The Great 'Cheap Date' Hunt

[MSE Martin]

Spring may be long passed, but single men and women of all ages are still on the look out for romance (ok, ok not always romance, but my grandma may be reading). !

Unfortunately impressing a prospective isn't always easy if you're budgetting, so I thought it time to tap the collective knowledge and creativity of MoneySavers to see what we could come up with - to help all those looking for love (see grandma comment above).

Stories of successful past cheap dates most welcome too

[trafalgar]

SG has got this one ........half a lager and a packet of crisps ;D
Cheap,maybe not successful :o

[Mrs Thrift]

You can't beat a good ole' fashioned pic-nic! :D

Even if it's only a bag of 5 for £1 jam doughnuts in the city park! That was one of my favourites, especially as it was for no particular reason and Mr Nearly Thrift made me close my eyes as he drove me there so it was a surprise.

That's got to be a favourite summer date.

And in the autumn I love feeding the ducks in the park with leftover bread (love the trees in the park as they're turning.)

Visiting botanical gardens is perfect in the spring when the sun's shining but it's not that warm outside yet.

Walking is good at any time of year, but in the winter you can't beat walking in the sharp cold, especially if it's frosty or snowing - in the park, round the streets, in the countryside, anywhere - all wrapped up warm and holding hands, followed by a nice hot chocolate. Mmmm.... ;D ;D ;D

Ms Thrift
(Secretary of the Midlands Branch of Romantics Anonymous)

[deronda]

A nice walk along a beach (if you have one nearby) does not matter if it is cold - you can keep each other warm. Followed by a nice hot cup of tea. Not heart stopping stuff but really nice.

[Darryl]

Are you trying to tell us something Martin... ;-)

Darryl.

[Sarahsaver]

Cheap? Free! For women anyway...
The man should pay for everything on the first date
And every subsequent date until you are married
Otherwise it isnt the date thats cheap, its the relationship.
Women - we need moneysaving men but not skinflints.
controversial and old fashioned maybe but ive had my fingers burnt (and pockets emptied) by a couple of men who wouldnt have bothered if I didnt then have gone halves or paid for everything.
Come on I can hear it now, someone gearing up to have a go at me... ;D


IMPORTANT NOTE INSERTED BY MARTIN
The above question is an interesting and important one - however to keep this discussion on track on "cheap dates", i've started a separate discussion on 'who should pay" - to go there instead please click here (http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=DT;action=display;num=1088018899;st art=0#0)

[rach]

i once went on a first date where the guy suggested (when we were already out) eating at Burger King, and when i declined we ended up settling on pizza hut....and he then insisted on checking out whether he could get 10% off woth his (mature) student card before we went in (it was only the £6 buffet at the end of the day!). i'm all up for moneysaving but i think thats taking it a bit far... needless to say we never progressed to a second date.

i think that the picnic idea is a nice one, and i'd be up for a bike ride or similar on a date (as long as they weren't loads fitter than me!!)

[Mrs Thrift]

Oh Rach, I'm not surprised there was no second date! Burger King is definitely NOT the way to impress a lady!

OTOH, when Mr NT and I were really struggling in our first flat on about tuppence ha'penny a week (or thereabouts) we would make a big deal out of saving up our pennies to go to a cafe for lunch, or to the cinema on cheap night, or out for a drink during happy hour, and always had a fantastic time.

Depends on the way you deal with the cheapness, I suppose, and wether only one of you or both are cheap...... ;)

[MSE Martin]

I was wondering why my Kentucky with a voucher technique was failing :(

[Fran]

It's not the voucher that's the problem as some people have less money than others and some save their money, but it could be that KFC isn't appealling, especially on a first date, though it could give you something to talk about for a long time afterwards. But if you want a date I would avoid the topic of KFC altogether.

For true romance, it wouldn't matter how much anything cost, but I would expect interest to be shown in some way. Something as simple as good old flowers or something that makes the other person think you have thought about them. (Though check out whether the person likes flowers, someone I know can't stand them and she would be better wooed with a present of weedkiller!)

