Free (or inexpensive) date ideas

C_J

Hello fellow Old-Stylers

A friend asked me yesterday for a gift idea to give her work colleague/good friend as a tenth wedding anniversary present. My friend hasn't much spare money, and a budget of £20 maximum for this gift.

I suggested she make a Year of Dates by filling a jar with 52 slips of beautifully-decorated paper each bearing the idea for a weekly free or inexpensive date night. She thinks this is great, but now between us we have to try and think of 52 ideas - please can you help??

So far I have come up with:

Picnic

Attend a free Saturday lunchtime music recital (they have these here). Her friend and husband are both musically inclined and play in an orchestra.

Geocaching (our local arboretum does this for free)

Play farmers market ABCs: See who can find something that starts with every letter of the alphabet first. Try lots of free samples.

Have an At Home movie marathon night with homemade popcorn.

Make a relationship time capsule and bury it in the garden



............ and now I'm stuck. Help!!!! Does anyone have any ideas please??

NewShadow

C_J wrote: »

Picnic

Attend a free Saturday lunchtime music recital (they have these here). Her friend and husband are both musically inclined and play in an orchestra.

Geocaching (our local arboretum does this for free)

Play farmers market ABCs: See who can find something that starts with every letter of the alphabet first. Try lots of free samples.

Have an At Home movie marathon night with homemade popcorn.

Make a relationship time capsule and bury it in the garden

Music night at home
Pub quiz night at the local pub
Visit the nearest beach
volunteer day together
trip to the museum
at home spa day (bubble bath, wine and massage - bonus points if she convinces him to try a face pack)
Karaoke bar?
Star gazing (night time picnic)
watch the sunset (sunset picnic)
hiking
cook off (over a couple of nights dare each other to cook something new and give marks out of 10)
Be tourists (visit the landmarks you've never bothered to visit because you live there)
Board game night

Gem-gem

If you live in London
- visit museums
- London walks (three times a year - free guided walks)
- visit markets - Borough market etc
- walk through London parks - have a picnic
- visit Harrods ( other big stores - it is great to go down to the food courts).
Other
- cook a surprise meal ( my hubby did this for me for Valentine - it was the best present he could have given me).
- walk along the beach

VfM4meplse

Try a new sport together? Running, hiking etc?
Read to each other?

Try something new in the bedroom?

Happytravelling

We did a monthly jar of cuisines a few years ago, so each month we'd choose a slip out of the jar and have that homecooked. Because it was a monthly trea, we'd buy nice ingredients that we wouldn't normally have. Some of ours were french, indian, thai, mexican, italian and spanish. That would fill some of the weeks up.

You could have a coffee and cakes date, or posh breakie with croissants and orange juice.

kboss2010

- fire pit with marshmallows on the beach at sunset

ALIBOBSY

Some great ideas, but on a simular picnic theme when we didn't have alot of spare cash a walk along the seafront eating a bag of chips was a bit of a treat, very british but good even on cold days as long as you wrap up warm.

Ali x

clickerty-click

revisit the place you first met.

Check out the local gyms that have pools and jacuzzis they often have "sampler" sessions that are free or a minimal cost

write each other a song

2 4 1 movie night - I think there are some sites you can join to get free tickets sorry i don't know what they are but i'm sure some clever person on here would be able to make a recommendation.

cook your other half's favourite meal

Get dressed up and have dinner by candle light

turn off your phones for the night so you have no other distractions

Look back at photos of stuff you have done together - this might give you inspiration for other adventures

C_J

Thank you everyone for your suggestions so far - there are some great ones here! (I love the idea of ones involving a beach but sadly we live a long way inland )

LameWolf

I shall watch this thread with interest; DH is retiring on Friday, so I'm in the market for inexpensive things we can do together to reinforce our relationship. Needs to be do-able by a wheelchair user in my case.

VfM4meplse

LameWolf wrote: »

I shall watch this thread with interest; DH is retiring on Friday, so I'm in the market for inexpensive things we can do together to reinforce our relationship. Needs to be do-able by a wheelchair user in my case.

In that case you can't beat NT membership: buy it and plan your day trips in advance!

I had another thought that isn't actually a date but could be used as a re-inforcer. I find my ceramic travel mug so handy, it saves me buying one coffee a day at least....but I also happened to pick it up at a bargain price of £1.25 (they usually retail around £5 but I expect prices to come down in time). The only downside is that I wish I could find a super-siized version. Nonetheless, if your OH is a hot beverage drinker, buying one will be a near-daily reminder of your devotion.