Dating on a budget...

[U4ea]

It's been my experience (with my husband, don't think it's rather extensive) that girls REALLY don't care if a date is expensive or not. I know I don't. Don't get me wrong, I like dressing up and doing something nice, but I enjoy the things that take a little thought more. (Those are the things my husband isn't very good at...).

 

 

So, I thought we'd put together a set of dating scenarios to help the wary date planner out when they're looking at their wallet and shaking their head.

 

Feel free to post your ideas in here!

[U4ea]

Date 1- FONDUE

 

This would naturally be when you know someone well enough to hang out at their house (or they hang out at yours) and not worry about being creeped out or pressured into anything they don't want to do. So...

 

 

 

 

Recipes for "do it at home" fondue

 

 

Cheese fondue- (Total Estimated cost- $17)

3 cups of three blend Mexican cheese, shredded cost- around $4, but you can usually catch this one sale somewhere

2/3 of a bottle of beer (Yuengling is my favorite for this, because it adds a lot of flavor without a lot of bite)cost-$8 for a six pack

 

1 loaf of French bread (bagette style) cut into 1 inch pieces with a lot of crust cost- $3

2 apples (red delicious or granny smith) cut into 1 inch pieces Cost- $2

THAT's IT! You can add minced garlic or any number of seasonings, but the cheese speaks for itself!)

[U4ea]

Meat Course (Total Estimated cost- $54)

Depending on your date, making this TOGETHER in the kitchen can be a lot of fun! Otherwise, you can do all of this earlier in the day and put it in the fridge to start warming up when your date arrives)

 

Coq au Vin cooking sauce from the Melting Pot: (You can do this in a pot on the stove and use a hot plate to keep it warm on the table, if you don't have a fondue pot!)

 

Total Cost- $23

3 ½ cups vegetable stock Cost- $5

½ cup Burgundy wine Cost-$10

½ cup sliced mushrooms Cost-$3

1 tablespoon garlic , minced pre-made in a jar Cost-$3, mincing it yourself $3 for a TON of garlic

2 green onions , sliced Cost- pre-cut (sometimes the grocery store will have this for you in the produce section) $2, whole onions $.99 a lb

 

Meat to dip: I'd keep this simple, 2 meats unless you're in the mood to splurge. Total Estimated Cost will vary by region and grocery store, but I wouldn't spend more than $20 here)

Pick two from this list and cut into 1 inch cubes:

*boneless chicken breast

*thick cut boneless pork chops (loin is a little too soft for this, but you can try it. It's more expensive, though)

*Steak- Top Sirloin or Filet Mignon is best because it'll have less to battle when you cook it. Naturally, the filet is more expensive.

I've also seen lamb and venison used, but those get rather pricey.

 

Veggies to dip: These are on the cheap side, so I'd fill out the table with these. (I'll show you a trick for the mushrooms that is absolute HEAVEN, too!)

Total Estimated Price: again will vary by what you choose and regional availability, but don't spend more than $10 or $15 here

Pick any of these:

*small red potatoes

*cauliflower

*broccoli

*carrots (the little petite ones)

*Mushroom caps <--- hang on to these and check out the tricks below

 

Other stuff: (prices here are totally up to you)

Pick your sauces according to your meats. Ideas include:

*barbeque sauce

*terriaki sauce

*garlic spread (you normally find this with the cheese near the deli)

*steak sauce

*ginger sauce

*sweet & Sour sauce

*duck sauce

 

 

 

Tips and Tricks to try:

*Stuffed mushrooms- Take the mushroom caps and fill the inside with the garlic & herb sauce, then drop it in the Coq au vin (no fork). Let it cook for about a minute and take it out. YUM!!!

 

*You can also pick up some pre-made ravioli and drop it in the coq au vin. This can take the place of a meat or a veggie and the fondue will melt the cheese on the inside... YUM!

[U4ea]

Chocolate (Total Estimated Cost- $ 3 )

Wilton's Chocolate disks ($3 at a craft store)

Milk (you don't need much, so you probably already have this in the fridge)

 

 

To dip: pick any of these (prices here are totally up to you)

Strawberries <-- fondue staple, I think, even if I don't like them!

apples (save these from the cheese if there are any left)

cheesecake

pound cake sliced in 1 inch squares

marshmellows

 

 

 

Tips and Tricks to try:

 

*DO NOT attempt to dip the cheesecake! Spoon out a bit of chocolate and drizzle it over the cheesecake!

[U4ea]

Depending on how much wow'ing you want to do, pick and choose your courses. Cheese and Chocolate are a must for most girls (and oddly enough happen to be the cheapest on the menu...).

 

So, my cheaper advice:

 

Fondue cheese course curled up in the floor of the living room on pillows during the previews of a movie you rented/streamed.

 

Dinner- either the fondue above (which can get pricey, be careful) OR another main course meal (lasagna, chicken cordon bleau...) during the meat of the movie.

 

Chocolate course AFTER the movie while you're talking about how awesome the movie was or how horrible the ending was.

 

 

 

 

 

For Valentine's Day, keep in mind that anything finger-food-ish is considered a romantic evening. Fondue=romantic by nature. WN-WIN!

[Ryrin]

Concerts in the park (summer) bring a picnic. Go on hikes . Hang out at the local book store then go out for coffee or tea. Go to opening night at your local gallery . They usually serve hors d' oeuvres for free.

