Frugal Fall Date, Remembered

Here's a great Frugal Fall Date that I posted last year. The classic pumpkin carving date! :-) One of my favs! Make it even more fun by grabbing a cup of hot apple cider and picking out your pumpkin at a nearby pumpkin patch!

Pumpkin carving, anyone?

Pumpkin: $4-$16 each 

Pumpkin carving kit: $5

Design templates: FREE online or use your imagination

Total money spent: approximately $9+ (can be more or less depending on where you buy pumpkins and if you already have a carving kit.

Piggy Bank Dating Idea: Travel Dreams

Have you and your significant other ever had trouble deciding what to do after dining out?

Why don't you dream? {And by "dream," I don't mean "go to sleep!"} I mean, dream, DREAM BIG. For free, of course!

Here's the idea: Go to a local bookstore or library. Head to the "travel" section. You and your sweetie separately select books on states/countries of interest. Then grab a seat and talk about why you want to visit each place. Thumb through the books looking at pictures of actual places you'd one day like to see. 

Dream big. Who cares if you don't have the money right now to fly to Italy and stay in a villa in Tuscany. Why not allow yourselves to talk about your desires to go? This will help you and your companion learn more about each other and your "adventure"/travel desires. And who knows... maybe one day you will have the chance to live your dreams! {Whether it's to travel with an Airstream camper and drive around the US or to go on a safari in Africa--DREAM!} 

{You may really like this idea. Or, this might not be your dating style. This "Piggy Bank Dating Idea" is merely a frugal dating suggestion. Feel free to be creative with it or alter the details. I would love to hear your feedback about Piggy Bank Dating's "Cheap Dating Ideas" in the comment section below. And as always, I am open to suggestions and ideas!}

Piggy Bank Dating Idea: Library

You don't have to visit your local library for books...

Check out your library's schedule for interesting, free and fun events! (Thanks for the reminder, frugal friend Emily!) Some libraries sponsor off-mainstream movie viewings or poetry readings (<--- not everyone can handle poetry readings!)

Or, you can take your sweetie to the library to browse through your favorite magazines or mystery books. 

Most libraries carry DVDs for rent ($1 or free)!  Forget about REDBOX and rent a stack of movies to watch with your movie buff over your Good Friday day off!  Go with a movie theme: Rent Alfred Hitchcock mysteries, the entire Lord of the Rings Trilogy, or the 4th Season of The Office.

If you have a lot of extra time to kill: Pick up some books about your hobbies and read through them to learn more each others interests and passions.

Piggy Bank Dating Idea: Exercise

Let me set the scene for a fun and inexpensive date:
It's near sunset.  The water is shimmering with sunset-colored rays.  The ducks and geese are making their cheerful sounds.  The temperature is perfect: not too warm, not too chilly.  The wind blows through the tall grass near the water's edge and makes a beautiful rustling noise.  And I'm wearing my Nikes.

I had a "cheap" date yesterday evening that was approximately $9 (price covers dinner) and included the beautiful scene above and some sweaty exercise.  "EXERCISE?!" (You yell question.)  Yes, exercising together can be another great way to "grow" (ahem, I mean "shrink") together as a couple and as individuals.  Exercising builds the obvious: strength, endurance, and muscles, but it also builds a lasting appreciation for each partner's strength and determination.

We chose to exercise at a park that surrounded a pond and wildlife.  The weather was absolutely perfect. We went jogging.  I am not a runner.  I repeat.  I am not a runner.  But my friends shared a running program with me that is supposed to turn non-runners into 5K competitors.  The program is called Couch to 5K and it lasts nine weeks.  Starting off slow, you exercise three times a week and eventually end the program running 30 straight minutes. (This may not be a big deal to some, but to run 30 minutes without getting a cramp is really exciting to me!) There is a $2.99 app for your iPhone/iPod that makes this program super duper easy!  While listening to your music, it uses an alert to tell you when to run and walk.  I had absolutely no problems running yesterday...although it was only Week 1 Day 1.  There is also a great support system on the Facebook Fan Page.

This activity is just getting us ready for another cheap date: spending the day at the beach!


Do you have an exercising with the boyfriend/girlfriend success story? Please leave a comment! I'd love to hear from you!

Piggy Bank Dating Idea: Volunteer

I haven't posted any Piggy Bank Dating ideas recently, so I decided it's about time I get back on the band-wagon...errr....dating wagon.

So here goes...

Piggy Bank Dating idea: VOLUNTEER TOGETHER

About half of you just got really giddy and half of you just gagged at the thought of spending time around new people, strange places and potentially awkward situations.

I LOVE to volunteer. You could call me the Ultimate Volunteer. I have an extensive volunteer resume, including being Key Club President in high school. So, if you're one of those people with the crazy gag reflects, please have an open mind as I talk about volunteering.

Volunteering together is a great way to learn about each other and grow as a couple. You will have a chance to watch your boyfriend/girlfriend or husband/wife as he/she interacts with others in your volunteer activity.

REASONS TO VOLUNTEER TOGETHER: 
-First of all, volunteering is free!
-You can usually spend as much (or as little) time on your volunteer project as you would like.You may want to spend the whole day, or maybe just a few hours. (Or long term if you fall in love with your volunteer activity or the organization!)
-You're helping others and that organization.
-It is a bonding experience.
-Volunteering is rewarding.

Okay, now that I've sold you on the idea, decide where you and your sweetie would like to volunteer. Here are some ideas:
-local pound
-nursing home (they LOVE young people)
-local festivals
-food kitchen
-well-known organizations like Habitat for Humanity, Special Olympics, Team In Training, etc.
-lawn maintenance for the elderly
-church youth group
-Children's Church

The possibilities are endless!

If you think of more volunteering ideas, please leave a comment on this post. I love to hear from you...especially when you are sharing your great ideas!

Happy Dating!