It’s become customary that a date involves seeing a movie, going to dinner (somewhere nice), grabbing some drinks, or some other event that costs more money than most of us want to throw around. Dating is difficult because of the expense. Even going on a couple dates a month could cost you several hundred dollars, especially if you’re covering both people.

However, it doesn’t have to be this way. If you want to have a nice date without refinancing your mortgage or taking out a loan, there are plenty of ways to do it, and they tend to be more fun, creative date ideas in the end. Simple things like going to the beach or the ocean always make for a romantic time. No matter where you live, there is almost always a beautiful nature area around (i.e. state park, city park, mountain, meadow, beach, etc.) and those areas make for great, refreshing relaxation.

You and your loved one could rent a canoe or kayak and go check out a local water system, or just go pick up a bottle of wine from the store and make dinner at home. The options are truly limitless, and the creativity and originality of the date will turn out to be much more rewarding than saving a few bucks. Plus, you’ll get to have some good time to talk with the other person, fostering an even more romantic experience.