Relationships are hard. We all know that, but when money’s tight and you haven’t been able to do anything beyond bingeing box sets, things can get a bit stale and tensions can start to rise. Money doesn’t equal happiness but it certainly helps at times.
If you find yourself lacking funds for anything more than a coffee and need to inject a bit of sporadicity into you and your partner’s lives, then check out the cheap date options below that can help fulfil you and your partners relationship goals and still allow you both to eat this month.
Free Events
With free show’s relatively frequent, those strapped for cash wanting to treat a significant other to a show can still do so! The Brighton Fringe is around the corner, running from the 5th of May to the 4th of June, with over 700 shows to pick from!
Tickets are reasonably priced too, at on average £8.00 but there’s plenty of free performances to look out for if money is really tight! I once sat through an extremely memorable free Fringe Festival performance as a 17 year old, and to this day It still interrupts my train of thought every now and again.
If you can’t wait a few months and need something you won’t have to wait for, there’s events such as the free Cabaret show at Bar Broadway, every Wednesday Friday and Sunday. It even includes a free drink ticket! Furthermore, the Fringe may be the best place to find affordable comedy, but there’s much to look out year round. There’s always free open mic comedy nights for newcomers to check out.
The Cool-Aid comedy night at Caroline of Brunswick is a new material comedy night for newcomers to the scene that labels itself as ”Brighton’s friendliest and most supportive new material comedy night.” Adding it’s the “The perfect place to catch experienced and up-and-coming comedians.” You never know who you might catch, you may see a face you recognise, or discover an unknown gem!
Take a Hike!
The South Downs National Park is just a short drive away and offers plenty of beautiful hiking trails for a day out in nature. An hour long bus ride, or 40 minute drive. Personally, I’ve never seen a more beautiful hiking spot. In the summer it’s a prepossessing sight, with crystalline water you’ve only seen in pictures of Sardinian beaches.
With the towering chalk cliffs standing by the Ocean’s edge there’s legitimately nowhere else in the south of England to rival the majestic views. The sprawling expanse of sea to the South and the rolling hills behind to the North. If your date can’t appreciate a picnic or dip in the gorgeous waters then I doubt anything natural Earth has to offer will appease them.
If driving is enough to write this suggestion off, why not check out the Undercliff walk?
When it comes to sea spray in the air, an unobstructed view of the horizon for miles around and blue as far as the eye can see, the Undercliff walk can’t be beat. What’s more you can walk atop the cliff too for even more awe-striking views. Why not check out our little guide to it here!
Walk Along the Beach
Brighton is of course a seaside town, so naturally the obvious date is a leisurely afternoon or evening on the Beach. Take a stroll along the seafront, enjoy the fresh sea air and enjoy the stunning views. You know the drill, it’s a classic date for a reason.
But I know what you’re thinking, “Been there, done that, who in Brighton hasn’t thought of the beach as a date idea?” You’d be right, but to add to your romantic day out, why not check out some of the many great art galleries along the seafront? Or take to the arcade in a quirky rom com classic.
You can also, of course, pack a picnic and enjoy it on the beach, with fish and chip prices so high, it’s a cost-efficient and more thoughtful meal out! Can’t stand the thought of trudging back through town? Does getting the bus kill the romance for you? Worry not!
Why not hire a bike and cycle along the seafront? With cycling lanes in abundance across all of Brighton, including the seafront, you can enjoy a leisurely bike ride along the seafront, sunlight shimmering off the top of the sea.
What’s more if you’re a competitive couple there are table tennis tables that make for the perfect stage to get one over the other half. Other nearby activities include the upside-down house which can make for some goofy pictures and memories for just for £5.
The Royal Pavilion Gardens
The Royal Pavilion Gardens is a peaceful oasis in the heart of the city. Enjoy a stroll through the gardens and admire the exotic fauna. It’s a perfect place to sit on the grass and soak up the sunshine.
The Pavillion behind is a former palace of King George IV, designed by architect John Nadh who was hugely inspired by Chinese and India, the Pavillion being a poignant example of the Indo-saracenic style that was so prevalent in India at the time. Obvious comparisons can be made with the Pavillion and Taj Mahal.
Unfortunately, exploring the inside of the building will cost you £17.00 for an adult ticket, but in many ways the outside and lovely gardens are the best part of a date here. If you have an interest in 18th and 19th century regal history or simply want to see how a king might have lived, it’s worth a look around.
Explore the North Laine
The North Laine is the epicentre of bohemian lifestyle and culture in Brighton. Filled to the brim with independent shops, cafes, and street art. It’s always entertaining to take a stroll through the narrow streets and alleyways, browse the many shops, and perhaps stop for a coffee or a pint in one of the many artisanal coffee shops or trendy pubs.
Maybe not suitable for an entire date, but if you were packing a few things into your day, a mooch around some of Brighton’s many independent businesses can be far more entertaining, even if you can’t afford to purchase anything.
Music shops with sprawling guitar walls. Endless vintage and unique clothes stores and the perfect haven for those needing to pick up a gift without spending too much money. Snoopers Paradise. A vast maze of second-hand wares featuring every second hand item you could think of, and much more you can’t imagine.
Personalised Graffiti Tour
Brighton is known for its vibrant street art scene, but you need not shell out for a street art tour. There are plenty of guides online showing you the routes with the best street art Brighton has to offer. Explore the city’s many murals and graffiti pieces.
Be the tour guide and throw on your most charming cadence as you treat your partner to a personalised tour of Brighton’s best street art that you think will particularly resonate with your partner! Just a little bit of preparation and a dash of panache and your 1 person tour will be no different to the tours you have to pay £30 for!
Watch a Movie at the Duke of York’s Picturehouse
A historic cinema that has been showing movies since 1910 The Duke of York’s Picturehouse is a great alternative to the sticky, Cola laden floors of The ODEON. A vintage, charming building brimming with history and character, it’s a far more romantic environment to enjoy a film on a big screen.
Tickets are reasonably priced and with new releases, Live shows and even the chance to see classic films on the big screen, it’s much more special than the local Cineworld or ODEON.
Address: Preston Rd, Brighton BN1 4NA
Website: www.picturehouses.com/cinema/duke-of-york-s-picturehouse
Zorian Artworks
Whether your partner is creative, or you feel the need to show off your intellectual side, Zorian Artworks makes for a great date. Zorian Artworks displays a wide array of fine detailed landscape art, featuring artist Zorian Matthews signature depiction of abstract realism. The subjects of his work characteristically depicted with bold vivid colours, imbued with a subtle humour found through his use of untypical modalities.
Zorian can even be found here in his studio most days, sometimes working on his next project. A passionate artist, he is often happy to talk to those with questions about any of his works and offer up advice on how to improve your own artwork.
Located on the seafront Zorian artworks is part of the famed Brighton Artists Quarter, a tightly packed cluster of art galleries and art exhibitions. The gallery is in a converted Victorian fisherman’s shop, located directly on the seafront promenade. Zorian Artworks is one of the most highly regarded galleries within this community of Local arthouses, with glowing reviews and an appreciation for the passion Zorian has for art.
Nestled next to Brighton pier, the whole beach spans as far as the eye can see from the gallery’s doorstep, it’s the perfect date for any artistically minded couple. If you are taken by a painting they are available to buy, but looking is often more than enough to make time spent at the gallery worthwhile. Zorian Artworks is open to the public all year round, most days between 11.00am till 6.00pm.
Best of all, if this one doesn’t do it for either of you, there are plenty more galleries just a few feet away!
Address: 246 Kings Rd, Brighton BN1 1NB
Website: www.zorianartworks.com
