Rich and I have always been master and mistress of the cheap date. We went to movie revivals on discounted tickets, we drove until we could find the sun, we took all sorts of walks, we went to diners and danced in between the tables when they were empty, we went to fairs and festivals, we danced.

We started dating when I was a freshman in college, and he was working at a delivery company while waiting to go to flight school. We weren't exatly rolling in it, but I figured it wouldn't be that bad. You see, he tricked me by telling me he was rich.

Anyway. We met at a ballroom dance the summer before I started college. It's a highly romantic and funny story, and I'll tell you about it one day. We continued to dance there as well as at Latin clubs. When we got married, I worked for a brief time at a dance studio, and we have continued dancing since.

Fortunately, we aren't as poor as we were when we met, but with five small children, our budget for dating is only a little more than it was then. So, although we occasionally go out to fancy dinners, performances or other big night events, with the cost of babysitting, plus the cost of the date itself, we usually go out on the more inexpensive side.

Since we've been dancing together for over 12 years, you know I'm going to suggest going out to a dance. You think there are no places in your area, but if you look around, I'll bet you'll find at least a few. If you check the entertainment section of your local paper, or look online, you should find them. We go dancing at least once a month, there are several places we can go, all costing us about $5 a person. Recently, we've discovered a salsa club in Tacoma, which has half hour lessons and a dance every Saturday night. They meet at the Abbey Ballroom which is a beautiful little place that used to be a church. It is smoke and alcohol free, and though we don't mind dancing in clubs and bars, it is nice because we can bring people who are underage with us.

This gives us a chance to reconnect, to do something we love, to enjoy each other's company and to socialize with other people. We are actually going to go the Saturday after Valentine's day, with our priest and his wife, and possibly another couple from our church.

So, this is my cheap date idea. To find more, go to Shalee's Diner and get some good ideas. If you want to post your cheap date ideas along with the rest of us, check out 50 Cheap Dates.

Labels: Frugality, Romance and Relationship