45 Free, Cheap or FUN Date Ideas

One of the keys of High Performance and Happiness is making relationships a priority.  If you’re married or have a significant other in your life, I HIGHLY recommend weekly date night.  Making time for the ones you love helps them to know that they are important to you AND keeps the relationship alive.  Memories and connections keep relationships thriving.Not sure what to do? Do you ever spend half of your date saying, “What do you want to do?” with the reply, “I don’t know, what do you want to do?”Make a list!  My friends and I came up with a list of things we could do in our community that were both free or under $5, as a reminder that dates DON’T have to be expensive. They also don’t have to be “dinner and movie”, or our usual, “run errands and go to Costco.”Your budget may be different, so choose some free things and some things within your budget.  Make the list now, and then you’ll have weeks worth of ideas waiting.  Check out your city’s recreational website for community events, concerts, activities, farmers markets, and more!While this list is specific to where we live, perhaps it will give you ideas to generate your list!Things you can do for free in Utah County & Provo, Utah:

1. Go dream house hunting.
2. Go for a drive up the canyon. (Provo Canyon, American Fork Canyon and Nebo Canyon are close!)
3. Go for a drive up to Squaw Peak.
4. Go to Pioneer Museum on 500 West in Provo.
5. Go to BYU Art Museum for the free exhibit.
6. Drive to Sundance and walk around the grounds.
7. “Rent” movies from friends.
8. Take a picnic to the park.
9. Go to the Deseret Industries or Good Will and look around in the back for treasures.
10. Go visit an elderly or widower in your neighborhood.
11. Do service somewhere together. (community options available at justserve.org)
12. Go to one of the free concerts in Provo in the summer.
13. Go to free movies in the park in Provo in the summer.
14. Put the kids to bed and have a candlelight dessert in the front room.
15. Play a game together after kids go to bed.
16. Go for a walk and talk about what you want to do when you are empty nesters and retired.
17. Go to a new development and walk through unfinished homes.
18. Walk on the Provo River Trail.
19. Go “window shopping” at a mall.
20. Go dream furniture shopping. Sit on every couch to find the one that’s most comfortable.
21. Go to the library or bookstore and read magazines or books. Talk about the funny things you find.
22. Go somewhere crazy and people watch. Don’t you ever wonder what their lives are like?
23. Go to the Springville Art Museum.
24. Take a tour of your Youth. Drive around to different places and tell funny stories.
25. Drive to Bridal Veil Falls and wade around in the water.
26. Drive up to Vivian Park with a blanket and watch the stars come out. Take bug spray!
27. Find festivals. Peach Days, strawberry days, art festivals in small towns, Llama Days etc. Often free to get in to watch the concerts and see the booths. Can also be great for people watching.
28. Go for a hike.
29. Put the kids to bed and pull out old pictures of your marriage and of each of you as kids. Again, tell funny stories.
30. Drive somewhere remote. Turn up the music in the car and dance outside. (or make-out inside).
31. At Christmas time – drive around and look at Christmas lights. Play Christmas music or the radio.

 Things you can do for under $10:

32. Buy of bag of popsicles and go hand them out just outside or at the testing center at BYU.
33. Go get ice cream.
34. Go to the grocery store. Each person has $2.50. Split up and come back in 5 minutes with the biggest thing you can find for $2.50. Pick a winner and take your food to the park.
35. Get a foot long sub sandwich and share. Take it to a park.
36. Rent a movie from Redbox or Amazon Prime.
37. Take $10 to the DI and find a treasure you want to take home. Or, each person gets $5 to buy the other a gift.
38. Go to the Farmers Market and try 3 new fruits or veggies, or buy a loaf of fresh baked bread.
39. Go Karaoke (available in downtown Provo)

Splurge date ideas:

40. Go to a trampoline park.
41. Go see a play
42. Go to a concert.
43. Take the tram ride at Sundance.
44. Walk the Thanksgiving Point Gardens.
45. Get pedicures.