8 Cheap Summer Date Ideas To Replace Netflix And Chill
You’re lying if you try to tell me that you and your boo spent all winter on awesome dates. Sure, maybe you went ice skating once, or you went to NYC to see the Christmas tree after bribing him; but for the majority of the winter you and your boo probably Netflix and chilled until you couldn’t chill anymore.
Now that it’s finally warm out, you have no excuse to be in your bed watching GOT in the middle of the day, and you can’t blame the snow for not leaving your apartment all weekend.
That being said, Netflix and chill is a great date idea because it’s cheap. But fear not, here are your summer replacements for Netflix and chill. Okay, so some of these aren’t quite as chill as lying across your bed in your pajamas, but you could probably use some exercise after becoming a GrubHub VIP member this past winter.
The Chillest:
1. Ice Cream and Chill
Besides frantically chasing down the ice cream truck after throwing shorts on, this date is super low key and chill.
While ice cream isn’t free, it’s generally pretty cheap and worth it. If you’ve got a nice park/place to chill outside by your apartment, sit down and enjoy some ice cream while lovingly staring into bae’s eyes. If you’re really feeling adventurous, go to a new place in your city, get an ice cream cone there, and explore.
2. Baby Pool and Chill
Unless you’re dating a sugar daddy, your boo probably doesn’t have a pool. But maybe, just maybe, he has a backyard. Sure, it looks like an abandoned field considering four guys live there, but hear me out. Baby pools are about $25 at Wal-Mart or Amazon. It may not be the Instagram-ready infinity pool you’ve dreamed of, but it’s a damn good way to beat the heat. Plus, you’ll be being a broke idiot with bae, not alone!
3. Picnic and Chill
While a bit cliche, picnicking is a great way to feel like you’re eating out without actually having to pay for eating out. You can buy pre-made things from the grocery store, or you and your man can have fun cooking food for your picnic as an added bonus. Obviously, don’t forget to pick up a bottle of wine, but make sure that wherever you’re setting up doesn’t have strict open container laws.
The Sort Of Chill:
4. Dog Park and Chill
Don’t skip over this one just because you don’t have a dog, because if you did have a dog, this wouldn’t really count as a date.
The point is to rent or borrow one. If you don’t have a dog but still love cuddly and cute creatures, check your nearby shelters/pet stores’ policies on walking dogs. Most places love to have extra hands walking the dogs that they care for, and you and your boo could be the perfect pair to take a fuzzy puppy on a walk.
Most places simply require a driver’s license as collateral so that you don’t walk away with their furry friend, but otherwise this is completely free.
5. Car Wash and Chill
Remember that Christina Aguilera “Car Wash” song from that Pixar fish movie? If that doesn’t make you want to get sudsy and sexy and wash your nasty ass car, then I can’t help you. If you don’t have a nasty car, your man might have a nasty car, and he’ll absolutely freak out (in a good way) if you suggest washing it in your teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikini. And as a last resort, borrow a car from your rich neighbor, they might even pay you to wash it.
Yeah, it’s cleaning, but it’ll be kind of fun throwing bubbles at your babe; especially when it’s 80 degrees outside and you need a relief.
If you live in a city where you can’t have a car, then sorry I can’t help you. Maybe see if your next Uber wants a wash?
6. Mini Road Trippin’
You don’t need an RV and a full tank of gas to take a road trip. Why don’t you take a mini road trip to the next town over or the suburbs of your city? It might not be as exciting as checking out the Grand Canyon or driving through the deserts, but a change of scenery is always nice. Plus, if the place you drive to sucks, you can always turn right around.
The Not Exactly Chill:
7. Hiking and Don’t Chill:
We’ve come a long way from watching all six seasons of “Gossip Girl” in your bed. Why don’t you celebrate by doing something that Blair Waldorf would absolutely never do?
Hiking is great exercise, free, and even more fun when your boyfriend has a great ass for you to watch while climbing. Unlike that one time you tried to go to the gym with your man, hiking is the type of activity that you can do at your own pace. If you want to casually stroll the entire trail, that’s fine. If you and your man make a bet to see who can get to the top of the hill the fastest, that’s dope too.
8. Bike Ride and Don’t Chill:
If you live in the suburbs, you probably have an old bike or two lying around. If you live in the city, you’ve probably noticed those rental bikes popping up everywhere.
Biking is a super low key summer activity that’s as fun as it is efficient. Sure, biking is technically “exercise,” but it won’t feel like it when you have the sun in your face, breeze on your back, and boo by your side.
If you’re biking around aimlessly, you two may discover someplace new (perhaps a new ice cream place?). If you’ve got somewhere to go, biking definitely beats sitting in a hot car in traffic. Just make sure your man stays far enough away from you so that you two don’t clash bikes, because that wouldn’t be pretty.
