https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 21 Apr 2026 11:32:27 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-cheapie-date-ideas#post-2411519 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 15:03:16 +0000 MrsKoala 2411519@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Movies! They have a discount ticket night on Tuesdays at our local theater. We love going! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-cheapie-date-ideas#post-2411517 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 15:02:57 +0000 deerylou 2411517@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>$5 happy hour menus are our best friends. We can nibble on several appetizers and each have a beer for about $25.</p> <p>Lots of bars, cafes, and coffee shops keep a nice stock of puzzles and board games. Some have pool tables, jukeboxes and darts. That kind of thing can occupy us, for hours.</p> <p>There's a spa nearby us that offers weekly specials. We will sometimes reserve a sauna and private soaking tub for an hour. Pair with complimentary tea and warm robes, and it's a fair and worthwhile $35. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-cheapie-date-ideas#post-2411516 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 15:01:45 +0000 gingerbebe 2411516@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh also, DH and I have had a regular Tuesday night date night since DS was 4 months old, but we've changed up our childcare situation and are expecting LO2 in May, so we're going to be switching over to lunch dates until the baby is born and then once we have a mommy's helper/part time nanny in place, we'll try for date nights again. But lunches are pretty inexpensive, even at nicer restaurants, especially near business areas, because they are geared towards getting workers in and out within the hour. While its not exactly "nice," when we are craving it, DH and I now go to Olive Garden for lunch because it is so much cheaper and the service is so much faster than at dinner. My employer is fine with the occasional longer lunch too, especially if its not busy at work. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-cheapie-date-ideas#post-2411493 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 14:48:42 +0000 psw27 2411493@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our aquarium in my hometown (Baltimore) used to do Fridays after 5 for $5, that was always a fun date. I'm sure other museums do that too? Also, Imax movies at the science museum tend to be a little cheaper than regular movies. Usually DH and I just go out to dinner. Sometimes we go do things that wouldn't be that fun with a toddler, like furniture shopping or going to Ikea... and even though it isn't fun, it is more relaxing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-cheapie-date-ideas#post-2411488 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 14:46:23 +0000 Mrs. J 2411488@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Do you have any BYOB restaurants? We love those so you can bring wine/beer from home! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-cheapie-date-ideas#post-2411357 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 13:28:03 +0000 raspberries 2411357@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our YMCA has a parents night out once a month on a Saturday evening, where you drop the kids off for $15 from 5PM-8PM. They allow non-members to participate too, for slightly more... $20, I think - might be worth checking out if you're near a YMCA!</p> <p>That 5PM-8PM time period is just enough to catch a movie, or have a long leisurely chat at Panera with soup/sandwiches/cookies. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-cheapie-date-ideas#post-2411352 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 13:24:02 +0000 lawbee11 2411352@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Could you just go out for drinks and dessert and have dinner at home? That way you'll only have to be gone for an hour or two which cuts down on the cost of a full meal and on babysitting money. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-cheapie-date-ideas#post-2411348 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 13:22:03 +0000 Pumpkin Pie 2411348@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>What we've done a few times is take the day off and send the LO to day care, so we have a date day so we have a lot more time + a lot more options + not babysitting cost! Is that something you can do?</p> <p>We havent really done date nights, so I don't have great ideas. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-cheapie-date-ideas#post-2411180 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 12:06:01 +0000 erinbaderin 2411180@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>How old are your kids? Maybe instead of hiring a sitter one night you could pick out a recipe together and after they kids are in bed cook it together and then have a nice dinner together? Or if the kids are a bit older and don't go to bed until later, maybe the babysitter could take the kids to a movie and you guys could have dinner at home?</p> <p>Oh, sorry, I just looked again and saw you're looking for out of the house ideas. Are there any local winter events near you (festivals or anything? We have a lot of Maple Syrup festivals...) that you could go to? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-cheapie-date-ideas#post-2411141 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 11:47:17 +0000 Mrs. Pickle 2411141@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Putt Putt<br /> Drinks and appetizers<br /> Hiking<br /> Bowling<br /> Going out for coffee </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-cheapie-date-ideas#post-2411126 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 11:30:30 +0000 looch 2411126@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Pumpkin Pie: going off that, we can also get discounted gift cards to restaurants at our Costco, like spend $50 for $100 value.</p> <p>We haven't done the movie tickets, but I might look into it next time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-cheapie-date-ideas#post-2411107 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 11:17:43 +0000 Mama Bird 2411107@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Museums and free concerts, if you like that and have some near you. I live in NYC and many museums are free certain hours, and you can find a lot of free concert listings online. We also have free outdoor movies in the summer in at least three parks that I know of. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-cheapie-date-ideas#post-2411105 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 11:17:26 +0000 MaryM 2411105@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Most people don't consider it a "date"...but even just making time to do errands together or simply go for a drive makes a difference in how we connect. </p> <p>DH is usually the one to go to the bank/grocery store/pay bills, etc., but once a month or so if we're off at the same time I'll go with him. If we're in the car, we're sort of forced to talk to each other. If we were at a movie, that wouldn't happen. