Cheap Date Idea No. 1: Take a Cue from MTV's Cribs
Go to an upscale neighborhood near you and find an open house (meaning a real estate open house, not just an unlocked door obviously). Walk around and dream about actually living there or act like you already do and give each other the grand tour. For a swanky night in, ask your well-to-do friend with the gorgeous apartment to let you borrow it for the evening. You can make dinner and eat in style … plus get some great decorating tips.

Cheap Date Idea No. 2: Booze it up for (Nearly) Free
See if you can find a winery or brewery in your area. (You'd be surprised how many towns have these now.) Most places offer tours and will let you sample their wares for little or no cost. Pretend to be experts and impress each other with words like "bouquet" (a way to describe the smell of wine) and "carbonic maceration" (the method in which most red wines are made).

Cheap Date Idea No. 3: Get Classy
Sign up for a free class. Stores like Williams and Sonoma offer cooking tutorials that you can see for free and hardware stores like Home Depot often offer classes on home repair and improvement. Not only are they free, but you'll learn skills that can save you money later on too!

Cheap Date Idea No. 4: Cycle the Day Away
Rent bikes-if you don't have your own-and explore your town or a nearby city. Bring a cheap picnic: baguette, red wine and chocolate. You'll feel like you're touring the French countryside (well, close enough).

Cheap Date Idea No. 5: Save Your Money for the Sugar
Make an inexpensive dinner at home (pasta perhaps?) and go out for a gourmet dessert and coffee date after. You can share a sundae or try that flourless chocolate cake you're always eyeing at your favorite restaurant.

Cheap Date Idea No. 6: Go Four Star on a Budget
Rendezvous in a posh hotel-just don't actually blow your savings staying there. Dress up so you look the part and spend the evening exploring the grounds, ordering drinks at the bar and enjoying the free bar food.

Cheap Date Idea No. 7: Do Something Good (for a Change)
Volunteering might not sound very romantic, but think about it: You get to see his sensitive side and he gets to see your good-girl side (you can save the bad-girl side for after). Whether you spend some time in a soup kitchen, cleaning up your local beach or park or babysitting (for free) for your stressed-out friend, you'll have spent quality time with your man that will definitely make you feel good about yourself too.

Cheap Date Idea No. 8: Travel to a Galaxy Far, Far Away
Or at least imagine you are while star gazing. Borrow an astronomy book from the library, lay out a blanket on a warm night and see how many constellations you can find.

Cheap Date Idea No. 9: Start the Day Right
Surprise him with a themed breakfast in bed-with a French twist. Bring up a tray with coffee, crepes, croissants and mimosas-wearing that cute French maid costume from Halloween last year.

Cheap Date Idea No. 10: Head for the (Tide) Pool
If you're lucky enough to have a beach near you, check its website for information on tide pool schedules. Spend a few hours looking for fun fish, hermit crabs and sea cucumbers. Bring a tide pool watch card so you will know what you're looking for, or study up ahead of time and impress him with your knowledge of invertebrates. And afterward you can spend the rest of the day at the beach!