As I’m writing this, Valentine’s Day is coming up and when thinking about the holiday that celebrates our love for the special people in our lives, I’m reminded of our first date. When we first started dating, neither of us had much money to spend. I was still in college and my now husband, who had just finished college, wasn’t in a full-time role just yet. I was finishing up student teaching, I wasn’t working, so we were both counting pennies. As a result, we had to get creative when it came to dates and our first date was no exception. We went to a local food court, talking over delicious food about everything from our favorite movies to what we both wanted out of life, and the rest, as they say, was history.
Our experiences taught us how to do things and have fun on a budget, something we still carry with us to this day. There were many dates we had when we did things for free or at very affordable prices in the Delaware Valley, but we still had a lot of fun together.
In today’s post, we thought we’d share some of the things we’d recommend for your first date (or second or third) on a budget.
Budget-Friendly First Date Ideas in The Delaware Valley
Take a Walk Along Penn’s Landing & Grab Food There:
Back when we were dating, there wasn’t much to do there, but that didn’t stop us from going on walks to enjoy the weather or look across the river at the Camden waterfront. Now, you can make a whole date out of it by going for a walk, grabbing a bite to eat or something to drink, and lounging outside while discussing your favorite TV shows with a stranger.
Play Mini Golf at Franklin Square:
Golfing, admittedly, is something that I’m not very good at, but mini-golf is such a fun time and something that can be done for an affordable price at Franklin Square. It’s themed after some of the historical sites you’ll see in Philadelphia, has a carousel ride, and has places to eat while you’re there. Food and games? What more could you ask for?
Grab a Drink at Constitution Yards:
If you’re going during the warmer months, you’ll love Constitution Yards in Delaware! My husband and I went several years back and enjoyed getting a bite to eat, enjoying a drink, and playing a couple of games. It’s a very public and relaxing environment that would make for an affordable and enjoyable first date.
Visit Independence Hall, Carpenter’s Hall, Elfreth’s Alley, and the Liberty Bell:
If you’re a history nerd like we are, this may be the perfect date for you. This would be a great place to go if you’re looking to meet up with someone during the day and are a little nervous about the idea of sitting face-to-face with someone. Go to a museum together, specifically the sites above as they’re free or very affordable and can give you both something to talk about as you’re getting to know each other. Once that’s done, you can grab cheesesteaks at Campo’s (although you can ask us later what our favorite cheesesteak spot is) and/or grab ice cream from Franklin Fountain. Perfect date day and it’ll probably cost you at max, $50-60 total for the both of you.
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Visit the Delaware Contemporary Art Museum:
This museum is pay-as-you-wish, which makes for an affordable option if you’re planning to take someone special on a date, but it’s also a very nice museum. It’s smaller than the Delaware Art Museum, but it has quite a few art exhibits and galleries within them that are worth paying a visit. There are also a lot of places to eat not too far from this museum, that are either walking distance or a short drive away.
Visit Char and Steve in Ardmore for Coffee & Live Music:
This is one of the places we’re planning to try in the future because after we found out they have live music, it reminded us a lot of the place we went to on our third date (also the date, where we made it official), where we grabbed hot chocolate from a coffee shop after dinner and listened to the jazz performers. It was romantic and it was affordable. Char and Steve has live music, so we’ll have to check that place out soon!
Visit Queen & Rook Board Game Cafe:
Back when Presto was open, my husband and I would go, grab coffee, and play games for a cheap date. You can do the same at Queen and Rook for an affordable date night idea! You can learn a lot about someone by how they play board games.
Retro Gaming at Barcade:
Who doesn’t love retro gaming? Speaking of games, play some games, have some drinks, and have some light eats at Barcade for a fun night!
Go Bowling at Wilma’s:
In the mood for cajun food while bowling a strike? Go bowling at Wilma’s! To make it more affordable you could grab some things from their starter menu instead of grabbing an entree item.
There’s certainly more to do, but these are some of the things we’d recommend for a more affordable first date. What are some places you’d recommend bringing a first date to?
