Masala chai over mehngi coffee
No doubt it sounds very tempting to take your date to Cafe Coffee Day (CCD), Barista or Starbucks. Your date would undoubtedly be impressed with everything but will you be enjoying the time if you are worried about the bill all the time?
To make things easier, take your date to your college or office canteen. Trust us, the masala chai you get in those canteens will be much better and aromatic!
Mid-week, afternoon show
When it comes to dating and movies – does it have to be the first-day first show? The tickets are priced much higher and the theatre will be crowded too. Chances are – you might bump into a relative or your mom’s friend!
Also, who goes to a movie hall just to watch the movie anyway? So, be wise and book your tickets for a mid-week afternoon show and enjoy holding hands – bindaas!
Phone bill – offers hi offers
Phone bills and romance are directly proportional to each other. Even WhatsApp calls eat your data and you need to recharge every now and then. There are times when you may have to recharge your partner’s phone too.
Look out for good offers. Nowadays many online platforms (such as Paytm, Phonepay, Freecharge, Google Pay etc.) give great offers (cashback and discounts) on phone recharge. So, jago grahak jago – be smart and do your homework before you recharge your phone and romance.
Save the earth while you romance
You love your long drives but what to do about the skyrocketing oil prices! Ditch the bike, embrace the public transport – local train/metro/bus.
While riding the bike, you can not even see your partner’s face. If it is a car you are driving – you have to focus too much on the road. In the metro or a bus, you can sit next to each other, hold hands or even keep your head on the shoulder!
We are not asking you to ditch the bike or your car completely – keep that option open for special occasions. It sure will save a lot of money and the earth will thank you too!
Gifts and rings
It’s your first kiss anniversary – your partner maybe expecting a gift. Or you both have just completed one year of seeing each other – gift to banta hai! Most of these occasions come unannounced and you often find yourself stressed with how to gather money to buy an expensive gift?
Here is the solution – be creative and go personal. Collect your funniest pictures and make a photo collage or keep all the wrappers or chocolates/sweets etc that you were gifted and make a scrapbook of the same.
What’s more – record a song on an online app that gives you background music.
Still looking for more ideas? Well make a card with your own hands or bake a cake (million of recipes online)!
Trust us, your partner would love all the attention and you will not burn a hole in your pocket either.
Sabse bada gyaan
The last and the most important tip for any relationship is – never hide your financial status from your partner. They should know that they don’t build unrealistic expectations.
Also, make sure you set clear expectations right from the start. That you will always share your expenses, as you do with your everyday chats, kisses and hugs!
*To protect identity, names have been changed and the person/s in the picture is/are models.
Do you have more tips for budget-friendly dating? Share your thoughts in the comments section below or on our Facebook page or consult our LM experts on our discussion forum.
About the author: Anoop Kumar Singh is a freelance translator and Hindi copywriter based in Gurugram. He completed his bachelor's degree in Hindi literature from Kanpur University. He specializes in creating Hindi SEO content for companies in the health, lifestyle and marketing domain. You can find him on Substack and Twitter.