Let’s face it: Valentine’s Day can be kind of a racket. Your favorite go-to BYO all of a sudden has a minimum $50 pre fixe, activities ripe for handholding, like ice skating, double in price just for the night, and reservations everywhere are a must. But as all cheap daters know, true romance comes from the heart; it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. So without further ado, here are my Top 5 ideas for spending time with your loved ones this holiday, without spending too much money.
A trip to the taco truck can be a delightful cheap date. But as winter sets in, the prospect of waiting outside and then hunching over to eat before it all gets cold seems decidedly less pleasant. Enter new Fishtown pub Loco Pez! I spent a lovely date there recently, relaxing at the bar with an oversized margarita and fish tacos – for less than $15! Read the full review here, at Drink Philly (now Drink Nation!)
Somewhere between a Mexican-themed tiki bar and a lawn party, Distrito’s $10 Kegs & Eggs brunch makes for a great weekend date and hangover cure! Read the whole review here, at Drink Philly!
The lunch date should not be easily dismissed. And no one in Philly knows that better than Jamie, who runs the Philly arm of the blog Midtown Lunch, a review-based site focused specifically on, you guessed it—lunch! First started in New York, the site but has now expanded to the lucky cities of Los Angeles and Philadelphia. Jamie was tapped to run the Philly site, which she now does in addition to the small job of being in law school. Petite and pretty, and wearing some of the coolest pink plastic-frame glasses I’d ever seen, Jamie does not look like a woman who can or does put away a lot of food. But don’t be fooled. On our date, Jamie ate everything with gusto, as well as with a large store of experience and knowledge to size things up against. It is obvious she loves her job and being...
Going to see a band play can make for a great date. It can also make for a very expensive date, depending on the venue and the band. There are times when it’s fun to splurge on $50+ tickets to see a band you love (Phoenix at the Tower last year, anyone?) but that’s certainly not a cheap date. So where can you see consistently good bands at affordable prices that also has a decent date atmosphere? My go-to venue is Fishtown’s Johnny Brenda’s. How cheap we talkin’? Look for a show that’s $10-$12 at the door. True, that won’t leave much leftover for eating or drinking, but there’s always at least the $3 Kenzingers. Why this will impress your date: Show off your good taste by introducing your date to a new band that you think they will love. That’s what happened on this date, and I was definitely...
One of my favorite cheap dates this time of year is to take a blanket and some treats to one of the many outdoor movie screenings that take place all over Philly all through the summer months. I said it once, and I’ll say it again: There is something undeniably romantic about cuddling up after the sun goes down, sharing some candy and maybe a clandestine bottle of wine or beer, and taking in an outdoor movie on a hot summer night. And from the looks of this handy-dandy list I’ve prepared − complete with titles and times! – this is a date you can enjoy almost any given night of the summer! Choose from Blockbusters at Penn’s Landing, classic favorites at Schuylkill Banks and Liberty Lands Park, Indie hits at the Piazza, films with local ties at Headhouse Square and more! There is literally something happening almost every single night, and...