[Edinburghlass]

Martin, you are with Orange.......text 241 with the word film and next Wednesday you can take a "friend" to the cinema for free ;)

[rach]

I was wondering why my Kentucky with a voucher technique was failing :(

is that the one from the back of a car park ticket...

to be honest its not the money thats the issue, more the lack of thought / imagination ... i can report that i've been on much better dates since!!

yes fran - flowers would always be a winner though a bit ott on a first date perhaps!!

[Fran]

Perhaps as a moneysaver it should be a plant not a flower so it has longer use. If it doesn't work out the plant could be dug up furiously and left on a park bench for another person to find next to a book being given away! ;)

[Sarahsaver]

Do i take it that having instigated this thread Martin is looking for 'love'? ;)

Cheap dates are ok once the relationship is established, how about a picnic in the park, getting some childhood favourites like snaps and midget gems, topped off by a bottle of panda pops. It worked for me, once LOL ;D

[filigree]

I've got a great book called "London for Free" which lists all kind of free places for a day or evening out. You could always look in the free Metro paper, or use the library's copy of Time Out!

Art galleries and museums are often free. They make a good date because you can impress your new squeeze by being all cultured :) Me and Mr Filigree like doing London walks, you can do your own out of a book (go to the library again) or join a paid group, £5 a head isn't bad.

Another suggestion is to get free tickets to be in the audience of a radio or TV show. Unfortunately it might be a bit hard to co-ordinate the show with the timing of the date. It would make a good chat up line though, the good old cliche "I've got a spare ticket for X, want to come?".

Of course you could always just invite them round for dinner and *koff* a nightcap ;)

[Pal]

Or forget dinner and just invite then round for a nightcap. The success rate is fairly low for first dates but, but for subsequent dates it can often be very cheap.

Alternatively, try having a child. Then you can forget going out entirely.

Nightcaps tend to go out the window as well.

[emmajames]

If you're into sport, suggest training together which, depending on your chosen sport, could be economic, especially with water to rehydrate and the added bonus of being able to assess your date's level of stamina ;) Be careful though, if you train too hard, a slap up meal may be required and as a lady, I would certainly expect my date to pay for me and sadly for my date, only steak will suffice when I'm exercising

What about some proper tips.Has anyone tried the dating websites.Can we do a survey on what works and what is commercial crap?

[dark_star]

Ok here are some of the usual ingredients...and all free:

Dinner (http://www.marketpublic.com/)

Movie (http://www.firstmovies.com/)

and last but not least..

Condom (http://www.theukhighstreet.com/perl/recommend_it.cgi?ID=2209)

;)

::) hello

I liked this page although i do actully need a date first!! Martin are you free ;) your such a handsome man.

mandi x

;)

can i try these out with a date from martin? lol

mandi x

[philc]

Lol! ;D

So I guess the best suggestion for finding a partner for a 'cheap date' so far is:

'Start a thread about dating in your chat forum' ;)

[Irish_Claret]

It's not very inspiring stuff guys but if cash is a problem (and when isn't it?) then I have to say walks in the forest, on the hills, on the beach - whether it's raining snowing or cold is irrelevant - score highly every time. It does mean (and this is important to women - I am told/from experience) that you have to have some conversational skills! Make sure you have enough cash for a drink of some description would be the only cost.

I have recently tried internet dating - DON'T DO IT! Why? - to exchange messages costs and over three months I have spent £55. Also, there are some weird women (and men almost certainly) out there in the ether and lots of them don't even have their own teeth when you meet them or the photo is their daughter/niece etc etc. Finally I have only just shook one off who was "stalking" me!!

Hi Guys

Interesting topic.....so your looking for a date and cost saving ideas and imagination!!!

I represent an internet dating site www.datediary.co.uk and yes you do have take caution when meeting somebody for the first time, but no more caution than meeting somebody for a second time after two jack daniels and a scribbled note of their phone number on the back of a cigarette packet in a bar.....get my drift?

