Free Date Ideas, Inspired By TV Shows

If you're tired of shelling out money on date night — those $5 tacos add up fast — why not try a few free date ideas inspired by your favorite TV shows, instead? Whether you play trivia, explore your city, there's so much to do as a couple, no credit card required.

Have A Scavenger Hunt

Get inspired by Parks and Recreation and create a scavenger hunt in your apartment. Try to be clever with your clues, to make it as difficult for each other as possible.

Camp (Inside or Out)

Go into full pillow fort mode and camp in your living room, or pack a few important items (a flashlight, sleeping bags... snacks) and spend the night together in a tent, like Jane and Michael in Jane The Virgin.

Relive 2000

Inspired by Pen15, relive the year 2000 by looking at your old yearbooks, listening to Bikini Kill, and writing each other love notes with rainbow gel pens.

Play Trivia

Friends is chock full of date-worthy episodes, including the one where they play trivia. Quiz each other on categories like "biggest pet peeve" and "ancient history" and see who wins!

Talk Politics & Volunteer

With the election coming up, spend an evening talking politics, like Rainbow and Dre in Black-ish. Catch up on the news, make sure you're both registered to vote, and see if there are any volunteer opportunities you can get involved with.

Answer This NYT Questionnaire

Spend a Sunday morning in bed the way Carrie and Big might do in Sex and the City, either reading books or answering these fun, relationship-building questions from The New York Times.

Have A Coffee Date

Dates don't have to be expensive, and they don't have to happen at night. So why not have a coffee date one morning, like Alex and Maggie in Supergirl?

Eat Nachos

Sometimes the best moments as a couple are the simplest ones, like how Beth and Randall from This Is Us eat nachos together in the kitchen. Simply pour some in a bowl, crack open a couple of ginger beers, and call it a date.

Go Exploring

Get outside like Joyce and Hopper in Stranger Things, and spend the day wandering around the woods. Just don't get lost in the Upside Down. (Or argue the entire time.)

Friday Night Dinner

Remember Friday night dinners on Gilmore Girls? (Of course you do.) Start your own tradition of staying in on Friday nights — instead of going out and spending too much money — and cooking whatever's left in the fridge.

Take A Free Class

While you may not be able to sit in an actual class, like in Community, you and your partner can expand your minds on the world wide web by taking an online class. Look into art, foreign languages, or whatever subject strikes your fancy, and learn together.