Dating in a Down Economy; Great Date Ideas for Under $25

Americans today are watching their pennies and spending is going down on everything from entertainment to travel. Singles are feeling the crunch too and some are forced to drastically cut back on their dating budgets. For many, online dating is the perfect solution, as it’s both cost effective and much more efficient than countless nights spent striking out at expensive bars and clubs.

It’s a fact that singles are spending more time looking for love online, but now they’re faced with financial restrictions when they want to take those romances offline and out on a date. No longer able to spend $100 - $200 on a date, many wonder how to plan a fun date without overspending on a leaner budget. In this new economy, Shira Zwebner, Relationship Advisor for leading online dating sites Date.com, Matchmaker.com and Amor.com offers creative Top 10 dating ideas for under $25.

1. Halloween crept up on you this year? Take your date costume shopping! Modeling naughty nurses outfits or hot fireman uniforms can help break the ice without breaking the bank. Invest that $25 in a face mask and support your candidate while you’re at it. At some places, Barack Obama, John McCain and Sarah Palin paper facemasks are $0.99! And, if you play your cards right while shopping, you might just have a date and a costume for your friend’s masquerade party!

2. Outdoor ice skating rinks are opening up all over the Country and, depending on the State, cost of admission plus skate rentals are less than $15! Not only is it a romantic spot for a date, and great exercise to boot, but it’s also the perfect opportunity for some sweet handholding! Meet your date after work to avoid the weekend crush, and then grab a slice at your local pizza store for dinner.

3. Be whimsical with your date and visit a pumpkin patch, go apple picking or don your favorite flannel shirt and go on a hayride. Depending on the State, your $25 could go far and might even include two cups of hot apple cider to warm you both up after that hayride. And, if you time it right, you can catch a moonlit haunted hayride complete with tales of the headless horseman. We recommend http://www.pumpkinpatchesandmore.org/ to find a location in your neighborhood!

4. Treat your date to a candlelit dinner and a movie without leaving your apartment! Nothing is more romantic than working together to make a nutritious and delicious meal. Chopping vegetables for a salad, heating up the water for pasta and uncorking that bottle of wine before settling down on the couch for some Must See TV is really intimate! At most local supermarkets, you can pick up a bottle of Indaba Merlot, a package of Italian salad mix from Dole, a box of Barilla spaghetti and a jar of Muir Glen Organic Beef Bolognese pasta sauce for less than $25.

5. Be philanthropic and spend a couple of hours with your date running or walking in a 5K for charity. Breast Cancer organization like the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure still has 3 more races left this Fall and you and your date can either run or walk for a good cause. If you decide not to go out for coffee afterwards, you can take the $25 and donate it to the charity

6. It’s fall flea market season and with events held all over the Country it’s the perfect dating weekend spot! Since entrance to most flea markets is free, spend that $25 on buying a nice trinket for your date, or even indulge in funnel cake and piping hot corn on the cob from the street vendor. The walk, cool air and interesting outdoor shopping is a great activity for a date and gives you plenty of opportunity to get to know each other!

7. Indulge your secret Dirty Dancing pottery fantasy with a little pottery painting a deux! Flex your creative muscle at national places like Color Me Mine where, for less than $25, two adults can pick out pottery pieces, paint them together, and have the employees glaze it and have it ready for pick up within the week! If the date goes really well, you can schedule a second outing to pick up your finished pieces.

8. Interested in gorgeous views of your City’s skyline? Why not take your date on a ferryboat ride before the weather gets too cold! No matter day or night, you and your date will have a great time enjoying the fall foliage while getting to know each other. And, since many local ferries are either free or cost less than $5 for two tickets, you can pick up two tall hazelnut hot chocolates and a pastry for under $20 at your local Starbucks.

9. If NFL tickets are a little steep for your current budget but you’d love to take your date to a football game, why not cheer on a local High School team? Check out the football games in your neighborhood and spend the $25 on a picnic lunch. If you don’t have the time to pack a picnic basket, hit up the game vendors for hot dogs and drinks that are much less pricey than the ones at the stadium. Then spread that blanket over your legs and cuddle while both you – and the teams – go for the touchdown!

10. Are you both animal lovers? Take your date for a day at the local petting zoo! Invest some of that $25 in food for the goats or horses and take turns feeding them. Curious to know if this date has relationship potential? Observing your date interacting with both the animals and kids that will be at the petting zoo is a great way to assess character and compatibility!

About Avalanche, LLC
Avalanche operates several leading online dating websites, including Date.com, Matchmaker.com and Amor.com. Date.com launched on Valentine’s Day 1997 and has become one of the world’s most popular dating websites. First started as a Bulletin Board System in 1986, Matchmaker.com is the oldest online dating site. It was acquired by Avalanche in 2006 and targets those singles seeking serious relationships. Amor.com, launched in 2007, is a rapidly growing destination for Hispanic singles. Avalanche hosts more than 10 millions members worldwide, with the sites adding over 100,000 members each month. Additional information is available at Date.com.