5 Great and Creative First Date Ideas On A Budget!
5 Great and Creative First Date Ideas On Budget!
(Men Only- Women aren't allowed to read this)
Well played good Sir! You mustered the courage to walk up and start chatting with the beautiful girl you have had your eye on for some time now. Bravo! And in-spite of yourself and your trembling voice she actually said, wait for it... "Yes"! Well played indeed. But now dear Sir, the pressure is mounting because you want most desirably to impress her upon your first date impression! The stress alone could be overwhelming but I say Fear Not! Instead, choose one of the 5 great and creative first date ideas from below and let the wooing begin! Each date is designed not only to impress your date and keep you within a limited budget, but has also been executed by yours truly with experience tips and warnings of each date listed. Remember, you only get a first chance to make a lasting impression! Good Luck to you Sir!
1. Clue Hunt:This is a great date but will take a lot of preparation! After you pick her up explain that she will be going on a Clue Hunt! She will love it, trust me! Explain that she will first be given a clue and that with your help she will have to figure out the clue. Once the puzzle is solved you will then drive to the next clue and so forth. For example, once she is in the car and you have explained everything, hand her a card that reads, "If I were a clown I might hang out where the Golden Arches kiss the sky!” If she doesn't get "McDonald's" right away, then start giving her verbal clues. Next, drive to McDonald's and walk her to the next clue which might be taped to the side of the building, or the window (with permission) etc. The next clue might be something like, "I'm on the corner of such and such street" (the clue is taped to a street sign on such and such street.) and so forth. If you plan very well, your third or fourth clue could be where you eat dinner/lunch and then sneak off and hand the waiter the next clue to bring back to your date. Picture it! Ravishing, I know! You could modify this Clue Hunt by making it a treasure hunt and at each clue there is a little prize for her to take home!
Experience: When I went on this date it was one of the most fun dates I had ever experienced. I had about 7 clues all together that, excluding dinner, and factoring in driving time, took about an hour and a half. I did the McDonalds one above and asked the manager if it would be ok for me to post on the window and he obliged. I also did the waiter suggestion above and it worked like a charm! I made the clues easy- but not too easy. The key is making the clues easy enough for your date to discern but keep in mind the fun conversation that the game can bring about if she is somewhat stumped!
Warnings: The clues need to be secured so that when you show up they are still there. Don't forget the answers to your clues and where you place them! Let her figure out the clues! As she figures them out she will feel empowered and like you even more! Be just as creative with the clues as you are in placing them.
2. Volunteer:Volunteer at a Senior Citizens home, or a soup kitchen or a children's wing at a hospital. This of course requires pre planning. Call the nursery home or hospital and let them know that you would like to come in and volunteer for 30 minutes or an hour. There is nothing more rewarding than volunteer work. Volunteer work could be as simple as reading stories, indexing books, washing dishes, preparing meals etc. Your date will see a very sensitive side of you and feel great about the work she is doing. Make sure that whatever you volunteer for will give you ample time to chat with your date. For example, washing dishes would ideally not be too fun to do on your own, but it would give a couple on a date time to chat and splash water!
Experience: When I did this I called the local hospital and told them what I wanted to do and why. They loved the idea because they always need volunteers. When I arrived at the nurses’ station with my date the nurses informed me that I'd be working in the children's wing. We were tasked to pass out candy and "lift the spirits" of ailing children. It was bitter sweet but my date and I had a lot of fun. We even managed to get into a candy throwing "fight" with the children (she took the children's side kneeling by their bed and helping them hit their target -me!). It also gave me an opportunity to be a clown and goof off. We played hide-and-seek and other various games and made "fun" of the nurses. It was a great date and we really didn’t want to leave!
Warnings: Know what your task will be before you show up so you can both dress appropriately. Most places will require an ID if you are going to volunteer. Make sure that where you volunteer knows why you are there and that you are on a first date. You don't want to get to the hospital and find out that you will be working with the terminally ill and make your date cry the first time she meets you! Some venues will not know what you can do so be prepared with suggestions such as: read to children, read to the elderly, listen to the elderly, clean rooms, wash dishes, play games, prepare meals etc.
3. Beach at night making sand castles: Of course this date only works if you live somewhere close to a beach so if you don't, then I bid you adieu and ask you to move on down the list. Let her know you’re going to the beach so she can dress appropriately. Bring a couple of towels and a blanket that you can lay down in the sand. Stop by your local store and pick up some sandcastle building toys. The date will consist of conversation while sitting on the beach, listening to the waves, looking at the stars and then building sand castles together at night!
Experience: When I went on this date I also brought sandwiches and chips. I let her know ahead of time that we would be going to the beach and try our hand at making sandcastles. She suggested that we make it a competition and I thought that was a great idea. So we had some friendly competition making the sandcastles. The sandwiches were a hit because I wasn't "trying" to impress her. We ate first, chatted a while, took in all the scenery and then proceeded to make the sandcastles. We couldn't decide who did a better job making their sandcastle so we agreed we would take pictures and post the pictures on Face book and let our friends decide the winner. Unfortunately, it was too dark for our camera phones to take pictures. After the competition we walked down the beach and conversed.
