Being cooped up in the wintertime is a drag. But a little bit of creativity and companionship can go a long way. In truth, winter date nights can be just as fun as their spring, summer, and fall counterparts. You don’t have to blow up your budget to have fun either.
Today, we’re going to take a look at some affordable winter experiences to help you break up the monotony and keep date night fresh all year long. If what you read here doesn’t scratch the itch for you and your partner, know that the internet is rich with affordable wintertime date ideas. So get out the pen and paper, search online, and make a personalized wintertime date night bucket list of your very own.
Ervin-Edward/ShutterstockBuild a Snowman
Who ever said making a snowman is only for kids? The next time you see a fresh snowfall, put on your mittens and dust off all of your old snowman building techniques! You and your significant other can work on one together or build your own in a friendly competition.
There’s nothing more romantic than a night outside amongst the freshly fallen snow, and there’s no better wintertime photo op than standing next to a freshly built snowman. So be sure to keep this idea ready for the next time it snows.
Ice Skating
The colder months can be a drag. That is, unless you like winter sports. Ice skating can be incredibly affordable. It’s great exercise, and creates a memorable experience too. You don’t have to be an expert on skates to be able to enjoy this fun and physical date idea.
All you need is a pair of skates and as little as $7 per person to embrace the season, and your clumsiness.1 Just check your local public arena or city-run outdoor rink for recreational skating times and prices.
See a Movie
The colder weather marks an uptick in indoor activities, which makes sense. It’s a big time of year for movie theaters, that’s for sure. The cash generated during the eight days between December 24th and December 31st can account for as much as 5% of the entire year’s box office earnings.2 As such, there’s always an abundance of great movies to choose from come wintertime.
Movies are affordable too! Provided you don’t spend too much money at the snack bar. City dwellers likely have a number of independent cinemas and theaters that offer unique movie experiences and a fully licensed bar at a fraction of the price of the big chains.
Cook Something From Scratch
You don’t have to know your way around a kitchen to create a memorable night together. In fact, the worse you are the more memorable the experience will be. Cooking something from scratch is an interactive and intimate activity that gets you working together.
Baking cookies, making pasta from scratch, or tossing a homemade pizza is about as romantic as home cooking gets. Serve your favorite drink and play your favorite songs to create a romantic indoor date night fit for every budget.
Play a Boardgame
Board games can be bought for under $20 and deliver endless hours of offline fun.3 The world of board games has come a long way too. Nowadays, there’s a game suited for just about every taste. From trivia to strategy, you’re never more than a quick search away from a list of new games to try.
The advent of board game cafés sure is helpful. They give you a space to try a bunch of new games and usually serve great coffee and snacks. Try a bunch of games before committing to buying them, all for the price of a cup of coffee.
Go Antiquing
It’s not for everyone, but antiquing can be made to feel alot like treasure hunting. Sifting through odd and unique items to find one you’ll cherish forever is truly memorable. Antiquing is like shopping at a museum, where most things are reasonably priced and built to last. The oddities you pass by will provide you with an endless supply of conversation topics too.
Visit A Botanical Garden
Being around greenery is incredibly healthy. The positive impact plants have on stress levels is settled science.4 But, with the exception of a few houseplants, most of us don’t get a lot of greenery come the winter season.
Don’t sleep on your local botanical garden. Dates are about atmosphere, and botanical gardens have that in spades. Admission is usually quite affordable, and they often add holiday lights and festive accents to entice and entertain visitors in December.
Stay Warm
You don’t have to spend a lot of money to create a memorable experience. Creativity, or diligent online research, beats a big tab at a fancy restaurant nearly every time. Great dates are about creating memorable moments. And those don’t have to be bought.
The next time you’re out of winter time date night ideas, search online for inspiration. From cooking a homemade meal, to ice skating the night away, there’s never a shortage of fantastic and affordable wintertime date night ideas.
