapidly shoot your bill for the evening into the realms of budget-busting!
2Frugal First Date Tips: Mention Your Frugal Behavior Without Going Overboard
During the course of your first date consider mentioning the fact that you are a budget-conscious person and try to find the best methods of being frugal in all that you do. Try not to push the issue too much or recommend frugal methods to your date; you run the risk of not only annoying your date but also of having an eyebrow raised at just how frugal you are – and whether or not your frugal methods lean towards being a simple cheapskate. In general, money matters should be avoided during a first date so only mention it if your date brings it up in some way, shape, or form!
You may just find that your date is as frugal minded as you are!
3Frugal First Date Tips: Go Bowling
Going bowling is a fun first date! Not only is bowling an activity that is incredibly budget-friendly but it is also a great way for you and your date to get to know each other in a very casual environment. If your date has never gone bowling before, so much the better! This is your opportunity to impress your date with your incredible bowling knowledge, or at least amuse your date with just how bad of a bowler you actually are!
A bowling alley is a fun place to enjoy your first date together – an affordable activity with affordable food options that also allows you the opportunity for conversation and friendly competition – what more could you want from a first date that fits into your frugal lifestyle!
4Frugal First Date Tips: Mini Golf Your Way To Fun
Just like bowling is a great first date, mini golf can be equally as fun and entertaining for a first date; friendly competition, amusing conversation, and the ability to learn more about each other while sticking to your frugal budget – mini golf is an ideal first date option!
5Frugal First Date Tips: Enjoy The Great Outdoors
For an outdoor first date consider a picnic on the beach or a day spent hiking in a nearby forest. Take the time to find out what outdoor activities your date likes and incorporate them into your day spent together outdoors. If your date does not like hiking then perhaps a hike through the forest is a poor choice; a romantic picnic in an area park might be a better choice. Picnics are a great idea for a first date because they not only cost a fraction of the cost of going out together but they can also be as romantic as you would like them to be. You could bake muffins and prepare sandwiches as part of your picnic! Frugal can be romantic with a little bit of forethought.
6Frugal First Date Tips: Participate in Sporting Activities
If you and your date both enjoy sporting activities then perhaps one of your favorite sports activities is the best choice for your first date together; play tennis together or even attend a sporting event together. A basketball or hockey game is a great option for a first date, especially if you are both supporters of the same team! Go see a semi-pro team to keep the costs down or even a high school game to bring back memories of when you were a teen!
7Frugal First Date Tips: Check Out Local Sights And Sounds
It seems that the only time that people take in the local sights and sounds of their town is when they have out of town visitors; why not take the opportunity to take in the sights and sounds of your hometown with your date so that you can appreciate the history and culture of your own hometown. A frugal friendly first date option, you can also take advantage of a quaint diner located in the historic district of your town!
8Frugal First Date Tips: Enjoy an Evening At Home
While a meal enjoyed at home seems like it may be a bit suggestive, it can actually be a much better option than a meal at a restaurant simply because your home will offer a much quieter environment in which to get to know one another. Costing a fraction of what you’d spend in a restaurant, and likely tasting a lot better than a restaurant meal, an evening at home could be just the key to spending a wonderful first date together!
9Frugal First Date Tips: Head to a State Fair
If your State Fair is currently in town when you are about to embark on a first date then you should consider spending your first date together at your State Fair. While it can certainly be an incredibly expensive day, the State Fair can be made a lot more frugal-friendly by taking advantage of special days that offer half-price entry with the donation of a can of soup or even an empty soda can. Offering opportunities for great conversation and the chance to win your date a giant purple gorilla, the State Fair might just be the best first date choice!
10Frugal First Date Tips: Avoid The Dinner And Movie Pitfalls
The stereotypical first date of dinner and a movie can prove to be a poor choice for a frugal-minded person; not only is a movie a poor place to get to know someone but it can rapidly turn into an expensive venture – with popcorn, sodas, and possibly even candy, your movie date tab could easily run over $50! Once your relationship is more established then perhaps you can suggest to your date that you take in the more frugal-friendly matinee or perhaps even the Dollar movie theaters!
Remember the fine line between frugality and being a cheapskate; with a bit of planning you will be able to enjoy a frugal-friendly first date without going overboard on your money-savings habits!
