Being a poor college student on a budget can make it difficult to find affordable places to go on dates.
The key to getting the most bang for your buck, I’ve learned, is to be creative. This week’s idea: A less expensive alternative to the traditional “dinner-and-a-movie” date is a picnic dinner at a local park while watching the sun set, followed by a late-run movie at Movies 12 at the Gateway Mall.
Spending a sunny afternoon at a park offers the opportunity to get to know your date better — even if you’ve been going out for a while. Without having the distraction of a television, or of your friends from the dorm constantly coming by your room, you really have a chance to connect with your date. It’s also something that can work for all ages — not just the over-21 crowd.
Haven’t been to a park since you were a little kid? Reconnect with your inner child and let your date see the kid in you by playing on the playground equipment at an elementary school. Or, if you know your date won’t go for that scenario, take a different tack: Stroll through a city park and admire the scenery as you attempt to impress your date with your grasp of current events.
As far as parks go, I like East Alton Baker Park, next to Autzen Stadium, for the variety it offers — couples can go for a bike ride, explore the bark-dust trails, sit on benches by the dam and relax to the sound of the rushing water, feed the ducks, lay on a blanket and catch some rays or play frisbee … there are tons of possibilities.
Pack a picnic and choose a sunny, secluded spot to dig into your feast. (Just remember to avoid perishable foods — giving your date food poisoning is definitely not going to score you points.) Late afternoon sunlight bathes everything with a golden glow — the perfect time to have your picnic and gaze at your date.
For those who don’t have the culinary prowess to prepare and pack a gourmet meal, there’s always the fast-food standbys: Taco Bell’s under-$1 menu, McDonald’s 29¢ hamburger Wednesdays and 39¢ cheeseburger Sundays or Burger King’s Chick’N Crisps (99¢ each). (Warning: Buying your date fast food instead of actually taking the time to prepare a meal can drastically lower the romance factor.)
After finishing your meal and watching the sun set, pack up your gear and head over to the Gateway Mall and Movies 12 — probably the best movie deal in town. For $1.50 each, you can see movies that are late in their first run. Current offerings at Movies 12 include “The Beach,” “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” “Any Given Sunday” and “Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo,” as well as some Academy Award nominees such as “The Sixth Sense” and “The Insider.”