18 Free Date Ideas to Have Fun Out on the Town

Jan 8, 2021 | Date Night, Marriage

Head out on the town for date night with your sweetheart! These FREE date ideas are easy on the wallet and perfect for helping you connect with your spouse or lover!

Couple holding hands during date night, from Fun Cheap or Free

Date nights are such an important part of a relationship, but boy can they get pricey! If you’re on a budget, it can be hard to find the balance between a fun date night and not spending an arm and a leg on one. Just because you’re watching your money doesn’t mean that you don’t get to have some fun with your honey!

You can have a romantic date night on a budget!

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Now don’t get us wrong… there’s nothing wrong with curling up on the couch and watching a movie together! Sometimes it’s nice to just sit and relax in the comfort of your own home. You can't go wrong with an at-home date night.

But let’s get real, sometimes you just want to get out of the house and do something! If that’s the case, then today is your lucky day. We’ve got some free date ideas that are so fun and get you out of the house, what whaaat!?!


FREE DATE IDEAS

These free date ideas are so fun and so simple to put together! Most of them don’t require very much prep time and can happen anywhere from your backyard to around town. Grab what you need from your house and get to dating your honey already! 😉


FREE DATE IDEAS TO GET OUTSIDE

Couple on a hike, from Fun Cheap or Free

Do you love to spend time outside? Or maybe you're wanting to change things up from the normal… Whatever it is, these free date ideas are a fun and great way to spend time together outdoors!

  • Go Star Gazing – Grab some snacks, a cozy blanket, and head to your local park or open area and look at the stars! Have sleeping kids at home and no babysitter? Head to your backyard! It’s just as fun!
  • Embrace the Season – Have a snowball fight in the winter and water fight in the summer! Grab cups, water guns, water balloons, and whatever you have lying around and go for it. If it’s fall, rake some leaves and make leaf angels! 
  • Go on a Hike – Say buh-bye to the city and enjoy nature! If you can’t get out of the city, find a walking trail and get that blood pumping on a walk.
  • Watch the Sunset – Go for a drive or head to your favorite spot! Just find somewhere with a good view of the sunset. Break out some Would You Rather questions for when the sun sets.

DATE NIGHT IDEAS IN THE CITY

Couple at a community movie, from Fun Cheap or Free

Going out on the town is always a fun and exciting date night. However, you may not always have the spare cash just lying around to do some of those expensive date nights. Seriously, dinner and a movie can cost over $50, what???

These date night ideas are a fun way to go out without having to spend an arm and a leg while doing so. Try them out and see which is your favorite!

  • Free Community Events – Check out Facebook Events for free activities in your area. We're talking things like music in the park, movies in the park, and other fun opportunities. We have a full post with more tips to help you find things to do near you.
  • Test Drive your Dream Car – Head to a dealership and test drive your dream car. Just don't even think about buying it, or else your date will go from fun and free to expensive real quick!
  • Play Truth or Dare – Walk around your town playing your favorite childhood game of truth or dare. You set the rules, but make it fun!
  • Card Games in the City – Go to a Starbucks or a bookstore, find a table and have a blast! Take a simple deck of cards and you have HUNDREDS of games with a simple Google search!
  • Tourist in your Own City – Explore the city you live in or a nearby city and get to know all of the amazing things your town has to offer!
  • Volunteer Together – Find a local charity that needs help. Volunteer at the nursing home. Feed the homeless. Do something together that helps others…it will bring you closer to each other and make you more grateful for the each other and the things that you have.
  • Scavenger Hunt – Head to the mall and have a fun scavenger hunt! Pinterest is FULL of fun printables for scavenger hunt dates or you can make a list of your own on your phones. Make it a double date and race to finish first. Here are a few suggestions for things to find/do:
    1. Someone trying to sell you something in a center kiosk.
    2. Products that start with each letter of the alphabet.
    3. A person eating a pretzel.
    4. Get a sample of perfume/cologne.
    5. A mannequin wearing stripes.
    6. A Person with 3+ shopping bags.
    7. A service dog (remember not to pet it!).
    8. A product you think is priced too high.
  • Window Shopping – If you think you can handle the temptation, stroll through your favorite store and do a little window shopping. It can really be a fun date! Just don't spend money.
  • Costco Sample Run – Again, testing your self-control… however, it can be fun to just walk the aisles at Costco and try all the samples.

CASUAL OUT ON THE TOWN DATE NIGHTS

Couple reading books at a store, from Fun Cheap or Free

Here are some more really fun and free date ideas to get you out of the house and around town. You'll have a blast!

  • Visit a Local Library – Head to the library for a fun date night! Find books about a new hobby you’re interested in learning and make a plan to do that together. Bonus points if it’s one you already have everything for at home.
  • Play Horse – Head to the park or school playgrounds and shoot some hoops! Pack a picnic dinner and dress in basketball gear to make it more fun.
  • Drive-in Theater – Create your own drive-in theater! Stock up on your favorite movie theater snacks (don't forget the popcorn full of buttery goodness). Load your laptop/iPad up with a movie you already own and head somewhere secluded. You'll have your own personal theater!
  • Fun Photoshoot – Find a store with flowers and do the flower wall photoshoot challenge! Try to make it look like you’re outside in a field of flowers. We promise you’ll laugh… A LOT!
  • Go Geocaching – Have you ever heard of geocaching? It's basically the world's largest treasure hunt and it's so fun! Try your hands at it and see how much you love it.

Don't those all sound like so much fun?!


What are your favorite FREE date night ideas? Let us know in the comments!

Image with text that reads "18 free out-on-the-town date nights" from Fun Cheap or Free

Want more great ideas?

  • We highly suggest a financial date at least once a month to help you and your spouse stay on the same page! A money date walks you through everything while still having fun!
  • Looking for some fun family competitions? Then try these out and see how much fun they can be!
  • Need help setting up a budget so you can start planning for how much they cost? Check out how you can include that using the 70% rule!

Now go date your sweetie!

7 Comments

  1. Lei

    Thank you for these wonderful ideas! We look forward to trying some of these out this year.

    Reply
    • Fun Cheap or Free

      You’ll have to let us know how they go for you!!! 🙂

      Reply
      • Brittany chaston

        In any weather but winter, we like to go to a cemetery or mortuary and walk around and look at all the grave plots and learn about the symbols on them. There is actually a cool mural in a nearby one that is listed on places to see for the city. We will got to a fast food restaurant all dressed up and bring our “fancy” dishes and eat a sandwich with a fork. Sometimes we even bring a table cloth and battery operated candles

        Reply
        • Fun Cheap or Free

          Oh wow, those are some great ideas that sound so fun! Thanks for sharing! 🙂

          Reply
  2. Sarah

    These are great! We’ve been meaning to schedule date nights, and now with another little one on the way this year we are more motivated than ever. Thank you for these great suggestions, they had me smiling!

    Reply
    • Fun Cheap or Free

      Oh, congratulations on the new little one! Definitely schedule those date nights in, they’re so important!

      Reply
  3. Martin Melde

    Love all these great ideas & information.
    Keep them coming!👍🇺🇲

    Reply

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