If you’re looking for low-budget date night ideas, we have some great ideas you can do right at home. As much as we love exploring the outdoors and trying out new places, we are homebodies at heart. Sometimes, cooking a homemade meal or having a simple movie marathon is our go-to date night.
Here are 11 easy and simple date night ideas to have at home.
1. Three Course Travel Themed Dinner
You know that summer vacation that you’ve been dreaming about? Who said you can’t go from the comfort of your couch? Roll up your sleeves and go on an Italian, Japanese, or Thai taste tour right from home.
Make a three-course dinner together inspired by a destination. Here are some quick recipes to get you started:
- Japan: Start off with a agedashi tofu followed by a chicken katsudon (chicken cutlet rice bowl) as your main entree. Infuse the smoky green tea flavors as a finisher with a hojicha jelly dessert.
- Italy: Prep this easy fresh mozzarella as an appetizer, followed by a cheesy eggplant parmesan as your main dish. Swap out the coffee and cocoa with limoncello liqueur for a twist on the traditional tiramisu—limoncello tiramisu.
- Thailand: Bring some street food flavors home with some pork satays (pork skewers and the real deal in Thailand) dunked in delicious peanut sauce. Go for some Pad Kra Pao (a Thai holy basil stir fry that’s so delicious on top of hot rice), with our favorite Thai mango sticky rice for dessert.
2. Go on a Virtual Walking Tour
What pairs well with your travel themed dinner? A virtual walking tour! Visit a world famous museum or take a stroll around the city. YouTube has a lot of different walking tours that you can explore. Here are some of our recs:
3. Game On: It Takes Two
Get your gaming controllers ready because it’s on. It Takes Two is a five-time award winning game with fun puzzles and challenges centered around good teamwork and communication – like all relationships. The game literally takes two people to complete. Schedule a few date nights and tackle challenges and puzzles together.
4. Double Movie Feature
Trilogies are long, so make it a double feature. Grab some popcorn and settle in. Go with a theme or choose an actor you love. Here are some of our suggestions:
- Psychological Thriller: Black Swan (2010) & Gone Girl (2014)
- Hopeless Romantics: Walk to Remember (2002) & The Notebook (2004)
- Classic Nostalgia: The Breakfast Club (1985) & Dazed and the Confused (1993)
- Based on Books: Crazy Rich Asians (2018) & Jurassic Park (1993)
- Friendly Heist: The Italian Job (2003) & The Perfect Score (2004) – See Captain America and Black Widow as babies.
5. Play Miniature Golf at Home
Set up unique courses around your house and play miniature golf. Set up curvy challenges from the bathroom to the living room. Be careful not to break anything!
6. Stargaze in your Backyard
Grab your picnic blankets and lay under the stars. Even if there aren’t any stars out at night, enjoying the night breeze is a great way to get some fresh air and away from screens.
7. Play We’re Not Really Strangers
How deep are you willing to get? This card game has questions you can ask your partner. There are three levels you can choose, each level getting more deeper and intimate.
8. Have a Bottomless Brunch at Home
Get the waffle maker ready and squeeze some fresh orange juice. Hosting a bottomless brunch for two is a tasty way to spend some quality time with your S.O. This makes for a fun and safe way for daytime indulging.
9. Tasting Event
Whether you’re pairing chocolate with wine or doing salty and sweet combinations, this is a fun activity to do together. Turn it into a date night by trying different combinations that may become your new favorite duo. I mean, french fries and ice cream work for a reason.
10. Recreate Some of Your Firsts
Take a trip down memory lane and revisit some of your firsts. Start here:
- What’s the first meal you had together?
- What’s the first movie you watched?
- Was there an album you listened to together?
11. Create a Bucket list Together
Take this quality time with one another to create new bucket lists and goals together. Whether it’s traveling somewhere new or trying a new sport, this is a great way to realign your goals in a fun way! Here are some bucket list suggestions to get you going:
- Travel bucket list: This can be done either internationally or locally. Choose 5-10 places you both want to explore and list down 1-3 things you want to do at each location.
- Food bucket list: Make a list of different restaurants you want to explore. You can categorize them as breakfast places, dessert spots, or even happy hour joints.
- “Fear” bucket list: There’s nothing better than conquering your fears together. Having your support system in your corner makes getting over these fears easier. Whether that’s swimming in the ocean or overcoming your fear of heights, create a list of 3-5 items you want to overcome.
