31 Free and Cheap Date Ideas for Affordable Romance

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhy Is Dating on the Cheap Popular Now?Fun, Cheap Date Ideas You Can Do in Your TownInexpensive date ideas for when you want to stay inWho Should Pay For First Dates?The Impact of Financial ConflictsTalking to Your Partner about Money

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Why Is Dating on the Cheap Popular Now?

Fun, Cheap Date Ideas You Can Do in Your Town

Inexpensive date ideas for when you want to stay in

Who Should Pay For First Dates?

The Impact of Financial Conflicts

Talking to Your Partner about Money

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During times of inflation and economic hardship, many struggle with the cost of dating. Infla-dating is a new popular form of dating in which couples choose to go out on cheap dates as the cost of living rises.

Young couples as well as older couples can benefit from feeling less pressured financially. It’s reassuring to know that there are ways to have fun times together and not break the bank.

This article explores why dating on the cheap is popular now, cheap dating ideas in your town and at home, and the age-old debate of who should pay for first dates.

It gets expensive picking up the tab for multiple dates at pricey restaurants while you’re a bit tight financially. And payments to keep looking attractive and for Uber rides home also add up. Factor in the added financial pressure dating creates for single parents and older people on a fixed income and no wonder people seek ways to minimize costs while dating.

Here are common reasons people are opting for cheap dates:

It’s good to be vigilant about what you spend on dates. And the good news is dating doesn’t have to go on hold or be a problem for you due to limited finances.

The dating site Elite Singles tapped their database to survey over 300,000 American singles about who they thought should pay for a first date.Findingsshowed 63% of men thought they should pay and 46% of women thought men should pay.

Who should pay on subsequent dates is not clear either. Some say the bill should be split while others say the person who makes more money should pay. Ultimately, it depends on the couple, and if the person who makes more money wants to pay, that’s fine. However, generosity feels good too so there is nothing wrong with alternating who pays from time to time.

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Worries about money are bad enough if you’re alone. It’s compounded when you’re in a relationship. Conflicts about finances are a top source of friction in romantic relationships.

One study’s findings show that most couples’ fights about money deal with concerns about fairness and perceived responsibility, and the disagreement over minor purchases.

Not only is it troublesome in relationships, but financial stress can adversely affect your mental health. Scientists found that income loss and financial strain were uniquely associated withdepressivesymptoms and the exacerbation of these symptoms over time.

Don’t underestimate the power of communication, even during times of financial strain. Though the subject matter may be difficult, researchshows that couples who spend a larger part of their time together talking reported greater satisfaction, perceived more positive qualities in their relationships, and felt closer to their partners.

California-basedAmy Keller, PsyD and MFT, says,  “If you deal with things with honesty, maturity andvulnerability, you can discuss almost any difficult money matter.”

Dr. Amy, as she is known, related a personal anecdote. “When my husband and I first started dating, we had a regular Wednesday night salsa dancing date. One night he told me he couldn’t make it. I called him back asking if something had come up or if there was anything that we needed to talk about. To my great surprise, he told me he had not been paid for a big job, had no money to take me out on a date and was embarrassed to tell me.

That night we created a simple picnic in the park from items we already had in our refrigerators. We turned on music and had our own salsa also under the stars. Looking back, that was one of the most romantic and magical dates we had ever had!

That simple confession reinforced my trust in him and like the Grinch’s heart, mine grew three sizes that day. I knew intuitively that I’d always be able to trust him when it came to discussing matters of money and of the heart.”

3 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Peetz, J., Meloff, Z., & Royle, C. (2023).When couples fight about money, what do they fight about?Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/02654075231187897Hertz-Palmor N, Moore TM, Gothelf D, DiDomenico GE, Dekel I, Greenberg DM, Brown LA, Matalon N, Visoki E, White LK, Himes MM, Schwartz-Lifshitz M, Gross R, Gur RC, Gur RE, Pessach IM, Barzilay R.Association among income loss, financial strain and depressive symptoms during COVID-19: Evidence from two longitudinal studies. J Affect Disord. 2021 Aug 1;291:1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.04.054.Hogan JN, Crenshaw AO, Baucom KJW, Baucom BRW.Time Spent Together in Intimate Relationships: Implications for Relationship Functioning. Contemp Fam Ther. 2021 Sep;43(3):226-233. doi: 10.1007/s10591-020-09562-6.

3 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Peetz, J., Meloff, Z., & Royle, C. (2023).When couples fight about money, what do they fight about?Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/02654075231187897Hertz-Palmor N, Moore TM, Gothelf D, DiDomenico GE, Dekel I, Greenberg DM, Brown LA, Matalon N, Visoki E, White LK, Himes MM, Schwartz-Lifshitz M, Gross R, Gur RC, Gur RE, Pessach IM, Barzilay R.Association among income loss, financial strain and depressive symptoms during COVID-19: Evidence from two longitudinal studies. J Affect Disord. 2021 Aug 1;291:1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.04.054.Hogan JN, Crenshaw AO, Baucom KJW, Baucom BRW.Time Spent Together in Intimate Relationships: Implications for Relationship Functioning. Contemp Fam Ther. 2021 Sep;43(3):226-233. doi: 10.1007/s10591-020-09562-6.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Peetz, J., Meloff, Z., & Royle, C. (2023).When couples fight about money, what do they fight about?Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/02654075231187897Hertz-Palmor N, Moore TM, Gothelf D, DiDomenico GE, Dekel I, Greenberg DM, Brown LA, Matalon N, Visoki E, White LK, Himes MM, Schwartz-Lifshitz M, Gross R, Gur RC, Gur RE, Pessach IM, Barzilay R.Association among income loss, financial strain and depressive symptoms during COVID-19: Evidence from two longitudinal studies. J Affect Disord. 2021 Aug 1;291:1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.04.054.Hogan JN, Crenshaw AO, Baucom KJW, Baucom BRW.Time Spent Together in Intimate Relationships: Implications for Relationship Functioning. Contemp Fam Ther. 2021 Sep;43(3):226-233. doi: 10.1007/s10591-020-09562-6.

Peetz, J., Meloff, Z., & Royle, C. (2023).When couples fight about money, what do they fight about?Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/02654075231187897

Hertz-Palmor N, Moore TM, Gothelf D, DiDomenico GE, Dekel I, Greenberg DM, Brown LA, Matalon N, Visoki E, White LK, Himes MM, Schwartz-Lifshitz M, Gross R, Gur RC, Gur RE, Pessach IM, Barzilay R.Association among income loss, financial strain and depressive symptoms during COVID-19: Evidence from two longitudinal studies. J Affect Disord. 2021 Aug 1;291:1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.04.054.

Hogan JN, Crenshaw AO, Baucom KJW, Baucom BRW.Time Spent Together in Intimate Relationships: Implications for Relationship Functioning. Contemp Fam Ther. 2021 Sep;43(3):226-233. doi: 10.1007/s10591-020-09562-6.

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