Once you get sick of the typical dinner-and-a-movie date, options appear to be limited. You want to go on a date, but you want to impress the person and dinner and a movie implies you aren’t very original.
And when the time comes to think of a date, your creativity flies out the window, leaving you wondering what to do. Because this is a problem many face, here are a few unique, cheap ideas to make a lasting impression.
Downtown
It’s just five or 10 minutes away and full of fun and cheap things to do. Take a self-guided tour; ride on the trolley; see the sites. You could spend a whole day and spend minimal money.
Visit the museums — art, history, natural science — all of which are completely free, unless you want to visit one of the special exhibits. And even those are usually less than $50 for two.
Learn a little about the government and history — visit the Executive Mansion and the North Carolina State Capitol. The Executive Mansion requires reservations and is only open certain times of the year, but that is manageable enough. Plus, it’s free, along with the state capitol and the legislative building.
Although Raleigh is far from San Francisco, trolley tours are offered through downtown. It costs a little money, $8 to be exact, but it will be memorable and creative. It goes all through downtown, so you will get your money’s worth during this adventure.
These are only a few things you can do downtown. It is full of little stores and cafes waiting to be found. Even just walking up and down the streets and stopping to sit on a park bench for a while would be fun. It gives you time to talk and get to know each other.
Take a picnic
This can be done downtown, out of town or right on campus. Just find a grassy area and grab a blanket — or a towel — and throw together a few snacks, or even make up a meal. A picnic is rather versatile. The food could be just chips and dip or fried chicken and biscuits — it’s all in your hands.
Once you get the food, finalizing the location is key. The Court of North Carolina or the JC Raulston Arboretum can be fun and peaceful on the weekends and in the evening. If you want to get off campus, just walk across the street to Pullen Park, where there’s even the option for activities like paddle boats and the carousel. However, to catch these things, you have to shell out a little money and make sure you’re there during the hours of operation.
Or, to get even further away from campus, there’s Lake Johnson, downtown or Cary. Green spaces are all over the place — just make sure you’re allowed to be there and aren’t trespassing.
If the picnic is in the evening, you can even stay a little later and look at stars, as long as the evening is clear. Occasionally it can be hard to spot stars in the city, but it’s not impossible.
Support the arts
Raleigh is more arts-based than most people think. Its artistic community is growing and needs support. Plus, it’s exciting to go to something and support someone else’s talent. And there are plenty of opportunities.
First Friday is an event involving all of downtown, where art galleries have displays, including N.C. State’s own Fish Market, run by College of Design students. It’s the first Friday of every month and is a fun way to share artistic thoughts. Plus, art often inspires conversation — a great way to get to know your date.
Or, go to the theater if art galleries aren’t your thing. Going to the theater isn’t always as expensive as you may think. North Carolina Theatre offers a student preview night every few months and the tickets to the shows are only $10.
Most of the shows the University brings to campus are less than $15, as well. But if you want to see something else at the BTI Center or Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, you will have to drop a little bit more money. Theater has a reputation for being expensive, but deals are available, especially for students.
However, if you want to go with another free route and aren’t opposed to a little research, find a film festival in the area. There are often festivals going on that people don’t know about. This way, you can see independent films and find new talent — and they tend to be free or rather cheap.
If you want to break the ice, take the person for a good laugh. Go to a comedy club and laugh the night away together. This is also a way to get to know the person because what someone laughs at can say a lot about him or her. And, you’ll know how to make him or her laugh in the future.
Comedy shows vary in price, but they also provide student discounts from time to time. But, regardless, you can usually have a good time for less than $30 for the both of you. That’s a bit less than you would pay for dinner, and you don’t have to worry about awkward silences.
If you want to make the art yourself, you can go paint pottery together. Paint Your Pot in Cary allows you to paint whatever it has available. It costs as low as $15 for both of you, and plus you have something to take home.
Painting pottery can be fun because you can paint the piece for the other person and trade your gifts once you have finished. However, be careful because this project requires you to go back to Paint Your Pots and pick up your final product. So, if you won’t want to see this person again, going back to pick up the pottery later could pose a problem.
So, now you have a few ideas, and probably a few more of your own. Next time you’re stuck on where to go on a date, just refer back here to have a date you will remember.