30 Frugal at Home Date Night Ideas for 2023

It can be challenging to plan a date night out these days. Even hard can be to keep your date night costs down. Even a simple dinner or a movie can become expensive quite quickly. So instead of going out for date night, why not stay in? There are plenty of fun and frugal activities you can do for an at-home date night idea.

1. Game Night 

Cheerful young woman laughing while playing chess with her happy partner in the living room coffee table
Image Credit: Shutterstock/antoniodiaz

There are all sorts of games you can play. You more than likely have many board games lying around you can bust out and play. Find a deck of cards and play a few of your favorites there. If you and your significant other are gamers, find a few classics you both love and play them to your heart’s content. Of course, all competitions are more fun with something on the line. Make bets to give the game night a little more excitement.

2. Puzzles

Happy couple playing with puzzles at home
Image Credit: Shutterstock/New Africa

If board games aren’t your thing, maybe puzzles are better at-home date night ideas. Pop open a bottle of wine, put on a fun playlist, and work on a puzzle together. The best part is that this can be your date night activity for weeks to come with the right difficulty.

3. Turn off the Electricity

Happy Young Couple in Love Have Romantic Dinner, Toasting Each other with Glasses of Wine, Eating Tasty Meal in the Kitchen, Celebrating, Talking. Beautiful Lovely Husband and Wife Have Romantic Time
Image Credit: Shutterstock/Gorodenkoff

Maybe you’re looking for some more romantic date ideas. If so, have an electricity-free date night. First, get all dressed up, then turn off all the lights, tv and shut down those phones. Start your date night with a candlelit, romantic dinner and see where the night takes you.

4. Couples Trivia

leisure and people concept - happy couple talking at home in evening
Image Credit: Shutterstock/Ground Picture

Back to more competition, but this could fit into the no electricity option as well. If you want bragging rights over your significant other, have a couples trivia night. You can both make up questions about yourselves to see who’s been paying attention more during your relationship. But, again, it’s more fun with something on the line, so make things more exciting with some form of a bet.

5. Taste Testing 

Cooking lunch together. African-american woman in kitchen letting man to taste meal with wooden spoon, closeup
Image Credit: Shutterstock/Prostock-studio

If you and your SO are foodies, a taste testing at-home date night is for you. The best part here is that your options are pretty much limitless. You can have a taste testing competition for anything from peanut butter to cheese to hot sauce. Whatever your food passions, get a few from around town and find out which is the best. 

6. Wine or Beer Tasting

Young beautiful couple dinning on celebration toasting and smiling at terrace
Image Credit: Shutterstock/Krakenimages.com

There’s no rule that your taste-testing has to be limited to food, either. Hit up a few local liquor stores to find the perfect selection of wines or beers you’ve always wanted to try and see which one comes out on top.

7. Cocktail Night

young adult couple talking at cafe, having a drink. socializing, friends, couple, conversation, fun concept
Image Credit: Shutterstock/Lucky Business

If alcohol is the thing, then having a cocktail night as a home date night idea is right up your alley. Find an exciting recipe online and tweak it to your preferences. Then, you can focus on one or two new ones each date night until you master making them. 

8. Recreate a Fancy Hotel Stay

Couple Watches Movie Via Domestic Cinema Projector And Eats Popcorn From Bowl During Evening At Home, Sitting On Sofa In Living Room. Front View, Selective Focus On Happy Spouses
Image Credit: Shutterstock/Prostock-studio

Do you like staying in fancy hotels but don’t like paying the price? Bring the hotel to you then. Draw a nice warm bubble bath, then slip into some robes for dinner and a movie in bed. It will be a fun and relaxing experience for sure.

9. Cook A Travel Inspired Dinner 

happy asian romantic couple having fun singing into kitchen utensils together on valentine’s night at home with cozy light decoration
Image Credit: Shutterstock/PRPicturesProduction

When you travel, do you love trying the local dishes? If so, try cooking some travel-inspired meals for your next date night. You can make specialties from all around the world right from the comfort of your kitchen. Italian, Korean, French, Spanish, you can get as traditional or unconventional as you like you no matter where your inspiration comes from.

