My favorite summertime dates at your convenience.

Let’s forget about the $200 vs. $20 debate and let’s get creative. Spring and summer is amongst us and I am loving it. This is the best time to go out on a date with the great weather, lovely sun. Because of this, we have not a clue on what to do. I love dating, I love going out and experiencing something new. So for the love of the season, I dived in my memory bank to share some of my favorite dates.

• Picnic in the Park
  • It was a breezy, summer day, and we went by the pier with a blanket, food and wine. Something about the park environment makes me really tune in to the person I’m with. You don’t have to worry about bumping into anyone because you create your own little space on the grass. Split up the responsibilities and each bring something to the park. Decide who will bring the blanket, wine, snacks and entertainment, and you have a crafty, inexpensive date.

• Bar & Chill
  • It’s similar to bar hopping, but actually taking time to sit down in the bar and enjoy it. (Disclaimer: this may actually take your entire evening if the both of you vibe like that.) This is equivalent to getting a drink on a date, but do you really sit down and take in the bar? Depending on what city you’re in, my experience with bars so far is that some of them have our favorite childhood board games: Pictionary, Taboo, Scrabble, Monopoly, and even UNO, as well. If you know of a bar that has a small shelf in the back, grab a drink, sit in the corner and play! Quality time at its cheapest.

• Dining Galore 
  • Depending on what city you’re in, Smorgasburg or something similar is the most creative way to eat light and plentiful all in one location. This is a walk-around festival, but with food. Popular big and small business/restaurants gather in one central location and provide tasty food for you to try right at your footsteps. This is a great date to walk around, share your common interests in food, and eat. So instead of the awkward-sit-down-across-from-each-other-at-a-table dinner, you can enjoy lovely weather outside, eat on the go, and try however many foods you want.

• Sightsee Your City
  • Every city has some spectacular views you can’t pass up. Often living in the city, we’re caught up in work, gym, and school, that we forget tourists come to our city for a reason. A great date idea I’ve had experience with, was viewing some piers around New York City. So far, my favorite is North 5th Street Pier in Brooklyn, New York. Amazing views of Manhattan, and benches and space to enjoy the view and sit down for conversation. Find a nice, open space in your city you haven’t visited just yet and take someone to indulge in great conversation to match the lovely sight.

Once again, dating is fun and you can get as creative as you want without ripping your wallet into pieces. We shouldn’t be considered cheap if we rather avoid a sit-down restaurant for a date, but showing effort in how you spend quality time together is priceless. Other ideas include: working out together, sip and paint, and grabbing coffee.

I may have missed a few creative ideas, but comment below and share yours.