1.Get on thin ice. Depending on the weather, head to an indoor or outdoor ice-skating rink—it’s the perfect excuse to hold hands, “accidentally” fall on top of each other, and grab a cup of hot chocolate and cozy up to each other to keep warm..
2. Get an adrenaline rush at the rollerskating rink. As long as you don’t mind being the oldest people there who aren’t chaperoning their children, it’s a great way to have fun and let loose with each other. Top it off with a bowl of ice cream when you get home.
3. Spend the day fruit picking at a local farm, either one-on-one or with a few couples you know--the more the merrier. Once you've picked all the apples you can carry back to the car, get creative in the kitchen and think up some recipes with the fruit you picked. Judge each other's creations, Top Chef style.
4. Score major points and head to a baseball game with your guy. Tickets can be as cheap as $5 a person, but bring extra cash for some beer, hot dogs, and a giant foam finger.
5. Rent bikes—a tandem one, if you’re adventurous—and go for a long ride through the park. Pack a few sandwiches and plenty of water for a picnic, or just grab hot dogs from a stand when you’re ready for a break.
6. Spice up your movie night routine by finding a drive-in movie theater. Stop at the supermarket on your way to load up on your favorite snacks, and bring blankets and pillows to make the car extra cozy. Let him pick the movie--you'll get points for being easygoing, even though you know you'll probably miss most of the movie.
7. Head to the bookstore and walk through the aisles together, showing each other your favorite books, bonding over the books you both hated, and flipping through a Kama Sutra book for ideas for later.
8. Bowl him over at the bowling alley. Psych him out by reminding him of how many gross people wore his shoes before him, and don’t forget to program his sugary-sweet nickname (“muffin-face”) onto the computerized scoreboard instead of his real name.
9. Skip the pricey wine bar and grab a few beers at your local dive joint. Make sure you pick a place with a pool table or dart board set up, and challenge him to a few games. Loser owes the winner a song on the jukebox.
10. Show him your rugged side and build something together. Ask him to help you build something like a coffee table or dresser for your place--he'll be psyched that you asked him, just as long as you can bite your tongue when the table he puts together falls apart the moment you set your cup of coffee down.
11. Appeal to his inner child (it shouldn't be too hard to tap into), and buy tickets for a carnival. Embrace the cheesiness--share cotton candy, let him try to win you a prize, and ride the Ferris Wheel until you get nauseous. It's a great way to get to know each other if you've just started dating, and will serve as a reminder of how much fun you can have together if you've been dating for a while.
12. Keep up on the specials. For a break on your dinner bill, check out sites like Restaurant.com for the restaurant deals in your area. And check out the websites of your favorite bars - they might have drink specials on certain nights, like a free pizza with every drink.
13. Ask him about his fantasy cars and he’ll probably talk your ear off. Head over to a local car dealership and test-drive the most expensive car they’ll let you take out of the parking lot. Take turns with the wheel the resist the urge to nitpick each other’s driving skills.
14. Indulge your sweet tooth with your sweetie—visit a chocolate or cookie factory. Do a quick Google search to see if there are any in your area, and give them a call to see if they do tours. If they only do group tours, make it a group date and invite a few other couples.
15. Get spooked at a haunted house. Check out hauntedhouse.com for listings in your state. Start off the night by watching a scary movie before you go, and then try not to laugh when he launches a foot into the air at every corner.
16. Get out those matching aprons and fire up the skillet for a night of cooking—for the both of you. Learn how to cook each other’s favorite meal and then do it together. Whether you end up with a delicious steak and tuna casserole for two, or speed-dialing for Chinese takeout, you’re guaranteed to enjoy the process.
17. Forget eating dinner parked in front of a Mad Men marathon until you and your boyfriend are tired of looking at each other. Invite another couple over that you don’t know super well for a potluck dinner. Ask them to bring the appetizer and dessert, and work on the main course with your guy. At least one of the dishes should come out edible, and you can bond with your new friends over your shared culinary failure.
18. Tap into your animal instincts and visiting a petting zoo. Bring some bread to feed the animals, and spend a few hours debating him on why getting a pet monkey is a bad idea. When you get home, jump in the shower with him to scrub off the zoo smell.
19. He may hate to shop, but he’ll end up thanking you if you drag him to a flea market. There’s something for everyone and plenty of things you never knew existed—you might even discover he has a hobby or weird collection you didn’t know about!
20. lay 20 Questions. Whether you’ve been together for three weeks or three years, there are probably things you don’t know about each other. Sit down next to each and write down 20 questions each about the other person - make sure they’re open-ended so you don’t get boring one-word answers - and fire away. Take turns answering each of your questions and get to know each other a little better than you already do.
Source: Diana Vilibert, www.marieclaire.com
p/s: there's actually 50 fantastic cheap date ideas altogether! Check `em out at www.marieclaire.com/life/sex/advice/cheap-date-ideas. =)
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