So, you’ve found the love of your life (or you matched with someone on Hinge) and you’re struggling to think of interesting, exciting, unique ways to spend time with them. A Restaurant? Been done before. Netflix and Chill? Have some class. The Movies? Where’s the originality? 

Fear not, my useless romantics, for I have done all the hard work so you don’t have to! Through trial and error, I have figured out perfect date ideas for every scenario known to humankind. Trust me, they’re worth a try. (And they’re budget friendly!) 

 

Midnight Picnic 

Food is (usually) the easiest way to connect with other people. But restaurant dates are OUT. Who wants to pay a small fortune to sit in a crowded room, with hit-or-miss food, a waiter that interrupts the conversation every 10 minutes, and maybe having a small internal debate about whether or not to split the bill? NO ONE. STOP TAKING YOUR DATE TO RESTAURANTS.  

All the hot people know that picnics are the best dates… but they’re overdone. Why not put a spin on it and have it an insanely late hour? Or take it inside?  

What You Need: 

  • Big Ol’ Blanket 
  • Snacks (anything you like!) 
  • Candles (if it’s safe to do so) 

Pro Tip: 

This date requires minimal effort to set up, if you want to make it more interesting you should try picking a fun location! I’ve set up a date like this on a trampoline (SO FUN – No candles, obviously), but laying out the blanket on the floor of your bedroom would be cool too! Dim the lights and set up some fun LED’s, pick your partner’s favourite food, and you’re good to go. 

 

PowerPoint Night 

Hear me out on this one, the possibilities are endless! Pull out a laptop, open whatever presentation software you have (I use Google Docs), make a silly little presentation with a funny themed design, and speak to your heart’s content! Pretend you’re at a campaign meeting or that you’re the CEO of a very lucrative company! Allow your partner to ask follow up questions. It’s honestly the most fun I’ve ever had (but that’s probably just because I like to yap).  

The bonus? This gives you the perfect opportunity to learn a lot about your date’s interests!  

What You Need: 

  • Computer (or other device to make a presentation) 
  • Software to Make the Presentation 
  • TV (optional, for if you want to stream to a bigger screen) 

Pro Tip: 

Slides Carnival has some adorable design themes for presentations – And most of them are free to use! If you’re struggling to find a topic here are some suggestions: 

  • What I Actually Do for Work/Uni 
  • My Dream Future 
  • Why We Should Have a Pet Lizard 
  • Who I Am (reveal your dark past…) 
  • Ranking X Things (TV shows we’ve watched, dates we’ve been on, etc) 

 

Window House Hunting 

I may never be able to buy a house. In this economy? Please. Not gonna happen. But what if we just played pretend for a little bit? Am I not allowed to fantasise about living in a McMansion? Or having a quaint little cottage? If owning a home sounds at all appealing to you, then this is the date you need to go on.  

There’s something about hopping in a car with the person you have a bit of a crush on, and touring little cul-de-sacs in affluent neighbourhoods, deciding which house is the prettiest. Do your tastes align? Are you mentally building a life together? 

Also, feel free to judge homeowners for being rich enough to have a house, but having the worst taste in front porch flowers. It’s cathartic. If I owned that house there’d be lavender.  

What You Need: 

  • A Car… Or I suppose you could walk? 

Pro Tip: 

Don’t be weird, respect other people’s properties. Just wistfully stare at a stained-glass door from a good distance, and laugh with your partner about the horrid colour they chose to paint their mailbox. 

 

Mini Banquet 

Again, with the food… A wise choice. But this time, make it fancy. Tonight, you’ll eat like royalty. I’m taking three courses at the very least, an appetiser, a main course, and a dessert- maybe invent a signature drink and give it a spotlight for the meal! You could just prepare this all by yourself and present it to your date as a surprise, but wouldn’t it be a little bit more fun to make it together? Laughing in the kitchen? Sitting down and eating over candles? GOSH it could make my heart melt.  

What You Need: 

  • Ingredients (whatever you need) 
  • Adequate Cooking Skills 
  • Candles (for the ambience – NON-NEGOTIABLE) 
  • TIME. Cooking three things at once is HARD. 

Pro Tip: 

You can make the courses as complex or as simple as you like! You have total creative freedom! If you really don’t feel like cooking, you COULD just order take out again… but where’s the fun in that? Haven’t we already done that before? If you’re really strapped for recipes there are thousands of TikToks you can browse to spark some culinary creativity in that brain of yours.  

 

Arts and Crafts 

You don’t even need to have any artistic talent for this one! Most of us probably reminisce on those days in kindergarten where we would fingerpaint silly little pictures and make little snowmen out of Play-Doh. Now’s your chance to relive it! Choose a craft (clay, paint, or Lego are some fun options), collect your supplies (The Warehouse or $2 Shop will most likely have everything you need), and sit down with your beau and get creative!  

The best part? You both get to have little mementos of that fantastic date you just had! A little romantic keepsake for all my sentimental people out there. 

What You Need: 

  • Paint, or 
  • Clay, or  
  • Lego, or 
  • Whatever you decided to make.  

Pro Tip: 

Don’t actively try to make something good quality, it’s much funnier if your little art project is cursed in some way. I used this date idea for my birthday, and my best friend painted a sexy voting guy (you know the orange dude that randomly appears every election?). It was fantastic.  

 

Final Thoughts 

No matter what date you decide to go on with your other half, just remember the entire point of going on a date is to spend time with your partner! There’s absolutely no need to break the bank or impress the other person; quality time is important to every relationship, old or new. 

All these dates that I just described should be used as starting points for you to jump off of, so use your intuition and tie in your date’s interests as well as your own!  

Now go! Have fun!