25 Fun, Cheap Date Ideas To Make This The Best Summer Ever

1. Kiddie pools aren’t just for kids. Especially if you’re landlocked and looking for some surf, there’s nothing more rewarding than dishing out a couple bucks for an inflatable pool to dip your toes in.

2. Throwback to when the best summer parties of your childhood involved a slip n slide. While you’re at it, have a water balloon fight!

3. Let your creative flag fly and tie-dye something. T-shirts, bed sheets, and underwear all look better with a punch of rad coloring.

4. When you’re sick of staring at screens, take a hike. Literally. Research local hiking trails for an active daytime date that will let you be one with nature.

5. Unleash your inner child and take your date to an amusement park for the day. Groupon has totally reasonable discounts (especially “two for one” package deals) that will allow you to pocket some spare change for cotton candy.

6. Take an evening stroll through your neighborhood or local park. It’ll be pleasantly warm and light, but not humid enough to make you both feel like you’re melting into a puddle of sweat.

7. Go to your closest grocery store and pick up some lunchtime essentials, pack them up in a bag or basket, grab a blanket, and have a picnic.

8. When you tire of Seamless and Chinese takeout (seems impossible, but it can happen), opt for a more hands-on form of delivery service in Blue Apron. Blue Apron packages up all the ingredients (in their respective quantities) and instructions to make healthy home cooked meals in 35 minutes. Bond over cooking serious food without breaking the bank.

9. But if you’re more into indulging your sweet tooths as a couple, use your regular ice cube trays and toothpicks to make some refreshing popsicles.

10. While you’re at it, make “going for ice cream” a reoccurring date theme by creating an Ice Cream Bucket List and challenging yourselves to test out as many flavors/ice cream shops as possible (without getting sick).

11. To battle summertime sadness, consider taking a road trip to visit long distance friends for the weekend or take a day trip to a nearby town. Sometimes the next town over offers enough of a change in pace.

12. For the cheesiest of all romantic moves, drive around to find a spot for prime sunset viewing (and a high school-esque make out sesh).

13. Want to be blasted with air conditioning and lounge in comfy seating? For those unbearable days of 80% humidity, go to the movies (that’s right. The movies. When was the last time you watched a movie that wasn’t on Netflix?).

14. Plan a potluck. Assign various foods to your friends and host a barbecue-style buffet for a perfect, cheap social event.

15. If you and your significant other are desperate to get zen, but can’t afford a membership to a yoga studio, strengthen your core by listening to these (free!!) yoga practice podcasts, at home or outdoors.

16. If the second season of True Detective isn’t doing it for you, visit a REAL haunted house to get your adrenaline fix.

17. See into the future, beyond these long days of 90 degree weather, by visiting a psychic or medium. You can get a ~*~good reading~*~ for as little as $20/hour.

18. Minor league baseball game tickets can cost as little as $5. Even if you aren’t a major supporter of the team, the experience of going to the game (read: eating hot dogs and drinking beer) is what you’re really there for.

19. Plan for a Lazy Sunday and have breakfast in bed. Make pancakes, drink good coffee, read the newspaper—make it an in-bed brunch date.

20. Have a bonfire on a nearby beach or in someone’s backyard and make s’mores. Then tell some ghost stories.

21. If you’re both night owls, try having a dinner picnic outside and then spend some time star gazing (city folks may have better luck visiting a planetarium).

22. Bond over being good-natured individuals and look into weekend community service projects. These can range from working with kittens in an animal shelter to helping paint murals at a local elementary school. Whatever you like.

23. Take a boozy break over the weekend and teach yourselves how to make fun, summery cocktails. (Use empty jam jars or mason jars for **aesthetic**)

24. If you live near a major city, take advantage of the relatively unknown free events that happen almost everyday. Even if it’s something you’d never think of trying otherwise, there’s no harm in going on a little adventure once in a while.

25. Go camping. Even if you’re not an ~*~outdoors person~*~, you can make camping comfortable and relaxing with things like a hammock, a cooler with drinks, and some snacks.