10. Have a Cook-off

Young beautiful couple in kitchen. Family of two preparing food. Woman sitting on kitchen tabletop and helping man to make delicious pasta. Nice loft interior with light bulbs
Image Credit: Shutterstock/Friends Stock

While we’re cooking here, nothing beats a good old fashion competition. Want to settle once and for all who’s the better cook? Find a few recipes you can both make and have a dinner date where you’re the chefs, get cookin’!

11. Wine and Painting at Home

Guy and girl are sitting by freshly painted wall and drinking wine. They are tired, but happy. Apartment renovation, wall painting, work completed concept
Image Credit: Shutterstock/Stasonych

Wine and painting have become popular date night activities as of late, but did you know there are kits available for you to do at home? Yup, you can drink and make bad paintings (at least if you’re me, they are bad) at home for half the price of a night out.

12. Do Arts and Crafts

Mid adult couple smiling while doing creative painting on bowls in pottery workshop
Image Credit: Shutterstock/antoniodiaz

Maybe painting isn’t your thing, but there are plenty of other arts and crafts-related fun you can have. Make something together or, once again, make it a competition by making separate items to see who comes out on top. Either way, you have a ton of options on what to make, right from home.

13. Pottery

Young couples that enjoy making clay sculptures. Using pottery and assisting one another to create flower vases out of clay
Image Credit: Shutterstock/WOSUNAN

One of those options can be making pottery. No, you don’t have to create the famous Ghost scene(hopefully most of you know what I’m talking about), but it can still be very romantic.

14. Karaoke Night Sing-off

Beautiful couple playing some music on the guitar.
Image Credit: Shutterstock/bbernard

If you haven’t noticed, competition is going to be a theme here. Next up is none other than the classic karaoke night sing-off. So have a few drinks, and then get ready to fire up your favorite songs to belt out as best you can.

15. Have a Dance Off

We are so happy together. Romantic girlfriend and boyfriend dancing a slow song after a fancy date at home
Image Credit: Shutterstock/antoniodiaz

If you like the sing-off, you’ll love having a dance-off as at home date night idea. Try to recreate the latest dance moves (find them on youtube first) or play a video game like Just Dance to give yourself a few moves. Either way, you’ll have fun and get a good workout in.

16. Plan Your Next Trip

Office workers with laptop on table taking notes in clipboard and working on project while focusing on details and gesticulating during conversation
Image Credit: Shutterstock/GaudiLab

Have you been looking to get away from everything but haven’t had the time to plan it out? It doesn’t sound super exciting, but sitting down to plan out your next trip together can actually be a lot more fun than you think. You don’t have to book anything, but simply picking a destination and planning a general itinerary can be a lot of fun. Then you’ll have something to look forward to.

17. Create a Bucket List

Couple checking their home budget together.
Image Credit: Shutterstock/bbernard

If you like planning a trip, plan 20! Ok, you’re not exactly planning 20 trips, but you get the idea. Write down a list of things you want to do together. Some can be simple, others might be more exotic. No matter what they are, make them fun!

18. Outdoor Movie Night

Couple with popcorn standing at the car while watching a movie at drive in cinema. Selective focus. Dating in drive in theater. Entertainment, leisure activities, hobby concept
Image Credit: Shutterstock/Rina Mskaya

Love drive-in movies but don’t have one near you? Make your own! Project to a screen outside in your backyard or snuggle up together around a laptop, tablet, or phone for a outdoor movie date. You can even watch from the back of your car like a real drive-in movie theater. Don’t forget your popcorn!

19. Stargazing

Young couple in love enjoying the night sky in a city
Image Credit: Shutterstock/TeodorLazarev

Another easy outdoor date night activity can simply be staring up at the stars. Bring a blanket outside, have dinner and then star up at the stars together. Start a campfire, cuddle up, find some constellations and just enjoy each other’s company.

20. Have a Water Gun or Nerf Fight

Portrait of a cheerful young african couple dressed in summer clothes playing with water guns isolated over yellow background
Image Credit: Shutterstock/Dean Drobot

Nothing screams romance like silently trying to stalk your significant other to take them out with a water or NERF gun. So come up with some (relatively) friendly rules, and let the games begin!

