I want to do more fun stuff with my girlfriend K*. But, there is always a but, I am trying to get my money situation in order.
Now, my money situation isn’t dire, I have a little credit card debit which I hope to pay off within two months and I need to start saving and investing more. I am alos hoping to buy a house in the next year. So I want to be a bit tighter on the money end.
Anyone have any good ideas?
I live in Vegas but shes done all the cheap Vegas stuff already.
It depends a lot on what your gf likes. But a great outing IMO is a picnic. Find in advance a nice park or something. Then pack some sandwiches/fruit/drinks etc, and take a trip and enjoy a relaxing afternoon.
If there is any local vantage points, big hills, lookouts etc (sorry I don’t know Vegas), heading up to watch the sunset is always nice. Or if you are prepared for an early morning the sunrise, which for a nice romantic touch should always be accompanied by a champagne and strawberry breakfast On the plus side may be cold enough to have to share a blanket while sitting and watching
I would presume that being in an arid area a sunrise/sunset would be pretty spectacular around Vegas?
That’s a couple of ideas which are cheap as chips.
sing her this song: “…even though we ain’t got money, I’m so in love with you, honey…”
she will find it tremendously ridiculous, but she’ll thank your for the effort. okay that was really stupid. If you’re in Morocco, Majorelle Garden is cheap and really a good place for romantic dates… too bad you’re in Vegas, everything is high-priced there, right?
I mean it. Evening wind speed tonight is 10 knots, plenty for a cheap kite or two purchased from the local dollar store. Best conditions coincide with the hour before sunset. When you’re flying a kite, you’re engaged but not especially burdened, so you’re free to give your attention to each other, you’re outdoors, pretty much alone, in the fresh air at a cool and romantic time of day, there’s plenty of wholesome physical contact, you’re working together to accomplish something silly and inconsequential and you’re doing something different enough that she can tell her friends a good story about it (this means more than you may think). Having spent two bucks on the kite, you’re free to splurge another five for a roast chicken from Safeway (or wherever), eight for a bottle of cheap burgundy, two for a couple of crazy straws (trust me), and that leaves three for whatever card or gift (securely taped to the back, in a baggie) awaits her when she reels it in. Bring the picnic blanket, glasses, and napkins yourself. A romantic evening with your sweetie, one she (if she has any soul at all) will brag about, and bang goes twenty bucks.
Or, find out when the university observatory/planetarium is open to the public. Usually about as entertaining as a movie and much cheaper, but you can’t devote your attention to each other.
Fly kites, ride bikes, find a bridge over a river and play pooh-sticks, roller skate, take basic materials and go out to try to draw things (doesn’t matter if you can’t draw!). Think of all the things you used to do as a kid that were fun and cheap. Now go do them with your girlfriend cos she’ll most likely enjoy them too.
I just visited Vegas and Red Rock Canyon is gorgeous! We had a great deal of fun hiking the easy trails around the scenic drive at the national park or whatever it was. It costs $5 a car to get in. The scenic drive is 13 miles and goes up to 4771 feet. You can see some of my pictures here.
My suggestion is inviting her over for a home-cooked romantic dinner for two. Even if you cant cook well, she’ll be super impressed by you trying. Dont forget the wine, mood music, and plenty of candles.
King of Soup took mine. I second kite-flying. It’s so Zen. It really makes it feel as if all of your worries are just flying away with the kite, and it creates a kind of closeness that is surprising.
Outdoor anything is always great. Relaxing, cheap (or free), secluded… Plus, outdoor sex is fun if you’re adventurous, assuming there’s no mosquito problem and you have a blanket.
If you’ve got a whole day together some Saturday, I’d suggest something similar to what others have said. Grab your bikes, ride out to a lake or somewhere similar, have a picnic, fly kites (what a great idea! I’ll have to use it someday), have a stone-skimming contest (winner gets oral sex… or a backrub, but oral sex sounds more fun). Don’t forget sunblock (I’d say at least 45, if you’re out in Vegas), bug repellent, and water.
Anything art-related is also fun, like taking a pottery class at a local art center. I’d suggest anything either stereotypically romantic like a picnic or a home-cooked meal, or otherwise just plain silly like going to a roller rink or miniature golf course. Something unique, maybe something you used to do as a kid. Nobody ever gushes to their girlfriends about how romantic it was when you hit the local pizza joint and then caught Spiderman III.
But that does remind me- I’m sure you’ve got some independent theatres in Vegas. Find one and go see some artsy-fartsy independent film. You may love it, you may hate it, but if you hate it you can make some great jokes about it when you stop by the coffeehouse afterwards. Or if the theatre’s not packed and you won’t be bugging other patrons, you can MST3K it right there. But make sure she shares your view of the film first. Don’t want to ridicule the film that turns out to be her favorite movie ever.
Similarly, renting old classics and spending an evening snuggled on the couch is great. What woman doesn’t love Casablanca?
Go blackberrying!… or whatever fruit you can harvest out in the desert. Or maybe there’s a nature studyclub in Vegas who organizes desert nightwalks to watch coyotes or blooming cactuses or something.?
Beat me to it (damn you capitalist lifestyle that forces me into employment, damn you to heck). I was gonna say a good bottle of wine, Casablanca and a big comfy sofa.
I’m sure this will reveal me as the incredible nerd that I am, but my husband and I love going to the library on dates. We find neat stuff in obscure books and show it to each other, and kiss a little in the stacks when no one’s looking.
It’s fun, completely free, and we haven’t been thrown out of the library yet.
On the plus side may be cold enough to have to share a blanket while sitting and watching 