It’s Friday night, and you know what that means… date night! Today I thought it would be fun to share some ideas for a fun date night that doesn’t cost a lot of money. Since we all know that most nearlyweds and newlyweds are saving all of their pennies for their wedding and beyond.

While we all like to get dressed up for a fancy night out sometimes, my philosophy is that a great date does not necessarily mean spending a lot. Some of the most fun dates I’ve been on have been very inexpensive or even free. So without further ado, here’s the list I’ve compiled for you:

• Host a game night. Ask a guest or two to bring their favorite board game to play.
• Visit a local bookstore and pick something you think the other would love. Alternatively, you could also read each other your favorite children’s book.
• The Clark Planetarium in downtown Salt Lake City is free unless you see a show.
• Have a picnic on the steps of the Capitol building. It’s especially beautiful there at the end of March when the cherry blossoms are in bloom.
• Give your partner a tour of your hometown (where you went to school, favorite spots, favorite places to eat, etc.)
• Volunteer together. Nothing brings a couple closer than serving together.
• Let a coin decide. Pick a number between 5 and 30. Each time you come to an intersection, flip a coin. Heads you turn right, tails you turn left. Once you reach the number of turns you selected at the beginning, find something to do in the area where you finish.
• Go to a thrift store and buy each other the best or most outlandish gift you can find for $5.
• Have a campfire in the mountains. You can reserve a picnic spot with a table and a firepit at Ledgemere up in Big Cottonwood Canyon for less than $10. Don’t forget the smores stuff!
• Visit the drive-in. Did you know Utah still has a drive-in movie theater? It’s in West Valley and it opens in the summer. Your tickets get you in to see two movies, so it’s a great deal. You can also bring your own snacks and popcorn.

• An even cheaper movie option is to grab a blanket and see a free movie in the park. Utah has dozens of them showing nearly every weekend in the warm months.
• Take a stroll through the International Peace Gardens, one of Utah’s hidden gems.
• Spend an evening at a local comedy club. Tickets are often very inexpensive.
• Visit a farmer’s market and sample some delicious, local produce.
• Watch the movie “The Bucket List” and spend an evening writing your own bucket list together.
• Attend an exercise class together. Many communities have free classes outdoors, or you can even work up a sweat at home with online videos.
• Play at a nickel arcade. Then pool all your tickets for something awesome.
• Host a progressive dinner party with friends. Visit a different couple’s home for each course.
• Go for a hike. Utah has the most beautiful scenery.

I hope some of these ideas might help make planning a weekly date night a little more doable for you and your love. Enjoy! Happy Friday, everyone!