Yes, I realize that I'm over-simplifying things a little. And that if you're never willing to spend a penny on a date, you might run into problems pretty darned quickly. But every once in awhile, it's a good idea to give yourself and your bank account a break from the pressure of your traditional Friday night dinner and a movie. And very possibly have a better time than you would at that $80-a-head candlelit restaurant downtown while you do it.

Free Outdoor Date Ideas

It doesn't take long to get tired of all that mood lighting and snooty service. So get outside! There are a ton of outdoor activities that make great dates…and best of all, many of them are creative, romantic, and free. Such as:

• Having a picnic at the park or in the countryside
• Going hiking in the nearby mountains
• Visiting a local art fair, outdoor market, music fair, or food fair
• Going for a long bike ride in the country
• Taking a camping trip
• Going shopping together at the farmer's market for ingredients for a dinner you make together
• Going to watch a free little league game and eat hotdogs
• Playing Frisbee on the beach
• Going to an animal shelter to play with the dogs
• Walking around downtown and listen to street musicians

Free Indoor Date Ideas

There are a few really fun indoor date activities that are always free, if you know what I mean. But, uh, you're not necessarily going to do them on a first or second date…and even if you are, you can't do them all the time! If you don't want to spend a lot of money on a fancy dinner out, there are plenty of cheap or free things you can do indoors that aren't sex. Like:

• Having a kung fu movie marathon
• Playing a board game
• Playing strip poker (if you can talk her into it!)
• Making dinner together, or cook her your favorite childhood meal, just for fun
• Experimenting together in the kitchen preparing a new kind of food
• Buying a couple of bottles of wine and doing a mini home wine tasting
• Playing Wii Tennis until you're sweaty and falling over laughing

There are tons of fun things that you can do for free on a date. The best way to think up some of your own? Think about things that you love to do. If you kayak or play World or Warcraft or go watch baseball spring training every weekend, you can do these same things with your date. Okay, getting her to play a World of Warcraft marathon is a long-shot, but you never know…she could think it's a blast!

If the fest is honestly too far away, then perhaps planning a picnic at a sanctuary or botanical garden would be a better fit. Of course, if you're really fortunate enough to live in a warm climate and near a state park, then you just might want to pull out your camping gear and plan a weekend under the stars! Even spending some time in your back yard can be pleasant enough, especially if you do a little bit of landscaping that your snuggle bunny would treasure and enjoy all summer long!

Leave the car at home: We all know it's bad for the environment, and the steadily increasing price of gas certainly doesn't inspire being stuck in traffic anyway. So, ride the train or bus to where you're going instead, or better yet, take your bikes out for a spin! It's good for the Earth and your heart, and hey – a leisurely bike ride is just so old school romantic!

Go veg for the day!: Nothing leaves a larger carbon footprint than the process of raising animals for food, so giving the pork chops a pass every now and again is actually doing a lot of good for the environment. Going entirely vegetarian for a single day is not an impossibility these days, even if you plan on dining out. If you opt for a place to munch at that specializes in this cuisine, then you don't even have to worry about scrambling to find something on the menu. Another bonus is most of these establishments focus on providing locally grown and organic foods, which further reduces the amount of gas and pesticides that contaminate the planet.

Let's take a look at how to jazz up that mix!

That Whole Eating Thing

It doesn't have to be dinner: it can be breakfast, lunch or even brunch!

With people having such crazy work schedules anymore, finding time to go out at night can be really hard on a lot of people. If you pick an off time, you can bypass the whole reservation deal and take the walk in route!

It doesn't have to be fancy or expensive: dogs and burgers can be just as romantic!

Now granted, sandwiches don't exactly ignite passion with hardly anyone, but sometimes, food is more for nourishment and filling an empty belly than it is for sparking a flame. Besides, no French restaurant I know is going to let you get away with laughing loudly and being silly, and they really seem to have a disliking for jeans for some odd reason.

It doesn't have to be on a Friday or Saturday night: what's wrong with Monday?

If nights work best for you, see if you two can agree on an off night. Not only are reservations a whole lot easier to obtain, but many times, you don't even need one. What's nice about going on a week night too is you can break up the monotony of the work week, giving you two something to talk about at the water cooler the next morning!

That Whole Having Fun Thing

It doesn't have to be a movie: check out a free or inexpensive concert!

