Whether you’ve been with your loved one for a week or a lifetime, it’s important to do some fun “couple” things together – to go on dates. The problem is that money is tight and for a typical 'dinner and a movie' evening for two can easily cost $100 (unless you go for fast food). If you have kids and require a babysitter, costs clearly increase from there.
If you use your imagination a little, you can easily come up with some inexpensive options. Remember, it's the time - not the money - you spend together that is special. If you're having trouble thinking of things, consider these four. Then, but the iPhone down, leave your worries behind, and enjoy.
Here are some ideas for money-conscious lovers:
- Go For a Long Country Walk
I really enjoy walking with my boyfriend – it’s one of the times when we forget about the distractions of computers, TVs, college work, paid work … and just enjoy being together. It’s also a great way to stay fit and healthy as a couple, and to feel a deep sense of connection with the natural world.
Pick a sunny afternoon to drive out into the country and go exploring. Take a map, plenty of water and wear good walking shoes. Relax and enjoy yourselves – imagine that you have all the time in the world to spend together.
If you live near the beach, the seashore is a wonderfully romantic place to walk. Pick a quiet stretch of coast where you can listen to the waves crashing onto the shore as you walk hand-in-hand.
- Pack a Picnic
Meals at restaurants quickly get expensive. If you and your partner are spending a lot on food every time you’re out, why not take a picnic instead? You could each bring a few of your favorite foods, or you could go shopping together to pick some easy al fresco items at the start of the date.
It’s nice to take food items that you can share – so rather than packing separate sandwiches, take a chunk of French stick, some butter or cream cheese and luncheon meat, then assemble it piece-by-piece as you eat. Pita breads and hummus dips also work well, or wraps and a pot of prawn mayonnaise or roasted veggies to fill them with.
Almost any location can be good for a picnic, but local parks and fields are ideal. Take a rug with you, and you won’t even need to find a picnic bench.
- Watch a DVD
Instead of forking out cash for two cinema tickets, buckets of coke and vats of popcorn, why not have a movie evening at home? Pick a favorite movie each (it doesn’t cost much to rent a DVD) – though if you’re being truly romantic, take your partners’ taste in movies into account too.
Get some snacks – chips, popcorn, ice-cream, pizza, whatever you fancy – dim the lights, and snuggle up together on the sofa for a cozy home movie experience. Sure, it’s not quite the same as the cinema: there’s no hordes of kids chucking popcorn, no elderly lady tutting every time you so much as hold hands, and no adverts before your film starts. I expect you’ll cope…
- Bake Cakes Together
Pick a rainy weekend afternoon to roll your sleeves up and get baking. You can have fun beforehand poring over recipe books together and deciding what to make. Buy the ingredients you need and get cracking!
If you’re short of ideas, anything that you can decorate together works well. How about making some mini cakes and covering them with sprinkles and hearts drawn on in colored frosting? If that’s too saccharine for you, baking bread together is also great fun. Pancakes – with lots of different bits and pieces to fill them with – are almost certain to be a hit, too.
What might you and your loved one enjoy from the above ideas? Or do you have a great low-cost or free date activity of your own? Tell us in the comments!
Ali
译文:
不会令你们破产的约会策略
不管你跟你的爱人刚在一起一个星期还是已经呆了一辈子了,在一起做一些有趣的情侣该做的事情—约个会,还是很重要的.问题是锦囊羞涩,而一个典型的“晚餐加电影”的浪漫两人夜晚随随便便就能花去100美元(除非你们去吃快餐).如果你们有宝宝了,再叫个临时保姆,那么花销就明显又要增加了.
然而,只要你们稍稍利用下自己的想象力,就能轻轻松松地找到一些少花钱的选择.记住,是你们在一起的时间的多少而不是花钱的多少让约会变得特别了.如果你们没有什么主意的话,那么参照一下下面四个建议吧.但是当计划定下来之后,就把你们的担忧都抛之脑后,尽情地享受吧.
这里有一些主意献给那些关注花销问题的情侣.
在乡间小路散散步
我真的很喜欢跟我的男朋友一起散步 — 那时我们可以忘记电脑、电视、大学作业、有报酬的工作等等使人分心的事情,只要好好享受在一起的时刻就行了.这也是情侣们保持健康和良好关系以及跟大自然亲密接触的好途径.
选择一个晴朗的下午骑着车到乡间去探索.带上一张地图和充足的饮用水,穿上耐磨的鞋子.好好地放松一下自己,尽情地享受那一刻.想象你们俩能共度在世上的所有时间.
如果你们住在离海滩比较近的地方,那么海岸就是一个极其浪漫的散步之地.选择一片安静的海岸,在那里当你们手牵手漫步的时候能够倾听海浪拍打海岸的声音.
便携式用餐
在饭店吃饭很快就会占据一大笔开销.如果你和你的伴侣每次都为外出吃饭花费大笔钞票的话,为什么不用野餐来代替呢?你们可以每个人带一些自己最爱的食物,或者你们可以在约会刚刚开始的时候一起去商店买一些简单的户外食品.
你们带一些能共享的食物的话会比带一些分开的三明治,一大包法国条,一些黄油或是奶油芝士和午餐肉,然后再把它们一片片地组合起来吃要好得多.皮塔饼(一种扁平的椭圆面包,可加入馅料)和鹰嘴豆泥酱(希腊食品,将鹰嘴豆油和大蒜捣碎调制而成)搭配,口味也不错,卷和一罐明虾蛋黄酱搭配,或者用烤蔬菜填充在卷里也行.
几乎所有的地方都能成为野餐的好地方,但是当地的公园和草地是最佳选择.带上一个垫子的话,你们甚至都不需要找一个用来野餐的长凳.
观看碟片
与其掏出大把的现金花在两张电影票,一罐罐的可乐和一桶桶的爆米花上,为什么不一起度过一个在家看电影的夜晚呢?你们每人选一个自己最爱看的电影(租张碟片花不了多少钱) — 如果你真的是个浪漫的人,那么可以考虑按照你爱人的口味来选择电影类型.
准备一些小点心 — 薯条、爆米花、冰淇淋、比萨,你们想怎么样都行 — 调暗房间的灯光,然后两个人一起蜷缩在沙发上感受一个舒适的电影之旅.当然,这跟在电影院的感觉是有所不同的:这里没有一大群扔爆米花的小孩;没有上了年纪的老妇人每次在你们牵手的时候都发出啧啧的声音(表示不满);在电影开始之前也不会出现广告.我期待你们能够应付…
一起烘烤蛋糕
找个雨天的周末下午,卷起你们的衣袖开始烘烤食物.在事先一起认真阅读食谱决定做什么的时候,你们就会感觉到乐趣.买好你们需要的烹饪材料之后就卖力地大干一番吧!
如果你们没什么主意的话,任何你们能拼凑点缀起来的东西都行.做一个迷你小蛋糕,然后用彩色糖霜(用以装饰糕饼等)在蛋糕上面画上小点点和爱心怎么样?如果那样做对你们来说太夸张了点的话,一起烘烤面包也是很有趣的.薄饼 — 用大量不同的小块和小片来填充它们 — 这也差不多会是个成功的作品.
你和你的爱人会喜欢上述主意中的哪一个呢?或者你们自己就有一个极好的低成本的或者免费的约会.那么请在评论中告诉我们吧!