Warnings: Make sure it's a well lit beach. You don't want to take your new date to an isolated and dark ...anything. Check the forecast. If it rains, then you’re up the creek. Bring something a little heavy to hold down the blanket.
4. Variety Picnic:This is a little different twist on the traditional picnic. Before your date (and assuming that you are conversing with her) play the, "What's your favorite..." game. Sneakily ask her what her top 5 favorite restaurants are and what her top 5 favorite appetizers would be at those restaurants. Next, before the date find a place like a park or beach in which to have your picnic. If you don't mind eating on the ground, then a nice park with nice grass and no ants could work. Set the place up before the actual date by laying out a tablecloth or blanket (or have your friends take care of this while you pick up your date). Also make sure to have a little bucket of ice for the drinks to sit in and double check your food checklist: napkins, flatware, towels, trash bags, bug spray, etc. Now that you have everything prepared you can do the Variety Picnic. After you pick up your date, tell her you have to pick up the food for the picnic. She will like that you’re going to her favorite restaurant but will be a little stunned that your only getting appetizers and because you have already called in the order, the food is hot and ready once you arrive. Next, go to her second favorite restaurant and get another of her favorite appetizers! And so forth to the third and possibly a fourth restaurant. Now you have a mantle of appetizers making the car smell delicious while driving over to your pre-planned picnic area. Spread the buffet of food out neatly, and serve your selves! She will appreciate all the planning and the fact that she is eating amongst her favorite foods. Point out, that chances are, she has never had all her favorite foods from the various restaurants in one meal!
Experience: I did a variation of this because it was a late date and we both had already eaten. I asked her what her favorite desserts were at certain local nearby restaurants in relation to the picnic area I already had set up. Once I picked her up I asked her if she trusted me. She said she did, so I apologized but explained that I had a surprise for her and needed to blindfold her. After she obliged I talked to her about how awkward it must be for her to be blindfolded on a first date and that she was being a good sport. I then drove to the two restaurants and ran inside and grabbed the desserts and brought them back to the car. Once I had them tucked away and out of sight in the car, I removed the blindfold. After we arrived at the park there was a table reserved with a cloth and all the trimmings. I blindfolded her yet again, and set the desserts onto the table and surprised her with two of her favorite desserts and some extras for good measure. I'll admit in hindsight the blindfold was quite bold, but all in all it was a great night and we stuffed ourselves on dessert and then swung on the swings.
Warnings: You must PRE-ORDER the food, otherwise she will just be waiting in the car forever while they cook it and that is just not fun. You must plan a most efficient route considering: travel time, distance and traffic. You must plan where you put the food in the car (don't give it to her to hang onto in the passenger's seat!!) Put a box in the back seat to hold all the food so it's easy to carry from the car to the picnic area. Don't forget drinks! Either pick up drinks at the last restaurant or have them already in the ice bucket. One can never go wrong with bottled water. Don't forget utensils and bring back-up serving utensils just in case the restaurants don't provide them. Don't forget condiments to go with whatever has been ordered. Make a checklist of everything you need for the picnic so you don’t forget things like trash-bags and towels in case you spill something. If something gets cold because of travel time, let her know that you know it’s cold so she does not feel obliged to consume it. It's the effort and preparation she will love, not the food.
5. Read to each other:This is a great lunch date! Pick up your date and take her to the local book store. Before going inside tell her that she just won $20 but she has to spend it inside the bookstore and she has to purchase children's books. She can purchase just one book, or many! Let her know that the good news is that you also just won $20 and have to do the same thing with your winnings. Next you both scamper off into the book store looking for children’s books. You meet back 15 minutes later with books in tow and then head to your favorite park. Once at the park you read the books to each other! Make the stories fun and animated. After you have read all the books, take them to the local preschool or nursery and drop them off on the steps as a donation!
Experience: This was a spur of the moment date and after we bought the books we ventured to the nearby park where children were playing and instead of reading the books to each other we took turns reading to a group of children. The parents didn't mind because we were a couple and not just some random guy reading to children at a park. It got to the point where she was reading and I was acting out the scenarios making the kids laugh. Make the girl laugh and you have a chance, make kids laugh in front of her and you’re a shoe in!
Warnings: It should go without saying that your date needs to know how to read in order for this to work! It's better to choose books that aren't too lengthy so you can both take turns reading to each other. Scout out the bookstore before hand to ensure you can actually purchase one or two books for under $20.
So there you have it my friend, 5 Great and Creative First Date Ideas On A Budget that will be sure to impress your lady friend! Now be sure to jump over and read the 5 WORST First Date Ideas EVER and as always be sure to bookmark this site and come back soon because next up will be the aptly named 5 Great and Creative First Date Ideas Without A Budget!
-© Robert Hutchinson
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