With movie tickets going at $9-10 a pop, popcorn, candy and drinks chalking up another $20, and that annoying group of teens chatting behind you nonstop, that 90 minute movie had better be the film of the year! For the same price (or less!) and without the guilty calories, you can hit up a small, local venue, check out a traveling act and maybe even buy a CD as a keepsake. The bands always appreciate your support, and who knows – you may just be the first ones to discover a band before they hit it big!

It doesn't have to be filmed: a live performance can be even better!

Check the paper for something that sparks your fancy, be it a drama, a comedy or even a little creepy, and see the show on stage before it finds its way to a movie producer, the way its writers intended.

Depending on the weather and the situation, you may choose to take a long drive to a park and perhaps hike for the day. Others enjoy a bonfire at the beach or even a nice day walking around a summer fair. All of these events are great cheap date ideas.

As a relationship begins or continues, a simple evening at home can be a great idea. This allows you to get to know the other more as well as giving time together without others around. While the situation is intimate, it helps you to grow together as a couple (or potential couple at that). Cheap date ideas don't necessarily make you cheap, just thrifty. A good experience doesn't have to cost a lot of money – keep that in mind!

A good time involves laughs and enjoyed company, and doesn’t always have to include an elaborate planning session beforehand. Sometimes the best experiences are impromptu and unexpected. These situations allow you to truly enjoy yourself and the other without the fear of the plans failing and exploding in your face. Wherever you are, you should have a great time because of the people or person with you, and nothing else should influence your experience.

Find more cheap date ideas

Got a gas card? Make a trip to your local service station and fill up on gas and snacks. Pop a fun cd into the player and then pick up your date. Just driving around the city exploring new neighborhoods and developments can make for a good time. Consider looking for a nearby town with a funny name and making it your destination point. Lots of laughs can be had as you mug for the camera at the state highway sign outside of Hot Coffee, Mississippi.

Making a trip together to one of the larger mega grocery stores on the weekend is a cheap way of sharing a meal together. Most of the larger places will host cooking classes in the deli section or offer free samples passed out by cheerful volunteers on every aisle. It may not be the most romantic meal you two will ever share, but trying a new concoction of yogurt and cereal is an adventure.

Another low cost dating option is a garage and estate sale pilgrimage. Look on line or scan your weekend paper for a list of addresses hosting sales. Create a make shit scavenger list of some of the items that could be found at such sales: silly coffee mugs, vintage National Geographic magazines, plastic ducks. Make it your mission to find everything on your list. The great thing about these kinds of sales is that looking is not only free, but it is wiser than purchasing.

Going on nature hikes or panoramic bike rides are an option, but don’t forget about your basic neighborhood stroll. Meet up at your place or his and take a left at the driveway. There is a certain voyeuristic thrill to be found by looking at other people’s yards and houses. The likelihood that you could come across neighbors doing silly things is high. Sharing a quiet chuckle over the homebody mowing the lawn in socks and sandals is a quaint way to bond.

One of the best and cheapest dates is staying in. Virtually every simple moment of your life can be turned into a low cost or free date. Invite you date over for a laundry night or a movie night. Videos can be checked out for free at most local libraries. Also don’t thumb your nose at movies of the week or biopics on the history channels. You can make your own popcorn for much less than the tub you’d get at the cinema and snuggling on the couch is certainly more private and less painful than attempting it in a sticky theatre.

You could consider taking lessons in something that you both enjoy, such as horseback riding, sailing, or tennis. That way you can learn something new while you spend time with each other. Try a local rock climbing wall, aerobics class, or a spa. All of these ideas can inspire not only your love life, but they can keep you in shape. A planetarium can be an atypical date. It is a wonderful place to sit in the dark, hold hands, and enjoy a little bit of what the earth has to offer. Some planetariums have laser light shows that are set to music, to make looking at the stars more exciting.

For a really unusual and unknown date, try a “coin flip date”. You go to a downtown, historic, or touristy area and park somewhere. You then flip a coin to see which direction you go in. Heads you go left, tails you go right, and see what interests you. Every stop you make, flip the coin again; let the date take you wherever the coin flip leads you. There is no planning, and you can find out what a person likes or dislikes by the type of museums, stores, or restaurants they want to stop at. You can make any date fun and creative, just put a little a bit of yourself into it.