Alpha Consumer Challenge: Best Date Night

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If you have a park close to you and the weather is right, go out and have a nice picnic in the park.

SingleGuyMoney of GA 12:16AM July 20, 2008

Pack up a picnic, grab a blanket and go to a local park at night. Make your picnic special by including things that you wouldn't normally eat. Splurge on (or bake up) fancy artisan breads, get fresh cheeses, sparkling juices or water (you probably can't bring alcohol to the park, but if you can, woo hoo!), and some fancy sweets, pastries or cakes. Spread out a blanket and share your goodies while watchint the stars.

story of TX 8:31PM July 19, 2008

A favorite of my wife and me when we were dating was to go to the beach and walk along the boardwalk at night. It was always a beautiful, relaxing time on a warm summer night. If we wanted we could also walk along the beach. We both work in the city so it's nice to spend some quiet time listening to the waves come in.

FFB of NY 5:49PM July 19, 2008

Our frugal date consists of finding a fun and creative recipe online and then cooking it for dinner. We've discovered many great recipes this way and we've improved our ability to cook and improvise. This takes the frugal idea of cooking your own meals, rather that eating out at restaurants, and combines it with a frugal way of entertaining yourself (since the entertainment of cooking and company is essentially free). Then, after the cooking and enjoyment of the wonderful food you've created, follow it up with a fun night of board games or card games. A deck of cards isn't more than a dollar and there are thousands of games you can play!

jim of MD 12:53AM July 19, 2008

The local university in our town (Bowdoin College) has an incredible summer music seris (FREE) every thursday night during the summer.
It's a great time to kick back and relax and enjoy great music in an intimate setting with your date!

Benjamin of ME 7:02PM July 18, 2008

Now that it's summertime, the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy has started showing movies under the Brooklyn Bridge on Thursday nights. My boyfriend and I pack some snacks, order a pizza from Grimaldi's for about 20 bucks, and watch a FREE movie outside. Last night we even got to watch some fireworks that were being fired from Governor's Island before the feature, Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

Veronica of NY 6:39PM July 18, 2008

Last fall, my wife and I went to a rocket launch--there are clubs all over the country (This is our local group: http://www.valleyaerospace.com/ )
It only cost the price of gas and a picnic to attend. With a tent and a cooler, you could watch the launches in the afternoon, the night launches, and more launches the next day--for free.
Very inexpensive, you can easily make a sub-$50 weekend out of it. It definitely scores points for creative! Starry nights for romance, too.
It is noisy, thrilling, and not just for guys--lots of women attend as participants and spectators. Guys, some of the launches require FAA waivers due to the heights...

FamilyMan of VA 4:03PM July 18, 2008

Well my wife and I have had some odd date nights.
My fondest memory was getting the grandparents to babysit and spend two hour just browsing a bookstore where we didn't buy anything (instead we wrote down what we liked and got it from the library) and than drink coffee in a local cafe and discuss what we want to read next. We are BIG book lovers! Total cost $10.
Another idea is getting a movie from the library (free) and putting the kids to bed and watching it with some cheesecake pick up from the grocery store and some strong homemade coffee. Cost $6. The nice thing about a date like this is you can really do it any night.
Tim

Canadian Dream 3:41PM July 18, 2008

DH and I live near a beach. We split the costs of a seasonal pass with our family, which comes out to $25 for us for unlimited parking from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Without the pass it would be $20 a day to park there.
DH and I spend a day at the beach. We pack our own lunch of either PB&J sandwiches (taste great at the shore) or tuna fish salad. (DH picks up the bread, still hot from the oven, very early in the morning from our local grocery store for only $1.79 per loaf) We also bring a big thermos of tap water (DH installed a reverse osmosis last year, so the water is excellent)with ice and a slice of lemon. I usually bring a zip lock of fresh cut pineapple and a bag of chips. (Chips, for some reason, taste great at the beach also.)
DH and I swim a few times and jump the waves. Lot's of fun. We also take a walk along the whole shoreline (which is around 2 miles). Afterwards, we usually leave around 3-4PM, we stop off at our local fish munger of which, we have become very good friends) and order the freshest catch of the day. Sometimes it's stripped bass, swordfish, flounder. We look for fish no more than $10 a pound. Yesterday, we got fresh, wild salmon at $8.95 a pound. (we only order a pound)
DH and I prepare a simple dinner with grilled fish, green salad, simple rice and a local bottle of wine ($8.99). Afterwards, we take a stroll along our neighborhood street which hosts fantastic sunsets.
Once we are back home, we usually watch either a foreign or independent film which I've rented, for free, from our local library. The foreign films take us to places we've never been and the independents usually show us a different slant on life.
I usually play reggae music through the radio channels at iTunes. I plug an amplifier into my computer and we can listen to any music from around the world, for free.
DH and I spend most of the day holding hands and grateful to be in each other's company. We love each other very much. Twenty six years together and counting.

Boomie of NY 3:31PM July 18, 2008

During milder weather (fall, winter, and spring), the expensive galleries in Scottsdale host the Fifth Avenue Artwalks. Food and wine are served--much of it free--and you can wander through some fancy venues to view art that ranges from clothesline quality to very fine, indeed...for no more than the cost of driving out there.
The City of Phoenix has an event called First Fridays. On the first Friday of each month, art galleries, artsy coffeehouses, and funky restaurants hold open houses. A shuttle runs from the downtown library to take you through all the areas of the arts district. Great fun!
And the Phoenix Art Museum gives free admission one evening a week, generally midweek. We call it "bum's night" (we're the bums) and take advantage every now & again.

Funny about Money of AZ 3:08PM July 18, 2008