5 Best Cheap Romantic Date Ideas For Him/Her

Love is sweet o, when money enter love is sweeter. That’s a line from Davido’s song “Assurance”. Sounds great until you realize that you can actually love better with less money and on a budget. There are many ways to treat your partner without breaking the bank. We agree that falling in love is easier when the atmosphere is helping you. If you want to get that girl/man to fall in love with you so fast it looks like they are spinning, then get your pen and paper.

For people like us with no money to take our significant others on fancy vacations, getting ideas for dates can be a bit tricky. The standard broke date involves either going to the movies or having a meal at a diner or fast food restaurant. So boring. You can do more. You can make your partner feel special and create amazing memories with them even if you don’t have a lot of money yet.

So I went online and did a little research to come up with some juicy ideas for us. The pandemic has taught us to love a little harder than before so why not start now? The first step to finding lovely but cheap romantic date ideas for him or her is finding out what his/her ideal date looks like. What kind of atmosphere makes them feel happy and relaxed?

Do they love getting adrenaline rushes or lying on the grass and staring at the stars? Whatever they tell you should influence your choice of date idea from the few I am about to give.

Top 5 Affordable Romantic Date Ideas For Him/Her

1. Culinary Day/Night

A family that cooks together stays together. Here I am assuming whoever you’re with is your family because if not, why date them? Cooking together is one of the ways to bond with your partner. Even though you and your partner are not great cooks, you could try simple dishes like chicken and chips or a popular Nigerian dish like jollof rice. I’ll be dropping recipes here.

Chicken and Chips Recipe

Ingredients

1 person

• 1 chicken thigh, fried
• 2 large Irish potatoes
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 cup fresh bell pepper, chopped
• 3 tablespoon hot sauce
• 1 cup vegetable oil for frying
• 1 Seasoning cube
• Salt

Steps

1. First, peel and slice the Irish potatoes and soak them in salted water. After a few minutes take them out and place them in a sieve to drain excess water. In a skillet add the vegetables and a slice of onions, once the oil is hot add your potatoes and lower the heat so it doesn’t turn brown/ or burnt. These potatoes are delicate.
2. Once the fries are done, place them in a sieve and add some salt to it – this will help keep them from sticking together. Scoop some oil fro. The skillet and set aside, add some freshly grated bell pepper, add a pinch of salt and seasoning and Get your fried chicken thigh and add it to the sauce, stir for 2 minutes and it’s good to go!
3. Get your plate and enjoy your chicken and chips with 1 or two spoons of ketchup ( optional!) Enjoy.

Source: Chefphunmi

Nigerian Jollof Recipe

Ingredients

• 3¾ cups (750g) long-grain parboiled rice
• 2-3 cups Tomato Stew
• Chicken (whole chicken, drumsticks or chicken breast)
• Pepper and salt (to taste)
• 2 medium onions
• 3 Knorr cubes
• 2 teaspoons thyme
• 2 teaspoons curry powder (Nigerian curry powder)

Before you cook Jollof Rice

1. Prepare the tomato stew. Visit the Tomato Stew page for details on how to do that. It is advisable to prepare tomato stew before usage and keep it in the freezer. This is so that whenever you want to cook any Jollof-fastfood rice-related dish, it is just a matter of adding it to your cooking.
2. If you will use whole chicken then wash and cut it into pieces. Cook with thyme, Knorr cubes, and 2 bulbs of onions (chopped). The cooking time depends on the type of chicken. The rooster or cockerel cooks much faster than the hen but the hen is definitely tastier. When done, grill it in an oven. You may also fry it. This is to give it a golden look that is more presentable especially if you have guests for dinner.
3. Parboil the rice using the method detailed in parboiling rice for cooking jollof rice. Rinse the parboiled rice and put it in a sieve to drain.

Cooking Directions

1. Pour the chicken stock and the tomato stew into a sizable pot and leave to boil.
2. Add the drained parboiled rice, curry powder, salt, and pepper to taste. The water level should be the same level as the rice. This is to ensure that all the water dries up by the time the rice is cooked.
3. Cover the pot and leave to cook on low to medium heat. This way the rice does not burn before the water dries up.

Source: allnigerianrecipes

2. Date Night On The Beach

Spending a night before the ocean can be one of the most romantic experiences you would ever have. The sight of the moon reflecting on the large body of water and the waves swelling and falling.

Things you’ll need for spending the night by the beach:

• Blankets
• Sleeping bags/foldable tent.
• Food and drinks
• Some poetry (yes, I’m a fan)
• Music box.

3. Road Trip

You might think you don’t need a guide on how to go on road trips but you do. You can’t just get into the car and start driving, as much as that sounds like fun. You need to plan and get prepared for the journey. Here is a list of things you need (to do) if you’re going on a road trip.

1. Know Your Route/Destination

You can’t keep driving till you reach the ends of the earth. You would run out of gas and your car is going to hate you too. Begin your journey with the knowledge that when you reach a certain point, you will turn back. Knowing your route will help you plan your stops to fit your interests.

2. Get Your Car In Shape

This is very important. I’m sure you don’t want your car stopping in the middle of your trip and bringing all the fun to an abrupt end. So if you need to fix it, it would be wise to do that before hitting the road.

3. Get Food and Drinks

If you’re lucky, your route includes some great restaurants where you’ll get great food and probably eat something new. If you don’t intend to stop for food, taking food along is a really great idea because you’ll need it when you’re hungry. On the road is a great place to eat your favorite meals. Take drinks, they are a must!

4. Compile a fun playlist

This playlist should contain songs that both of you are familiar with so you can sing along with your partner. Certain songs can also set the mood for romance. Others can leave you giddy and happy. Choose wisely.

5. Get Extra Fuel/Gas/Money

Extra gas, extra fuel, extra money in your pocket or in your bank account, this is how you know you’ll have a successful road trip. With these, you don’t have to worry about getting stranded somewhere, you can just sit back and enjoy your trip.

4. Picnic

Picnics can be effortlessly romantic. First, you need a nice location and then you need the following things:

• A blanket
• A picnic basket containing food/snacks
• Fruits
• Drinks
• Disposable plates and cups
• Cool music.

Living in Nigeria? Here are some nice places where you can have the perfect picnic.

• For Abuja, click here
• For Lagos, here
• For Edo, here

And if you have a little bit of money, you could try the next idea.

5. Ballooning

If you’re someone like me who has a fear of heights, then this idea is not for you. The last time I entered a moving object that took off from the ground, I almost jumped down. Anyway, if you’re brave enough, ballooning is a great way to spend time with your partner. Although there are no Ballooning options in Nigeria yet, you can definitely find them outside the country.

The balloon experience is a wonderful one. You get to be taken up into the skies to get a better view of your natural surroundings. Imagine being so high up that houses below look like huts or coming head to head with the tip of mountains. Imagine holding the hands of your lover as you both laugh in delight. So romantic! You can get hot air balloons rides in the United States at:

• Rainbow Ryders.
• Balloons Over New England.
• Napa Valley Balloons.
• Balloons Over Letchworth.
• Arizona Balloon Safaris.
• Lake Tahoe Balloons.
• Lake Geneva Balloon Company

and in Africa, at places like Serengeti, Tanzania, Kafue National Park in Zambia, The Masai Mara in Kenya and Okavango Delta in Botswana.

I hope with these few points of mine, I have been able to convince you that you can love with very little money. You just need love in your heart and someone who wants you for you. I hope you find that someone.

All images are from unsplash.com