40 Fall Date Ideas (On a Budget).

There are so many reasons to love fall: the weather, Halloween, the pumpkin spice lattes, the colors, the clothes, even the television is better. Everything about fall just makes me happy. People say that most wonderful time of the year is Christmas, but I think the best time of the year starts in September. Some people may say love is in the air in February, but I think love is all around us in the fall. Everything about the upcoming season is perfect, and your date nights should be too! Check out these fun and frugal date night ideas, and take your honey out for an amazing time in this flawless weather!

1. FALL PHOTOSHOOT Even if you don't have the money to dish out on a fancy fall photoshoot, you can always find a local photographer trying to build their portfolio or a high school or college student who is willing to take pictures for a reasonable price. Still don't want to pay someone to take pictures of you? Just set up the tripod and use the self-timer!
2. GO ON A LOCAL HAUNTED OR GHOST TOUR With Halloween drawing near, get in a spooky mood by taking a haunted tour or even a ghost tour! Sometimes you can tickets for as little as $5.
3. GO TO THE LOCAL FAIR OR FALL FESTIVAL State fairs are going on in every state, so ride some rides, stuff your belly with fattening foods, and feed the animals at the petting zoo. If there's not a fair in your area, surely there's a small festival going on. Scan the art, eat some fried food, and enjoy the local music. A lot of times if you go to the fair or a festival during the day, they'll have special admission prices cheaper than those at night. Take advantage of this, because sometimes, admission is completely free!

Delicious popcorn shrimp platter from the Pecan Street Festival in Austin last year. 

Love and Theft came to Shreveport last year for the Red River Revel.

4. VISIT A PUMPKIN PATCH The pumpkin patch is a fun place to take pictures. Pick out a few pumpkins to carve or decorate and place them around the house. 
5. GO HIKING Take acknowledge of the perfect weather, and take a hike! A lot of hiking trails are free of charge or if it's in a park, you may have to pay a small fee for your car. Either way, it's a fun, cheap date that you can enjoy in the sunshine.
6. MAKE COORDINATING HALLOWEEN COSTUMES Buying matching Halloween costumes may be fun, but making your costumes makes it even  more personal and more fun to wear! Come up with a creative idea, and make some matching costumes together. Most times, making costumes is a lot cheaper than buying them off the shelf. 
7. INVITE SOME FRIENDS OVER FOR A GAME NIGHT Turn date night into game night, and have some friends over for a night full of competitive games. You can even limit it to couples and have couples against couples. 
8. GET LOST IN A CORN MAZE Fall is the season of corn mazes. It'll be so fun to wander around the maze together, hand-in-hand, struggling to find your way out. You could also wait until the sun goes down and visit the corn maze when it's haunted. Go during the week for less crowds and cheaper prices.

My friends and I took a trip to corn maze during our junior year of college. I also went last year with some work friends.

9. THROW A PARTY TO WATCH YOUR FAVORITE FOOTBALL TEAM Scour Pinterest for some football-themed food, put on the big game, and have fun shouting obscenities at your favorite team. 
10. TOUR A BREWERY (OR WINERY) Nothing says fall like some good, local brew! Tour a local brewery and sample the beer. If beer isn't your thing (like me), then visit a winery instead. If you don't have a brewery or winery nearby, go to a beer or wine tasting! Or have one of your own. Some brewery give free tours throughout the week. Take advantage!
11. HAVE A SCARY MOVIE MARATHON Nothing's more romantic than cuddling together on the couch and cuddling even harder when a scary part comes up. Hit up RedBox, browse the TV listings, check Netflix and your own DVD collection to find some cheap (or free), scary flicks.
12. OR A HARRY POTTER MOVIE MARATHON Or if you're a Potthead like me, have a Harry Potter marathon instead! The witches and wizards and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named make it spooky, right?
13. DECORATE PUMPKINS Get in the Halloween spirit and carve and/or decorate some pumpkins! You can always find cheap pumpkins at Wal-Mart!

Go dawgs!