Internet dating is not only a great way of being introduced to somebody you would never meet through conventional means, but you can really get to know somebody quite well, through using our chat and messaging service before even giving out any of your personal details.

So, ok i agree they make not always look like their photo, but the truth is you may not click with them even if they did, instead you just might walk away, after having a great night out and keep in touch as friends. Surely a bonus??

Our site, although predomintley a dating site, is
more veered towards getting our members to love their life and get out there and enjoy. We have therefore teamed up with partners in restaurants, cinemas, health clubs etc to provide our members with discounts and special offers including a weekly prize giveaways for just being online! On that note if anybody is in a position to sponsor a weekly prize in return for free advertising, it would be great to hear from you.

Ok, here's an offer for you all, the site has been offering free signups during the month of june, as we are currently running a campaign in reading in conjuction with reading 107fm, however if you sign up to the site and put the reason for joining as Other - Moneysaver, i'll personally upgrade you to full Gold membership until the end of July totally free of charge! A saving of £7.50.

So check it out for free, and remember life is a gamble, but it just might pay off!

Tina
Datediary.co.uk

[FieryBlondeScot]

oooh internet dating i done this ONE TIME the most disturbing thing was i ensured i got photos of the guy from all possile angles (and some more ::)

the camera exagerrated is all i can say. i mask my dissapointment well i think by downing a few double jd n coke in record time and we end up standing at the bar. he was more smitten than me and subconsciouly i started sliding away bit by bit along to the other side of the bar. he interprets this as some sort of flirty 'chase me' thing and slowly slides towards me bit byt bit leaning closer and closer the whole time it was hysterical in a sort of 'please god send a good excuse for leaving !!!

it was funny at the time but dinnae think id do that again!!!

give me the good old fashioned 'oops i tripped over your foot' way so little mr beautiful instinctivly reaches out his hands to break your fall ;D

Hmmm, ive been using them for a while and have met some great people, and can straight away ask them all the questions you want to know without beating around the bush... 8)

[MSE Martin]

The Great Cheapest & Best Internet Dating Sites (http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=Families;action=display;num=1088373 437;start=0#0) discussion has now been set up for exactly that subject.

If we keep this one to ideas for where to go on cheap dates that'd be great.

You could try www.toptable.co.uk
Great swanky restaurants at bargain prices!

[BaritoneUK]

Dates can be for married couples too you know! !My wife and I have a 'date night' every week. !Why should life be boring when you get married? !We try:

1. Go out for a cheap meal
2. Cook a meal at home
3. Text the word 'FILM' to 241 and get 2 cinema tickets for the price of one (we are orange customers)
4. !Haven't thought of anything else...

Any other ideas?

By the way, although American, and has a cheasy title- I would definitely recommend the book 'The Five Love Languages' by Gary Chapman. Amazon.co.uk seems to be the cheapest - £6.36. Could make your relationships a lot easier and better!

Bye...

[Lucie]

www.5pm.co.uk offers some good restaurant deals

Dates can be for married couples too you know! !My wife and I have a 'date night' every week. !Why should life be boring when you get married? !We try:

1. Go out for a cheap meal
2. Cook a meal at home
3. Text the word 'FILM' to 241 and get 2 cinema tickets for the price of one (we are orange customers)
4. !Haven't thought of anything else...

Any other ideas?

By the way, although American, and has a cheasy title- I would definitely recommend the book 'The Five Love Languages' !by Gary Chapman. !Amazon.co.uk seems to be the cheapest - £6.36. Could make your relationships a lot easier and better!

Bye...

Both these points are really important - we help mariied couples and it is really important to treat your spouse as a person to go out dating with
AND
the five love languages can transform any marriage!

Was single a while ago and looked into the whole Internet dating thing. Almost all the Internet Dating sites are free to register and load your profile. However, they all charge for sending messages and making contact. I found one very good site which is completely free and very professional. Check out www.uksinglesconnection.com if you are single and looking to meet someone.
ps another free site, although not as good is www.midsummerseve.co.uk

Nothin wrong with a packet of pringles and bottle of red! :-/ sat on patio ( if its hot!) Or am i bein cheated??!!

