Being a student myself, I'm always looking to save money. When it comes to going out, prices can sometimes soar out of control. With the haunting repayment of student loans, here are some ways I save money when it comes to going out.
- Find city run activities, such as street fests, movies in the park, free fireworks, and free concerts. If you live in a big city or even a moderately sized city, events such as these occur at least every weekend during the summer, if not during the week as well. Living in Chicago during the summer allows me to find street fests with admission for or around five dollars. These fests go on all the time, a great resource is the internet, try searching for "free" and "cities name" and you'll find plenty. This summer so far I've been able to see B.B. King, Stevie Wonder and Modesky, Martin And Wood for Free from city concerts in the park.
- Cook dinner. Going on a date always has the aura of having to go out and eat. Why not cook for your date, or even better, cook together. Many times this intimate setting can be much more bennificial for getting to know someone than sitting in a busy restaurant and having to work within time frames and yell over others. Learning a new recipe together is also a great way to bond and save money. Spending ten dollars for food from the groceries will be seventy five per cent less than eating at a nice sit down restaurant.
- Go out during the week. By going out during the week, many times you can catch food and drink specials that usually get hiked up on weekends. Not to mention by going out during the week instead of the weekend, you face places that are less crowded, and get to spend more time with your date than waiting in lines or for service.
- Use that student I.D. If you're still a student, always ask if they offer student discounts. You can find student discounts in a number of places, ranging from the movies to a restaurant to admission to a theme park.
- Spend time in your cities natural surroundings. It's amazing how much we ignore some of the highlights of the city we live in once we've become accustomed to it. Go to a botannical garden, walk the beach, enjoy a ride through the mountainous suburbs and stop for a view. It's the little details that matter most.
- Take pictures. If you enjoy taking pictures, which I find it hard not too, go out with your date and do some photography. It's incredibly relaxing, you will get to spend time together and best of all it's free!
- Be creative. The best way to save money is by thinking outside the relative "dating procedure" box. Go to a matinee instead of an evening show, plant flowers, go downtown, sit on a bench and people watching. Events like these mean more in the long run to both you and your date.
Saving money is hard enough these days, and saving it when your on a date and trying to impress gets even trickier. Being creative and don't put a financial ultimatum on the date, you can save money and many times have a much better time than spending half a paycheck in two hours.
