Cheap Date Ideas: Good Dates That Cost Very Little

Expensive dates add pressure. A long dinner with someone you have only just met is a big commitment of time and money, and it can turn a nice evening into a test. Simple plans give you more to talk about, more room to relax and an easy way to end things if you need to. Here are ideas for first dates and for the dates that follow.

Cheap first date ideas

For a first meeting, choose somewhere public, easy to get to and easy to leave.

1. Coffee and a walk. Grab a takeaway and head for a park, a river path or the seafront. Walking side by side makes conversation easier, and the scenery fills any pauses.
2. A museum or gallery. Many are free to enter, and every room gives you something new to talk about. You learn a lot about someone from what makes them stop and look.
3. A market. Food stalls, crafts and good people-watching. Share something small to eat and you have had a date for the price of a snack.
4. A pub quiz. You become a team of two for the evening. It costs little, there are plenty of laughs, and nobody notices a quiet moment.
5. A local event. Open-air concerts, festivals, talks and late openings come round all year. Your local listings will have more than you expect.
6. A viewpoint. A hill, a pier or a public garden with a view. Bring a flask and take your time.

Ideas for when you know each other better

Once you have met a few times and trust each other, there is more room to play.

• A picnic. Sandwiches, fruit, something sweet and a blanket. Add a flask of tea or a bottle of something cold if the weather is kind.
• Teach each other something. Swap skills for an afternoon: chess for cooking, guitar chords for gardening. Doing something new together is a fast way to get closer.
• Cook together. Pick a recipe neither of you has tried and split the shopping.
• A day out by train or bus. A nearby town, a beach or a stately home's grounds.
• A film night in. Take turns choosing, and make the snacks part of the plan.

Ideas for a long weekend

Bank holidays and long weekends are a good excuse to make more of a day. Try a long walk that ends at a pub for lunch, a day trip to somewhere neither of you knows, or an early start to catch a sunrise. Book ahead if you need to: popular spots fill up fast on a long weekend.

When the weather keeps you in

Snowed in or rained off? Before you have met, a video call date works well: make a drink each, settle in and talk properly. You can watch the same film at the same time and chat about it afterwards, or play a quiz together. A day indoors is also a good moment to refresh your profile; our dating profile tips will help.

You do not need to splash out to impress

The dates people remember are rarely the expensive ones. Attention, humour and a plan that shows you listened count for far more. Suggesting a place because they mentioned it in a message says more than any price tag.

Keeping it fair

Take turns choosing and paying, or split things as you go. Our guide to who pays on a first date covers how to raise it without any awkwardness. And whatever you plan, keep first dates in public and tell a friend where you are going.

More dating advice

• First date tips

  Nerves, outfits, conversation and awkward pauses.

• Who pays on a first date?

  Splitting, treating or taking turns, minus the awkward moment.

• Gift ideas for someone new

  What fits a few dates in, and a few months in.

Common questions

Is it OK to suggest a cheap first date?

Yes. Coffee or a walk is one of the most popular first dates of all, because it is relaxed and easy to end.

What is a good first date in winter?

A warm café, a museum or gallery, or a pub quiz. If the weather is truly bad, a video call date is a good stand-in.

Who should pay on a cheap date?

Offer to split it or take turns. See our guide to who pays on a first date.