[scouselass]

I haven't got any useful tips for cheap dates.....I mean what's a date? Clearly it's been a long time for me (do I hear those violins). However, having a laugh has got to be important hasn't it.......and reading these posts has really made me laugh today. Indeed its probably the first time I've laughed so hard for a week. So well done you funny and imaginative people.

Maybe its a new thread, but how do you date when you have children???? Babysitters cost a bomb! ;D

[donimmold]

;) how about "wanna burger?"bonk her on the head with your club grab her hair and drag her off to the nearest Macdonalds cave. Romantic eh?

Hi there,

My experience is as follows, datingdirect.com costs about £15 a month. its free for basic searches but you need to pay to send a message. The crucial thing is this, you can search by geographic area AND they have a steady stream of new people signing up each week. midsummerseve.com is free but limited new people signing up. Loopylove.com and datetheuk.com are alternatives and similar to datingdirect.

If anyone wants to try internet dating (i've met some lovely girls through it), you need a good picture and a clear idea as to what NOT to write in your profile. Dating is about gentlemanly behaviour, personality and romance, not sex, there are other sites for the sordid stuff!!

Always meet in a public place and ensure other people know you are going on a date.

Andy

[Travelqueen]

You could always keep a look out for free events that most councils for example put on, especially in the summer. Everything from orchestras to shakespeare in the park normally to larger events such as the birdman competition or red bull kart races. There will also be all manner of things happening in your local area, some examples would be:

1) local amateur dramatics - low cost theatre and you're supporting your local community - There will also be Scouting events, fetes, galas etc that will be very cheap if not free to attend...

2) some theatres do deals if you buy a 'season ticket' - eg. Harrogate Grand used to do 4 plays for the price of 3 - ended up about £5 a show;

3) new clubs / facilities often have days where you can try out facilities - Fitness first for example of produces vouchers for free use of its clubs for a week quite frequently

4) National Trust - many are free / nominal charges

5) Art galleries / museums

6) A great day out (particularly from a womans perspective! ;D) can be brunch followed by wandering round some local markets / craft fairs - this needn't cost much, brunch could be at home, or even a picnic as other suggestions. Markets such as (London): Columbia Road Flower market, Spitalfields, Portobello, Camden etc

7) Rollerskating or some equally foolish activity - you can often hire skates for peanuts in many parks (ice-skating in winter) - Frisbee, borrowing a dog to walk!

8) Look out for meal deals from papers such as the Times / Evening Standard for eg which often offer meals for a fiver

9) 2 for 1 Theatre tickets - showpairs.co.uk

10) Local fairs - normally not too expensive (£5), but loads to see and do - eg. Great Yorkshire show etc

11) Free Scuba diving trial! Ok, not the most romantic of things, but at least it'd get you talking - hopefully afterwards or you might drown! http://www.bsac.com/learn/ltdweek2002.htm

12) Following on from another suggestion here is a link for tickets to some BBC & Comedy shows http://www.bbc.co.uk/whatson/tickets/
http://www.chortle.co.uk/features/free.html


Hope some of that is of some use to someone... now all I need is a date myself to try them out... ;)

TQ

[Travelqueen]

And... keep an eye on the Trips and Days out board & also the shop but don't drop / grab it while you can board, for eg: the 2 for 1 ticket deal to Imax...

http://forum.moneysavingexpert.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=Urgents;action=display;num=10903857 56

Happy dating!

TQ

[the_architect]

Hi,

Just thought I'd stick this on, the cheapest dating service ever is msn messenger, though not really strictly dating and your chances of meeting somone are one in a million but here goes;

I was unhappily married to a women who didn't want kids. I couldn't really meet people of the opposite sex very often or my balls were up for cutting. I typed in made up names on my msn messenger and added them (if they were valid) to my messenger. A few freaks popped up but after a while I started talking to someone. It was a cool way of getting to know somone. Anyway a year later I'm divorced, I am with a beutiful lady I have a 13week old baby, all because of messenger!