[Ryrin]

Concerts in the park (summer) bring a picnic. Go on hikes . Hang out at the local book store then go out for coffee or tea. Go to opening night at your local gallery . They usually serve hors d' oeuvres for free.

[Naked~Frog]

Go for a walk, even just around town. I also like to play on playgrounds :D Which childish, I know, but it makes a big difference in how I feel about a guy if he plays with me when I'm using the monkey bars, going down slides, and swinging vs, him staring at me like I'm crazy or walking away.

 

YOU CAN NEVER BE TOO OLD FOR PLAYGROUNDS!!!!

 

...unless there are children there. Then stay back and don't frighten them and definitely do not play with them. Big no no.

[Ryrin]

My husband and I love sports. We go to a local restaurant, sit at the bar, order one drink, watch the game and eat all of the chips and salsa we want.

Get together with another couple, potluck and play board games.

We go watch a baseball game with our minor league team. $7.00 tickets.

Log on to the website of your local college and see what they've got going on, plays, lectures, art etc.

[Ryrin]

Go for a walk, even just around town. I also like to play on playgrounds :D Which childish, I know, but it makes a big difference in how I feel about a guy if he plays with me when I'm using the monkey bars, going down slides, and swinging vs, him staring at me like I'm crazy or walking away.

 

YOU CAN NEVER BE TOO OLD FOR PLAYGROUNDS!!!!

 

...unless there are children there. Then stay back and don't frighten them and definitely do not play with them. Big no no.

 

We used to go to them at night.... in the fog and swing. Lol.

[Naked~Frog]

I've done that too! They aren't always safe though. I like to swing in the rain... not right after raining though ;)

[Ryrin]

I've done that too! They aren't always safe though. I like to swing in the rain... not right after raining though ;)

 

We always brought our 123 lb dog when we went at night.

 

 

As I've said, we really like sports. There is a 2 year college within walking distance that has good teams, both men's and women's in a variety of sports. About 45 minutes away we have a Division I school who won the college world series a few years ago.

 

We also are near some National Parks and one is an easy drive. Hikes, picnics and fishing.

[Naked~Frog]

Oh fun! I have dogs but they are smaller... not too small but still... Not quite big enough for safety. I used to be sporty too but then I started getting sick a lot. Now I'm lazy :D

 

I suppose another low budget date would be going to someone's house in a group and having your friends with you when picked up so you know it will be a group and not a trap and then hanging out all together somewhere (for someone you dont know well)

[Ryrin]

Oh fun! I have dogs but they are smaller... not too small but still... Not quite big enough for safety. I used to be sporty too but then I started getting sick a lot. Now I'm lazy :D

 

I suppose another low budget date would be going to someone's house in a group and having your friends with you when picked up so you know it will be a group and not a trap and then hanging out all together somewhere (for someone you dont know well)

 

 

I think going to a friend's home for a movie and/or pot luck is fun.

[Naked~Frog]

That would be... also dances, but they aren't usually as frequent and clubbing can be extremely dangerous and or pricey... come to think of it, some dances are to...

[Ryrin]

That would be... also dances, but they aren't usually as frequent and clubbing can be extremely dangerous and or pricey... come to think of it, some dances are to...

 

I also like going to the local farmer's market (Thursday's in the Spring/Summer at 4:00pm) and then cooking dinner with stuff we bought there or staying there and getting a drink at one of the local restaurants. There is outdoor music and arts/crafts for sale.

[Naked~Frog]

Lucky! We don't have any that close to here :/

But that would be another great idea.

[Ryrin]

Lucky! We don't have any that close to here :/

But that would be another great idea.

 

 

Oh, it's really fun. We grow lots of stuff here and I like the farm fresh eggs. We have a nice downtown area with restaurants and little shops. We also have a small planetarium with shows. I also enjoy going to the dog park.

 

How about annual passes at attractions near you? Wine tasting?

[Naked~Frog]

Nope. I live on a hobby farm.. we have town festivals for each town near me once a year. And we have the country fair where I showed my animals for a long time...

[U4ea]

If you're close, picnic at the beach is almost always a cheap and fun date. I happen to live within spitting distance of the ocean, so it works. :)

[Naked~Frog]

Oh awesome! Or you could even go fishing, though rivers and lakes work better for that... but a picnic by the ocean tops that :D

 

Or you could collect sea shells :D Or bits of glass that have smoothed down by the water.

[Ryrin]

I live within a couple of hours of the beach and about 1 hour from the forest. I also live within a few minutes of an oaks preserve. I love hiking there. Just pack a lunch and go outside somewhere. We love camping too.

[Naked~Frog]

Oh awesome! You guys both live in great spots! I have a couple lakes nearby since there are lakes everywhere here, and there's a river near me too.

And I have a forest in my backyard, but that's hard to get to :/

[U4ea]

Yeah, I love this place. Savannah us beautiful downtown, too. One if my favorite things is just walking around downtown taking pictures. Used to drive my husband nuts...

[Ryrin]

Yeah, I love this place. Savannah us beautiful downtown, too. One if my favorite things is just walking around downtown taking pictures. Used to drive my husband nuts...

 

 

My sister and I have always wanted to see Savannah. Walks are nice and then go out for ice cream.