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-cheapie-date-ideas#post-2411098 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 11:14:47 +0000 gingerbebe 2411098@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We go to taquerias pretty often for dinner on date night - burritos or tacos, plus free chips and salsa, and some pop costs us under $20. Same idea in terms of a nicer chain place or sushi restaurants usually do happy hour deals with cheap rolls. We do Vietnamese pho for dinner a lot too - huge bowls of hot noodle soup and we're out of there for under $20 as well. </p> <p>A lot of time dinner is all we do. We sit and eat and talk and run through things we've been meaning to talk about like budget or home renovation plans or whatever. Between driving to and from the restaurant and dinner conversation, its a decent amount of time to chat. Sometimes we go get a soft serve afterwards to eat on the way home, sometimes we stop by Target or the store to grab a few things.</p> <p>A few times we did cheap movie night ($6 tickets) on Tuesday nights and that was fun too, but DH usually doesn't want to sit through a movie very often, plus it means getting home later on a weeknight than we would like. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-cheapie-date-ideas#post-2411097 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 11:14:33 +0000 Greentea 2411097@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Going out for ice cream<br /> Going out and splitting nachos<br /> Going out for hot chocolate and a walk (window shopping or nice neighborhood)<br /> Taking a hike and making a campfire<br /> Going sledding (it is actually so so fun!)<br /> Free concerts (our city has lots of them!)<br /> Getting a drink and going to an art gallery or museum </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-cheapie-date-ideas#post-2411088 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 11:09:24 +0000 sleepybear 2411088@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Bookstore scavenger hunts are fun (maybe a little cheesy, but I like them). Make a list of things to find in each different section - a recipe you like to eat in the cookbook area, a favorite children's book, plan a dream vacation in the travel section...then go to each area together and share what you find. And you can get coffee, too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-cheapie-date-ideas#post-2411048 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 10:40:19 +0000 regberadaisy 2411048@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Pumpkin Pie: I know I can get cheaper tickets through AAA too. The only theater that does that only offers it one day a week and it's during the work day. :/ </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-cheapie-date-ideas#post-2411047 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 10:39:27 +0000 catlady 2411047@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I recommend Gilt City for restaurant deals (at least in our area, the restaurants on there are better than Groupon or Living Social).</p> <p>If you have a Bank of America card, you can get free admission to a bunch of museums on the first weekend of every month:<br /> <a href="http://museums.bankofamerica.com/" rel="nofollow">http://museums.bankofamerica.com/</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-cheapie-date-ideas#post-2411046 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 10:39:01 +0000 cmomma17 2411046@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Going out to eat, but sharing an appetizer.<br /> Going out and wandering stores together just looking at stuff for fun.<br /> Going to a bookstore or the library to read/browse.<br /> Working out together.</p> <p>None of these are super exciting. Lol :)</p> <p>You can get fandango giftcards for movie dates with swagbucks! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-cheapie-date-ideas#post-2411035 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 10:32:20 +0000 Pumpkin Pie 2411035@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>There are movie tickets at our Costco, so we've gotten those. Groupon has also had deals on restaurants and comedy club. </p> <p>See if there is a theater near you that plays older movies for cheaper. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-cheapie-date-ideas#post-2411021 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 10:23:45 +0000 regberadaisy 2411021@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LBee: LOL!!! DH isn't a sweets fan and drinks out are $$!</p> <p>@pwnstar: fun ideas!</p> <p>@LuLu Mom: oh man, no theatres near us are ever that cheap in the evenings. That's a good deal! My DH hates shopping with a passion. There's no way he would ever consider "window shopping" fun! LOl </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-cheapie-date-ideas#post-2410986 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 10:01:50 +0000 LuLu Mom 2410986@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@regberadaisy: Our cheap night: </p> <p>we will hit up Pepperjacks or Chic-fil-a (cheap dinner but still things we both like) and go indoor mini golfing or bowling. </p> <p>We will go to a movie on the cheap night (our theater does Tuesday night tickets for $5 bucks, so we usually choose to go to a movie then and they do $2 popcorn as well!) </p> <p>We will go shopping (if DH is in the mood) to get things we need or even just window shop. I LOVE walking around Home Depot and picking out things for our future house...i'm a dork but I love it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-cheapie-date-ideas#post-2410968 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 09:49:43 +0000 pwnstar 2410968@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ice skating</p> <p>Pool (like at a pool hall)</p> <p>Karaoke </p> <p>Bingo (go to a bingo night) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-cheapie-date-ideas#post-2410964 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 09:46:01 +0000 LBee 2410964@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Netflix and chill?</p> <p>HA. </p> <p>What about going out for drinks or just dessert? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/best-cheapie-date-ideas#post-2410961 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 09:43:47 +0000 regberadaisy 2410961@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>One of our goals for 2016 is to make more time for us and go out on dates more often. This will mean hiring a sitter. In order to not have date night cost more than $100 each time, what are some of your best/favorite cheap date night ideas? I'm looking for out of the house ideas!</p> <p>Keeping in mind that it's winter here!</p> <p>I plan to check Groupon often for deals. I've seen cheap fandango tickets, bowling deals for like $10, etc. we would even simply make a sandwich and eat in the car then go do a cheap activity! I know some of our museums do Free Friday admissions.</p> <p>What are some of your favorite, out of the house, cheap date ideas? </p>