P.S. Most people lie on msn - be warned but this is really true!

[r.mac]

well, the great cheap date hunt. hmmmm. As a girly I would say that the most important thing about a date is that there has been a little thought put into it. A fancy, expensive restaurant is lovely, but only if the person you are with is fun and nice to be around. ::)

IMO something a little more sponteneous is much more romantic - even if that is just toast and tea in bed, or something similar. Often putting a twist into something normal can make the difference.

Pasta and tomato sauce can be totally transformed if ther is some candles and a table cloth involved! ;)

Rx

[r.mac]

Scouselass -

You mentioned problems with babysitting - well when i was little my mum joined together with a group of friends with children to sort the problem.

They each made out a number of tokens (say 5 for arguments sake). Each token was for a specified number of hours (anywhere between 1 and 6 hours). Then everyone agrees to babysit for vouchers. You babysit for your friends to earn vouchers and then can spend them by having your friends babysit your children.

A little confusing but it worked and saved everyone some money, while creating good community links as more and more people joined in, friends of friends etc.

Hope this helps a little.

Rx

[FieryBlondeScot]

i say a free nite out at UCI courtesy of Velvet loo roll :-)

i signed up to loopylove.com to get 60 r-points and before i knowit there are heaps and heaps and heaps of blokes sending me messages to my email i cant keep up :o so if anybody wants some blokes....... ;D

[ocemeer]

' if you're into sport, suggest training together '

well worked for me, I got taken to the local sports centre for circuit training as a first date, he must have impressed me as I'm marrying him next week ;D

ps hes not taken me out on a date since

[Loaded_Bachelor]

This thread is all well and good but then...... what about cheap engagement parties, cheap weddings and cheap divorce lawyers :)

Things just aren't as simple as you all make it out!

P.S. I think swimming or cycling are good options.

[Travelqueen]

Just got sent this - might be worth a look for London based gastronomes, I, sadly, will be sanding my floors next weekend.. :(






Calling all restaurant lovers!

The makers of Chemistry are delighted to bring you a brand new event for London. Taste of London is a fabulous, new, four day festival, celebrating the Capital's diverse restaurant and entertainment scenes. Taste of London is staged at Somerset House from 9th - 12th September and features top London restaurants, gastropubs and bars, exclusive wines and beers, and great entertainment.


French, Italian, Indian, British, Thai, Chinese, Lebanese, Chinese - you name it, London's got it! And Taste of London aims to give you a taste of it all - up to 30 of London's finest restaurants, gastopubs and bars will be on show, along with some of our favourite A-list chefs. The restaurants will be offering sample-sized, signature dishes all at reasonable prices, allowing you the opportunity to try the wide range of cuisines on offer!


And of course London is also famous for its diverse entertainment, and you can try that too. The entertainment is all covered by your entry price and includes Ronnie Scotts - celebrating 45 years of classic jazz entertainment - Jongleurs, Half Moon Young People's Theatre and much more. Please check the website for newly signed up artists and performance times.


FREE £5 worth of Taste Vouchers!!!
As a previous visitor to our Chemistry events we are delighted to offer you a fabulous ticket offer for Taste of London. Buy the standard adult ticket before the 6th September and receive an extra £5 of Taste Vouchers absolutely free! (Taste Vouchers are used to buy your food and drink once at the event)
Simply quote 'html' on the website or when you book over the phone.

Regular ticket prices:
Adult standard: £15 (incl £3 of Taste Vouchers)
Adult premium: £30 (incl £20 of Taste Vouchers)
Children (5 - 14 years): £8
Children under 5: Free
* Tickets are subject to a 50p fee per transaction

Opening Times
There are 2 sessions per day (except Thursday) with a break to allow restaurants to refresh and replenish for the evening's visitors
Thur 9 Sep: Opening Night 6pm - 10pm
Fri 10 Sep 12.30pm - 4.30pm 6pm - 10pm
Sat 11 Sep 12.30pm - 4.30pm 6pm - 10pm
Sun 12 Sep 11am - 2.30pm 3pm - 7pm



Hope someone enjoys it!