14. MAKE SOME FALL-THEMED FOOD TOGETHER Pumpkin bread. Caramel apples. Apple cider. Every kind of pie! Fall has the best food. 
15. PACK SOME SNACKS AND HAVE A PICNIC IN THE PARK Eating outside is even more awesome when the weather is nice. Fall weather is the perfect picnic weather. Make some sandwiches, cut some fruit, grab some wine (or water...) and bask in the sunshine. 
16. GO TO THE FALL FARMERS' MARKET I love the farmers' market in the summer, but the fall farmers' market is so much fun. It's colorful, and there are so many fun autumn things to buy. Even if you don't buy anything, it's still nice to browse the booths and enjoy the music.
17. HAVE A MINI 50'S NIGHT Complete with roller skating and ice-cream sundaes. A lot of skating rinks have very reasonable prices. 
18. PUT OUT A BLANKET AND WATCH THE SUNSET Nothing could be more romantic.
19. TAKE YOUR DOGS FOR A WALK IN THE PARK All puppies love being outside, and they won't get tired as fast in the cooler weather. Why not reward them for their natural awesomeness (and adorableness) by taking them for a walk in the park? Don't have a dog? Just go for a romantic walk in the park by yourselves. Even more romantic.
20. GO SEE A SHOW See what shows are playing locally, like an opera or play. If you're a student, take advantage of student prices. 

All dressed up for the opera!

21. HAVE A PROGRESSIVE DINNER Progressive dinners are so much fun. Have appetizers at one restaurant. Choose a different restaurant for entrees, and end the night with dessert at another restaurant. 
22. GET SOME FRIENDS TOGETHER FOR A GAME OF TOUCH FOOTBALL
23. DO SOMETHING CREATIVE TOGETHER Like Painting with a Twist or something similar. To save a little money, you can gather craft materials that you already have and make something together.

24. GO TO A HAUNTED HOUSE Screaming at the top of your lungs together. What could be more romantic?
25. MAKE A LIST OF ALL THE LOCAL COFFEE SHOPS & TRY THE PUMPKIN-FLAVORED DRINKS AT EACH ONE Scour all the coffee shops and go on a search for the best pumpkin-flavored drink. They're only available for a limited time. This doesn't necessarily have to be done in one day. You can make several date nights throughout the season.
26. SEE A LOCAL BAND PLAY View the line-ups at your local venues, and find a band to see. 
27. CUDDLE TOGETHER UNDER A BLANKET AND STARGAZE WITH HOT CHOCOLATE How romantic!
28. HAVE A MINI BONFIRE IN THE BACKYARD AND ROAST SOME FOOD Make some s'mores. Roast some hotdogs. Food cooked over an open flame just tastes better for some reason. 
29. MAKE A HALLOWEEN GINGERBREAD HOUSE You can usually find inexpensive kits at Wal-Mart and craft stores.
30. GO TO A LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL OR COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAME Even if it's a not a team you're absolutely crazy about, it's still fun to dress up in their school colors and cheer them on. Also...tailgating!

31. READ A BOOK TOGETHER Jon and I just started reading the Harry Potter series out loud together. It's my absolute favorites (obvs), but Jon has never read it, and I love sharing my favorite book with him. Share your favorite book with your significant other by either taking turns reading out loud to each other or just reading the same book at the same time to yourself. Pick a book off of your shelf or go to the local library, and just go for it! You can also get an audio book from the library and listen to it together.
32. BE TOURISTS IN YOUR OWN TOWN There's a lot your town has to offer that you forget to experience since you live there. Visit a few local museums or art galleries and fall in love with your hometown. Many museums and galleries are free of charge.
33. TRY A LOCAL RESTAURANT YOU'VE BEEN MEANING TO TRY Instead of going to your usual favorite restaurant, why not try something new? 
34. INVITE YOUR FRIENDS OVER FOR A THEMED PARTY Themed parties are my favorite! Have everyone dress up for a murder mystery dinner party or get some games together for a Minute to Win It night. So much fun!

My friend, Katherine, threw a Voice-themed party, and we watched the season 3 finale of the show dressed up as season 3 contestants. Katherine was Melanie Martinez, I was De'Borah, and Sarah was Cassadee Pope.

Murder mystery parties are my favorite!

35. GO THRIFTING Set a limit, and see who can find the most unique gift for the other. 
36. RUN (or walk) A 5K 5K's are just better in the fall because they're absolutely awful during the summer. You could also do one for a good cause like the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk. 
37. TAKE A DRIVE Get in the car and drive with no destination in mind. See all the pretty colors of the leaves changing and get lost on all the dirt roads. Just drive. 
38. RENT A KAYAK AND SPEND A DAY ON THE LAKE
39. NETFLIX BINGE Choose a show you both like (or might like if you haven't seen it) and have a marathon. Or pick an actor or actress, and watch all the movies with them in it. 
40. HAVE A STAYCATION Rent a room at a local hotel or stay the night at a bed and breakfast. Have a mini, romantic staycation away from home just for the heck of it. Stay on days that aren't peak nights to get better deals. Also, look at their social media accounts and the hotel's main site for lower rates.
What are some of your favorite fall dates?