Cheap/Free evening activities for a couple

calleyw

Now the nights are drawing in.  Me and my partner are looking for cheap/free activities for the evenings.  We don't want to spend the winter just watching TV or in different rooms on our computers. But something that we can do together as a couple.

elsien

Star gazing? Stellata app and Virtual Astro on social media for starling*/Space station passes. 

*star link. 

calleyw

elsien said:

Star gazing? Stellata app and Virtual Astro on social media for starling/Space station passes. 

We do a very basic star gazing when we walk the dog.  But that's a good idea

Brie

Play cards or board games?  Some places have cafes to facilitate this but that will obviously bring some costs I would think.  

calleyw

Brie said:

Play cards or board games?  Some places have cafes to facilitate this but that will obviously bring some costs I would think.  

I did mention baord games but my partner was not that keen. But I will broach it with him again

MrsStepford

Chess if you can pick up a chess board cheaply or find an online version.
Card games ? We have a paperback on card games for two
Use your normal food ingredients but look through cook books or online for new recipes and cook them together. 
Sex ?

Floss

Backgammon, Scrabble, jigsaws

DigForVictory

Learn a language? Whilst planning a holiday where it will be used? possibly also watching DVDs in the new language with or without subtitles.
Don't let the fact that various crafts (like knitting embroidery & patchwork) are all thought of as "women's work" stop you enjoying them together. (The military regarded patchwork as occupational therapy for its wounded & shrugged off bits of uniform going missing.) My son loved embroidery as it kept the hands occupied & steadied his thinking - I find cross stich makes me cross - it costs less to start a hobby from a charity shop!

goldfinches

There are some really nice projects here MAKE A CRAFT PROJECT – Selvedge Magazine or how about home brewing or cheese making. My father used to home brew and people were always keen to sample the results.

PipneyJane

calleyw said:

Now the nights are drawing in.  Me and my partner are looking for cheap/free activities for the evenings.  We don't want to spend the winter just watching TV or in different rooms on our computers. But something that we can do together as a couple.

Hi @calleyw   

Some ideas for cheap and some ideas for free things you can do in the evenings with your partner:

Free

• Exercise together.  During Lockdown, my DH and I tried working out to free, online yoga classes.
• Listen to radio shows / podcasts / concerts.  It’s too late, this year, for listening to the BBC Proms on Radio 3, but consider them for next summer.   BBC radio has done multiple dramatisations over the years.  Find one you like and binge listen together via BBC sounds.   
• Do either of you get any kick-backs via your bank, insurance or union?  (We get 6 free cinema tickets each, so a trip to the cinema only costs the time it takes to walk down there or the cost of parking.)
• Borrow books from the local library and challenge each other to see who reads them fastest.
• Board games with friends.

Cheap

• We do a weekly pub quiz which costs us less than £10, since neither of us are big drinkers.  (£2 each to enter the quiz, £1.60 each for a pint of soda water and lime, with the odd half of cider or beer.)
• What is going on in your local community?  Does the local art gallery or museum have free or cheap entry?  Does it do an evening session +/- lectures?

HTH

- Pip

Rosa_Damascena

I second the jigsaw idea. Add a glass of you favourite tipple and run the news in the background and you have fertile ground for interesting conversation whilst working on something together, which is miles better than watching something unworthy of your time on TV.