Dating is not only an opportunity to have fun, it’s a chance for you to show someone special you care enough about her to go the extra mile when planning dates. You don’t have to spend lots of money or turn up the sophistication quotient to impress a date. There are a variety of unique, affordable date ideas you can use to impress that special someone.
Use childhood memories to come up with ideas for dates.
Faux Drive-In Movie
Drive-in movies are largely a thing of the past, creating nostalgia for days gone by and curiosity among younger generations. You can create your own drive-in movie experience–in your garage. Hang a flat screen TV on the front wall or your garage and set up speakers to hang on both car doors. Have a selection of traditional movie theater counter candies, sodas and popcorn. Move your car seats as far back as they can go so you can stretch your legs and enjoy the show. Make sure you test your set-up before bringing your date to the movie, and make sure you do not have your engine running if your garage door is closed.
Cardio Tennis
If your date is in to physical fitness, or if you’re interested in meeting someone at the gym but aren’t quite confident enough to ask him to a movie or dinner, invite him to a Cardio Tennis exercise program. The tennis industry has spent millions of dollars creating and promoting Cardio Tennis and registering close to 2,000 facilities across the country to participate in this program, and there is likely one in your town. The group programs feature warmup, stretching, fast-paced tennis drills, up-tempo music and post-exercise cool down. Check to see if there are workouts for beginners if the target of your romantic interest hasn’t picked up the game yet.
Service Date
Do you know an elderly person in your neighborhood who can’t keep up her home or yard? Make a morning or afternoon of helping spruce up or take care of a senior’s home. You can make it as simple as raking leaves, mowing the lawn, trimming shrubs and cleaning gutters, or you can get involved in more complicated projects, such as re-painting a porch or fence or landscaping an area of the yard. You can make it a double date to share the workload and take on larger projects.
Local Amusement Parks
National theme parks have multi-million dollar budgets to create hi-tech attractions for adults, while local amusements parks may spend their budgets aiming at bringing in children. If you’re interested in seeing how a potential mate interacts with children, consider a trip to an area amusement park to relive some simple, childhood pleasures. Seek out the kids rides to make the trip something she hasn’t done for years. A romantic ferris wheel ride and winning her a big Teddy bear never go out of style.
The Couple that Cooks Together…
Whether you’re an expert cook or a complete novice, the two of you will get closer if you slice, dice, steam, nuke, fry and puree your way through a romantic dinner preparation. If you’re both unfamiliar with the kitchen, do some online research. You’ll find tons of recipe ideas, and even videos that take you step-by-step through the process of making just about any dish.
Fun Workout
Become a one-night personal trainer and create a workout date you and your partner can do togehter that’s NOT a trip to the gym for 60 minutes on the elliptical. At home or in a gym, you can share lots of ideas and laughs. If your date’s a couch potato, show him how to get his heart rate up with some fun calisthenics. If your partner is a fitness buff, let her share her favorite moves with her. For a home workout, lay out a circuit-training date that includes some pushups, running stairs, jump rope, step moves, burpees, bicycle kicks and planks. Explain how to warm up with dynamic stretches, reach the correct heart rate, and cool down and static stretch afterwards. Add some simple equipment like dumbbells, an ab wheel, resistance bands and a fitnes ball.