Date ideas that are free

Maybe it’s half a year into your relationship, and you’re thinking I cant keep going on expensive dates anymore, I need date ideas that are free… don’t worry, I’ve got you!

Movie night

Who doesn’t love a movie night?

They’re probably one of the best ways to get more comfortable with someone, find out what movies they like, and have a cosy evening not having to worry about dressing up.

What movies should I watch?

How can I make it feel more like a date?

• Light some candles. Whatever genre of movie you are watching, it’s always nice to have some mood lighting to make it feel super cosy and inviting.
• Snacks. Just the same as in the cinema where you would get popcorn and sweets, have them at home! Get your favourite snacks, savoury or sweet, and enjoy throughout the movie.
• Fancy cups. It doesn’t matter if you are drinking Diet Coke, water, or Prosecco, put them in fancy cups to make it feel more special.
• Cosy outfit. A matching set is preferred, however any comfy outfit will do. Throw your favourite loungewear clothes on, so you can feel comfortable sitting down for a while.

Workout together

You may think I’m crazy, but letting someone see you at your most sweaty, struggling, and fatigued state could make you stronger.

If you still like each other afterward, then you have a strong chance of staying together lol, and it means you will get fitter the longer you are together!

How to make this feel like a date?

• Arrange a date and time and stick to it. Put it in your calendar as if it was a normal date, and show up feeling your best.
• Get your best activewear set on. Just like you would get your best clothes on for a date, this is no different! Feeling confident in yourself will only make the date better. And when you feel confident, you workout harder too!
• Choose a workout you both want to do. Whether you both decide to go to the gym, workout at home, or workout outside, make sure you both want to do it. You may as well choose a workout you both think is fun, so that you aren’t dreading the date!

Workouts you could do:

• Weight lifting. If you’re new to weight lifting, this could be the perfect opportunity to start when there is someone there that can help you! If you are more advanced, amazing, it’s time to impress your date!
• Running. If you both like running, this would be great! Go to a scenic place, and explore it! Appreciating the new scenery, as well as experiencing it with your date sounds perfect!
• Walking. If you’re not into running (you’re not alone), walking is the PERFECT option for you. You get to experience the new scenery, as well as being able to hold an actual conversation with your date! (Unless you are a super experienced runner who can talk throughout, then I take my hat off to you).
• Pilates. Pilates is an amazing, intense workout, which you can do from your home! If you struggle with any pain, Pilates could actually really help!
• Yoga. It’s time to show off your flexibility skills! Yoga is amazing, and you don’t get too sweaty (if you’re worried about smelling bad, or sweating off your makeup).

Cook a meal / bake together or for each other

It’s time to show off your cooking skills with this one! Whether you want to do it together, or for each other, this is an amazing date, that shows effort, and you get to enjoy delicious (depending on how well you cook/bake lol) food afterward.

Cooking or baking together will show you how well you work as a team, which could make you stronger. You also get a peek into the future of what it could look like living with this person.

How to make it feel more like a date?

• You basically have two dates in one here, the actual cooking together part, and the meal you get to enjoy afterwards. Have outfits for both if you like to dress up, or just wear your loungewear outfits, and enjoy a cosy evening in.
• Play music. There’s nothing like cooking / baking when theres music playing, and the vibes are good.
• Have fun! Sometimes it can be stressful cooking if you’re not the best, but even if the meal doesn’t go as well as planned, you can laugh about it! And if you continue doing these dates, you may get better at cooking overtime!
• Light candles and set the table. Enjoy the food you’ve just made, with your fanciest cutlery, surrounded my candles and quiet music, just like a restaurant. There’s nothing that feels more like a date than a candlelit dinner.

Read together

If you are book lovers, reading together is very romantic and sentimental to do.

You could either read your current books, or read each others favourite books!

It may take a while for you to finish each others favourite books, but that only means more dates!! Every time you plan a reading date, you can pick up from where you left off, and then keep talking to each other about where you are in the book!!

I think it’s also very cute reading each others favourite books because it’s like a little insight into their minds, and you get to understand why they love it so much.

How to make this feel more like a date?

• Set a date and time. By setting a date and time, it makes you look forward to the activity, and makes it something more special than just reading together unplanned.
• Snacks. What book lovers wouldn’t like to read AND eat at the same time?! Get your favourite snacks / nibbles, and enjoy them whilst reading!
• Delicious drinks. Whenever I think about drinking and reading, I think of warm drinks. Obviously get whatever drinks you favour most. The best drinking and reading drinks, in my opinion, are a cup of tea (flavour of your choice), hot chocolate (this one speaks for itself, it adds so much more cosy vibes), coffee (however you like your coffee – if you like more syrup than coffee like me, or extremely strong coffee).
• Cosy blankets. Reading, sipping a warm drink, eating snacks AND cosying up in a blanket… it could’ve get more perfect.

Picnic

If you live somewhere warmer, or you are being blessed with a warm day, a picnic is the PERFECT date, because it requires little to no money, and they are special because you probably don’t get to do them often.

How do I make it feel more like a date?

• Cute outfits. Get on your cute summer dresses, your dungarees, your oversized cardigans, and enjoy! Like any other date, if you were going to a fancy restraint you would dress accordingly, so get your comfy but cute clothes on!
• Fancy snacks. I don’t mean fancy as in expensive, I mean make chocolate covered strawberry’s (or any fruit), make little ham sandwiches and cut the crust off, make a cake and bring that with you! If you’re having a picnic, you might as well go all out!
• Photoshoot. Why not take a cute little photoshoot of yourselves, or the scenery if you don’t like being in photos, for the memories. You could even print them out, post them on your socials, whatever floats your boat!

Are you wanting first date advice? Here’s my first date Do’s and Don’ts: http://bigsisterera.com/first-date-dos-and-donts/

Thank you for reading <3

I hope this gave you some inspiration when thinking about dates you can do for free!

I think the main thing here, is spending quality time with your partner no matter what yous are doing.

You could put a movie on every night with your partner, but it may not feel like a date because you aren’t intentionally making it feel like one.

Being intentional about having no phones, and actually spending time with one another is the most important thing!

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