Date Night on $50: 8 Activities To Do and Places To Go

One of the most common misconceptions about date night is you need to spend tons of money to have a great romantic evening. But you actually don’t need more than $50 to create an exciting and meaningful date with the person you love. Make this shared experience one to treasure forever with these cute date night (and date day out) ideas for under $50.

Build a charcuterie board and pair it with a nice bottle of red or white wine for an evening of good conversation, company and dining. 

Need a money hack for building your charcuterie board? Financial expert Rachel Cruze even has some tips in her YouTube video for how to build the ultimate cheese board on a budget.

Skip going out to eat and make a fancy dinner night in for two. 

Rori Sassoon, co-owner of matchmaking agency Platinum Poire, recommends picking up some inexpensive ingredients at your local farmer’s market or grocery store for a simple and delicious dinner. Better yet, bring your date along for the adventure before making the meal.

“Make it a shared experience through a combined shopping trip and cooking adventure,” Sassoon said. “Just because you don’t have a lot of dollars to spend does not mean the date should fall flat. You can still have sparks fly through an aromatic moment!”

Bring the cinema home! Pick a classic movie, or a favorite flick you both love, and set up the big screen TV or a projector screen to watch it together. Pop homemade buttery popcorn, set up a cozy spot and pop the bubbly (or enjoy your favorite preferred moviegoing beverage).

This is a perfect and inexpensive way to celebrate holidays and weekends together. Whip up French toast and make a batch of mimosas for a delicious brunch morning (or afternoon) with your date. You can also switch this up to be a breakfast date together too!

If you’re craving a change of scenery, head out and bike your way across town. 

Check in with your local city to determine how much it costs to rent a bike for the day. For example, bike passes in Los Angeles are available through Metro Bike Share. They cost $1.75 for the first 30 minutes on a 1-ride bike. A 24-hour access pass is $5 to start. It’s definitely affordable, and fun, to get you and your partner riding bikes for the afternoon throughout your neighborhood!

If you appreciate works of art or enjoy history, take your date to a local art museum or a natural history museum. Use this shared experience to soak up the art and culture while showing off your intellect and witty banter.

How much is it? Sassoon said most museums cost less than $50 for two tickets. Keep an eye out for discounted event tickets available on Groupon too.

“Go bowling and make it a competition for a fun prize!” Cruze said.

How much is it to go bowling? This depends on your bowling location, day of the week and whether you plan to bowl by game or by hour per lane. As a general rule of thumb, it’s usually a few dollars cheaper to bowl Monday through Friday. Game prices may also increase a little bit after certain hours of the day, like 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. Between the cost of shoe rentals and whether you bowl by game or by hour per lane, expect to pay close to $50 for two.

Ice cream is the perfect inexpensive treat for dates under $25, and dates under $50 even have the opportunity to upgrade it. Swap the decadent dessert for crepes, chocolate truffles or gelato pops if the weather outside is great.

If there’s no gelato to be found, however, Sassoon said you can’t go wrong with a classic cone.

“It’s sweet, delicious and you can even feed your date a bite or two,” Sassoon said.