TQ

[COS]

I was wondering why my Kentucky with a voucher technique was failing :(

My last Girlfriend was like a Kentucky, after I had finished with the legs and breast I had a greasy box to put my bone in ;D :o :o

[Judi]

My last Girlfriend was like a Kentucky, after I had finished with the legs and breast I had a greasy box to put my bone in ;D :o :o

:-X :-X :-X

[Rufus]

If you're looking to meet someone/or a cheap date you can't go wrong if you take a dog for a walk. Tip: the cuter the dog the better your chances. If you're a bloke you can pretent your taking your granny's pooch for a walk (how sensitive is that??) or a girl with a big burly mastiff can play all helpless and suddenly find a man at her side willing to offer a muscular arm to keep the pet in line! Trust me...it works!!! ;D

[uf353432]

I have to say I remember when I was courting my now hubby - he met me for a lunch date and turned up with a picnic hamper of lovely foods and some wine. He took me to the park laid out a blanket and we had a lovely lunch in the park.

All we kept seeing was other couples walking past with the woman punching her partner saying 'why can't you do that for me?' You see it was not the contents of his picnic basket that impressed me - but the fact that he had obviously gone to alot of trouble and time just for me.

He once took me for a walk on the beach and then asked me to dance with him, we waltzed around the beach like a right pair of idiots.

Another time he took me to Dublin for the day. Its not expensive as it seems since it was a cheap flight through easyjet and we walked in the park and then sat in an irish pub and ate stew and drank mckinneys!

I mean thats got to be one of the classiest dates - take them to another country for a walk in the park!

What you lovely men have to remember is that romance is supposed to be a means for someone to show someone in that moment that they are the most important person in their life. Its not money that makes a situation romantic its time, effort, thoughts and imagination. Classy woman can see right through a man who's attempts to be romantic are solely so they can get a bit of hows your father and classy men don't assume that romance will lead to it.

If its real romance your after the tell that person you love them completely unprompted or ask them to dance in the park even if its in front of a crowd. A woman will always be impressed by a man prepared to make a bold statement in the name of love even if he looks a bit foolish in front of an audience.

debs

[clare_m]

I've out this on the online vouchers chat as well.

You can get 2-4-1 dining vouchers (as well as loads of other stuff) each time you fill in a survey on www.vouch4me.co.uk

On Tuesday we went out to Henry J Beans and got chicken fajitas and sirloin steak, normally £10 each but with the voucher we got one for free. They have quite a good choice of restaurants in our area, some chains and some locals, and the t's and c's don't seem to limit what day/time you go, so long as you book and say you'll be using the voucher first.

And, (check this out for a cheap date), we went to see The Manchurian Candidate for free before the meal courtesy of Jonathan Ross. If you watch film 2004, they sometimes offer free prescreenings. We saw Big Fish for free earlier this year. You just have to request them from the website whever their offering.

So there you go, cinema and dinner for a tenner!
(Its a good job I've already got the ring on my finger!!)

[Travelqueen]

Just come across a club (london based I'm sorry) that aims to get people out & doing activities together. Not strictly dating I know, but maybe a way of meeting like-minded people...

http://www.8thdayuk.com

There is also www.tribe-events.co.uk

but 8thday will allow you to attend events without being a member, and, if you do join, it's only £12 a month, not an extortianate £25-£35!

Anyway, just a thought..

TQ

[happygolucky]

hey, ocemeer, is this date before or after you asked to spend Christmas with another man???? ???

[yournewfriend??]

Married dates or dates withing a LTR? Whew-now there's an idea.

First, they should be RELATIVELY economical, interesting, fit into your
mutual schedules if applicable, and be thoughtful and well-planned.

[yournewfriend??]

Married dates or dates within a LTR? Whew-now there's an idea.

First, they should be RELATIVELY economical, interesting, fit into your
mutual schedules if applicable, and be thoughtful and well-planned.