While eating at a restaurant, going to a concert, or meeting for a happy hour are all great date ideas, you can achieve the same level of excitement and romance with an activity that won’t impact your wallets. To ease any financial anxiety around dating, we’ve created a list of free date ideas. Now, the next time your Bumble match asks, “So, what do you want to do?” you’ll know what to say.
Find a free concert
Branch out from your typical music taste by finding live music. Check out local dives or outdoor shopping centers and you’ll likely find up-and-coming musicians looking for an eager audience. Then you can say “I saw so-and-so live before they were famous” a few years from now.
Go stargazing
Bring a new meaning to nightlife by finding a good spot nearby to snuggle under the stars. If you live in a place with lots of light pollution, head to a viewpoint away from the city for the evening. It’s the perfect setting to chat about astrology, so see how many constellations you can spot (or make up some new ones!) and research how compatible your zodiac signs are.
Visit a museum or gallery
Get your culture fix with your Bumble match and find the nearest museum or gallery that doesn’t charge for entry. The various exhibits will give you plenty of conversation fodder, and you may discover your date has a nerdy interest that makes them extra cute.
Host a game night
The great thing about games is that they can be as intimate or as social as you want them to be. If you want to see how your brains work together, play a board game that requires strategy. Ready for them to meet your friends? Time to bust out the charades or a pack of cards.
Take a hike
Why not get your steps in and check out a local trail instead of staying put during a sit-down dinner? Just be sure to bring your water bottle and first aid kit (and don’t go off the grid with someone you don’t know, of course).
Stroll somewhere scenic
While it seems simple, taking a breezy walk through nature has a way of heightening our observational skills. Head to your local lake, beach, or forest and take in the fresh air—and your Bumble date’s quirks. You may notice something about them that you didn’t clock before.
Volunteer at a local animal shelter
Petting dogs and cats while getting to know each other? Best date ever. Look into whether you can volunteer inside the shelter or take the pups out for a walk. You’ll get to see the caring and compassionate side of your Bumble crush, which can heighten your attraction.
Test your cooking skills
Cooking a meal together is a great way to gauge how you work as a team, and you can make it seriously cost-effective by challenging yourselves only to use ingredients that you already have in the house.
Watch the sunset
There’s something romantic about the orangey pink sunset sky, so heading to a prime sunset viewing spot for a date is the perfect way to get closer to your Bumble match. Bring a pack of cards to get competitive as the sun goes down, or use the alone time to get to know them better with questions you haven’t asked them before.
Have your own karaoke night
You don’t have to book a private karaoke room to sing your heart out with your Bumble match! There are plenty of free karaoke videos available online, so get your favorite song set up on your TV or laptop and be ready to sing into that hairbrush. This is a great chance to be silly with your date and see how much fun the two of you can have together just goofing around.