Article 1 In a Series of Articles on How To Go On A Cheap Date

So, times are tough.  You owe more on your home than it is worth.  Your stocks took a dive.  You’re even worried that your job might not be around next month.  How can you get into a romantic mood with all of these worries?

Fortunately, great dates don’t have to cost a lot of money.  In fact, you may be able to impress your date more with your ingenuity than you would with cold hard cash.  Often, the things that cost the least can end up being the most fun.

So, it is in that vein that I present to you 20 Great Cheap Dates.

How To Go On A Cheap Date

Get Some Culture

There are any number of cultural events going on in your town.  While box seats at the orchestra may set you back a couple hundred dollars, many cultural activities are cheap.  Some are even free.

For instance, while museum admission generally costs $5 to $25 per person, many institutions have gone to having one evening a month that is free.  Often, on these free evenings, there are additional curators, interpretive advisors, or exhibits on display for the extra people who come.  Go to www.MuseumStuff.com to find a museum near you.

Communities also sponsor free concerts from time to time.  Concerts in the park are a favorite summertime activity.  These events feature all kinds of music including classical, jazz, ethnic, and modern fare. 

Live theater can often be found for not much more than a movie ticket.  In addition to community theater groups, check college and even high school offerings. 

Art schools have an annual exhibition for their graduating students each spring.  These provide a cheap date where you can see cutting edge artistic works and support local artists.

Colleges and universities also provide cheap entertainment in the form of free lectures and readings.  Some of the top minds in the world come to college campuses to share their experiences and thoughts with the community.  For instance, Iraqi journalist and NPR contributor Haidar Hazma is currently touring college campus.  Ms. Hazma covered the trial and execution of Saddam Hussein.  Loyd Auerbach, the director of the Office of Paranormal Investigations is currently on the circuit with a presentation called “True Tales of Ghosts and Hauntings.”

Authors also do readings on campus.  Sometimes popular authors are invited as part of the regular lecture series.  Other times, the school brings in specific authors that students in a given class are reading to enhance the curriculum.  There is often a public reading of the work in addition to an address to the class.

When you choose a low cost culturally-related date, you will not only save money, you will show your date your sophisticated side.

Article 2 in this series of Articles on How To Go On A Cheap Date will continue tomorrow.