When you’re on a budget of any kind you’re apt to find that the dating experience becomes a little bit more fraught. The fact of the matter is that the standard date fare of dinner and entertainment comes with a respectable ticket price. If you’re only going out once and a while that’s fine, but if you are actively dating then you may find all those drinks, meals, movies, and shows are adding up—and that’s not even counting the gas money you may be spending. The best way to curb your dating related expenses, without going so far as to bring out the coupons and look cheap, is to plan ahead and have a few nice and inexpensive dating ideas to intersperse with more expensive options.
The good news is that romance never has to be expensive. At its core, a first date is about allowing two people to spend time together and get to know each other. With the right atmosphere, you can do that without spending any money at all and the best source of atmosphere is nature itself. For your first date, scope out a romantic spot to watch the sunset, the stars, or the waves and then pack a romantic picnic for two. If spending the whole evening together outdoors sounds like a bit much for you, then consider an alternative like meeting for coffee. This will allow you to meet and test the waters before committing to more time and more money together.
Another way to approach planning a first date is to look for free entertainment provided by the city or state where you live. Keep yourself updated on local fairs and festivals as well as free concerts, lectures, plays, and film festival offerings. These are all great places to take a date and appear culturally informed and interesting rather than cheap. Best of all, they provide you with plenty of safe material to keep the conversation flowing while you get acquainted.
Going to a website, such as a Christian dating site is a good way to meet other people with your same theological views. Meeting at your church is free and allows you the opportunity to decide whether you should asks the person out to get coffee after words.
