Cheap Date: It’s a Good Thing

And you wanna know why? Money comes and goes. Sure, you can fall in love with Prince Charming over Cristal, fast cars, and fancy bars…that’s being swept off your Manolos, but in the long haul? If you can’t be swept off your bare feet and vice versa…is the guy worth it?

You New Yorkers may empathize. A girlfriend of mine still has the moths-in-his-wallet guy as the best date ever. It was something about hot dogs, night court, and the skyline. Whatever your metropolis, here are a few cheap date ideas that’ll help you get to know him better than that high end Cabernet.

1. Play Sports. It’s almost summer time and the balls are a flying. Lost you man to the NBA playoffs? Challenge him to some one on one. Doesn’t matter how good you are, he’ll be happy to share his interest with you. He might even like playing coach. Or you can hike or run or any other thing that incorporates what makes the outdoors great in your city. If you keep it competitive, you’ll see what kind of winner or loser he is.

2. Play Board Games. Ditto on the last point. What’s more soul revealing than Monopoly and Pictionary? The game of greed and the game of universal symbols. Jung would have a field day.
3. Visit a Court. This can be surprisingly entertaining. Plaintiffs, defendants, angry lawyers, all factions of society embroiled in litigation. Talk about a conversation starter. You’ll probably get to know a lot about each other’s belief systems.

4. Be a Tourist. Take a tour of your city’s cultural landmarks. Learning something new and exploring your city with fresh eyes may shed new light on a beau…like, are you two culturally compatible, or how do you feel about your home?

5. Explore the World of Free. Who know what delights await on the city’s dime? Out in L.A., we have marionette theater, world music, Shakespeare, salsa lessons…what happens when you type free ????? into your search engine? You’ll soon find out how open he may be to new things.

If you guys can take free and cheap and turn it into crystal bells and golden whistles, then hey, I think you’ve got a keeper.