21. Virtual Museum Tours

movie experience date night couple at home with VR goggles
Image Credit: Shutterstock/Daxiao Productions

Did you know that many museums now offer virtual tours online? It’s true, you can “walk” around some of the world’s most famous museums without ever leaving your own home, here are just a few that offer this service.

  • The British Museum in London
  • The Louvre in Paris
  • The Dali Theater and Museum in Spain
  • The Vatican Museums in Vatican City

22. Dating Subscription Box

Young couple with bowl of popcorn watching TV on sofa at night
Image Credit: Shutterstock/New Africa

Maybe you like a lot of the ideas on here but aren’t good at finding options or simply don’t feel like it. If that’s the case, then the dating subscription box is the fix for you. Have a date night idea literally delivered right to you each month. No planning is needed!

23. Redecorate a Room

Cheerful couple decorating christmas tree by glowing LED star in dark cozy room
Image Credit: Shutterstock/Leszek Glasner

Taking a room and rearranging the furniture can make it feel like a whole new room. Take a night to figure out a new configuration for an old room. Maybe add a few pieces of decor you’re not using or from other rooms, and it’ll feel like new again.

24. Play Hide and Seek

young couple playing hide and seek around cardboard boxes while moving house
Image Credit: Shutterstock/Comaniciu Dan

This is one of the more fun at-home date night ideas on the list. There’s no reason two grown adults can’t play hide and seek, and it can be a lot of fun. Have a different kind of date night. Instead of spending it together, spend it actively trying to hide from each other. Maybe the best hider will win!

25. Build a Fort

asian adult lover marry couple enjoy watching horror online movie from laptop or tablet in blanket on bed at home,home quarantine isolation lifetyle
Image Credit: Shutterstock/WHYFRAME

Another activity is generally reserved for children but is more fun for adults. Bust out those blankets, chairs, and all your old fort-building tricks to build one with your significant other. If you really want to get creative, decorate your fort with Christmas lights in there and have a romantic “getaway” right in your own living room.

26. Have a Scavenger Hunt

Christmas: Man Tries To See What Woman Is Wrapping
Image Credit: Shutterstock/Sean Locke Photography

Another perfect at-home date night idea is to have a scavenger hunt. You or your special someone can bother to hide a few items around your home (make sure to write down where) and see who can find all the items first. 

27. Look Through Old Photos

Couple in love enjoying winter holidays at home, sitting by the fireplace and looking through an old photo album on Christmas night. Focus on the girl
Image Credit: Shutterstock/Impact Photography

Depending on how long you’ve been together, you’ll likely have tons of old photos you can look through. These photos could be on your phones, online, or really anywhere. If you don’t have a long history together, look through old photos of yourselves pre-relationship and tell the stories behind those photos.

28. Learn Something New

Young couple read book together on sofa in living room at home
Image Credit: Shutterstock/Vergani Fotografia

Learning something new with your SO can be a lot of fun, and again, the possibilities are limitless here. Maybe you work on a new language for a trip (maybe planned on a previous date night), or you learn a new dance move or any other skill you can think of. It’s more fun to learn together.

29. Give Back

Young latin volunteer couple using laptop working at charity center.
Image Credit: Shutterstock/Krakenimages.com

One of the more selfless date night activities can be giving back to your community. Volunteer together at a shelter, home, soup kitchen, or any other place looking for help. You can stay home and make food to then donate together too. You can get creative with how you give back, but the important part is to do it together. 

30. Work Out Together

Young happy couple doing yoga on quarantine at home. Stretching, exercise, health
Image Credit: Shutterstock/LL_studio

For those who are ultra-competitive, a date night workout could be for you. Work up a sweat and get those endorphins going with a race, see who can pump out the most push-ups, sit-ups, or any other kind of up you can think of. Not super into the competition, but going for a simple walk together might be better for you then.

Frugal at Home Date Night Ideas: Final Thoughts

Fun dates don’t have to be expensive or spent out and about in a sea of other people. Create date ideas can be far more fun than their expensive counterparts. The main idea is to spend time together, so it shouldn’t really matter where the date night takes place. Hopefully, you found a few at-home date night ideas you’d like to try.

 


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