CHEAP DATE!

A scene from Adam Sandler's 50 First Dates

So it's 2009 and everybody's feeling the crunch in their wallets. You might even become wary of splurging on dates. Does this mean you're swearing off the opposite sex until the economy betters itself again? Heck no! And does this mean you might be labeled a "cheap date"? Hmm maybe...but let's pretend we're being smart instead of cheap! Here's how you can continue dating without putting a whole in your wallet...

FOOD FOR THOUGHT (tune in next time for sexy recipes ideas)
Thinking of a way to impress your date? Cook for them! It might sound cliché but this is the BEST way to do it! They say the way to get into one's heart is through their stomach. There are easy recipes online - guaranteed to sweep your date off their feet! But if you're not great at cooking and you've been called a kitchen hazard, all hope's not lost. Prepare a romantic picnic basket and pick a spot in the park or the beach. Pack something easy like sandwiches or perhaps sushi, and sodas. Finish off with a dessert. Voilà! Warning, your date might melt before your dessert!

DVD NIGHT
Each of you bring the movie of your choice - something you think is the BEST horror movie of all time, or the WORST romantic comedy in the world, or something you think your partner will absolutely love. Super brownie points if you get the last one right! And you know you’ve scored if they like the same flicks as you!

OUTDOOR ACTIVITY
There's so much beautiful nature you can enjoy, especially in a place like Hawaii. Go on a hiking trip to Waimano trail in Pearl City, or enjoy a bike ride along Aiea Loop trail. And there's always the beach. Sun, sand, and sea - you can't go wrong with that.

STAR GAZING
All you need is a warm blanket, an iPod, and obviously a date. Brownie points if you remember to bring snacks! If you're going for sophistication, go for cheese and wine. If you think that's too pretentious, some popcorn and soda would do the trick. Keep your eyes peeled for meteor sightings. StarDate Online is a great website for meteorological information! The next meteor showers will occur on October 21st. We recommend North Shore, Mokuleia as the best place for star gazing. Very dark and private, and extremely romantic!

ARTS AND CRAFTS
Indulge in your creative and artsy side! Remember the pottery-making scene in Ghost? Classic! Who knew pottery-making could be so sexy? But if pottery’s not your thing...How about handmade cards? Have yourself and your date create cute cards for each other by using whatever colorful paper and stationary you find lying around. Or perhaps you could both paint silly portraits of each other. A great memento to have, or something hilarious to laugh about later! And hey, there's also body painting with either paint...or chocolate. *wink wink* Although, perhaps this would be put under the cooking-in category?

FREE EVENTS
There’s always something to do, if you know where to look! HawaiiEventsOnline is a good place to visit. There’s Free Hula Dancing, Asian Folktales Storytelling, and Food For Treat Fundraiser to name a few. And if you’re willing to spend a little bit for ono grindz and live music, you could go to Tiki’s Grill and Bar for their Taco Tuesday promotion. $2 Tacos, $3 Drink Specials, Free Parking and Cover, and a happy date! Here’s another great tip if you both love movies - go for Sunset on the Beach on a weekend. It's a free movie showing at Queen’s surf in Waikiki Beach. Just bring a blanket or towel!

GAME NIGHT
As mentioned in the previous post, board games can still be a fun activity! Taboo, Jenga, Battleship, Twister, Cranium, just to name a few. Heck, your date and you can battle it out on video games too. Pick a couple of fun two-player game you think you both will enjoy – Not just something YOU like! Deduct 100 brownie points if your date gets fed up with you or the game (because you take it too seriously or you’re a sore loser).

IOU MASSAGE COUPON
Running out of ideas? Luckily you give the BEST shoulder massages (or so you’ve been told by your dad)! Give your date an IOU Massage Coupon which he/she can use at any time. Hey since we’re all about coupons…why not be more creative and create coupons for other activities? Coupons for kisses, hugs, laundry, cleaning the dishes…whatever you think your date would appreciate! Even better, you can share a Student Saver coupon with your date. Enjoy Cold Stone ice cream with this Buy 1 Get 1 Free coupon!

DOING SOMETHING YOUR PARTNER LIKES
Your girlfriend likes animals? Visit a local shelter and the two of you can become volunteers for a day! Your boyfriend likes cars? Visit a car dealership and pretend you're both looking for a car...he'll have fun just ogling the cars and brownie points if he's allowed to test-drive them!

DISCOVER SOMEPLACE NEW
Got a car? And plenty of gas? Why not drive around to a semi-unfamiliar place (Just make sure it's safe! Have a GPS on standby just in case). Maybe your date has mentioned about always wanting to go to *that* place but he/she never got to. Now’s your chance to try it out! Have a camera ready just in case you want to capture the perfect moment with your date. One location we might suggest is Round Top - Tantalus Circle Drive; it’s the perfect place to take your date to see the city lights.

Being Broke Doesn't Need To Suck

Are you like Jeff?


Are you a student? And are you broke? And now you don't know what to do for fun...

Well, fear not!

Here are some activities to do when you're broke:

Play Rockband/Guitar Hero
In your heart of hearts, you know that you dreamed about becoming...a rockstar! The sex, drugs, rock and roll aspect of the whole thing is so exciting...but so unattainnable. So we'll rock it out via Video Games. Ah, don't you just love technology? Believe me you'll spend hours and hours in front of the (hopefully very large and flat) television screen once you've chosen your equipment - vocals, guitar, bass, or drums. Take your pick. And rock on!

Boardgame fun
Boardgames are a great way to have fun! They are seriously underrated. Taboo! Pictionary! Cranium! Even old school Monopoly or Scrabble. So many to choose from. You only need the right kind of company. Oh and your parents will definitely approve. They'll be so proud of the fact that you’re spending Friday night doing G-rated activities!

Potluck
What better way to get free food than a potluck party? You'll get to sample your friends’ delicious cooking (or culinary experiments)...as well as try your hand at making something edible. It could turn out really well, or really disastrous. Either way, a fun time for all! Just to be on the safe side, you can always be the beverage-guy. No cooking necessary, and people are bound to get thirsty right?

Pizza+DVD party
Nowadays you can get cheap pizza deals such as Boston's Pizza $10 OFF for 2 19" PIZZAS! (Click for a coupon!) If you share with a bunch of friends it's going to be almost like paying nothing! Splurge with a DVD! Watch something everyone can enjoy.

Jam session/Karaoke
If you have talented musicians in your circle of friends, why not host a little jamming session? As long as you have cool neighbors. Or if you don’t play musical instruments, you can always do a little DIY karaoke. Videos abound on Youtube. And a little alcohol helps to...loosen up the vocal chords *ahem* Have a camcorder ready and voila! You'll post a video on facebook and have tons to laugh (or feel embarassed) about later.

Drinking games
Of course, we have to have something on the list that's not parent-approved. Drinking games. All you need is alcohol, some agreeable participants and perhaps a few props. Cards are the best props to have around. Otherwise, there's always beer pong...or some may spice it up as vodka pong. Warning, that game is only for the hardcore! Website suggestion for drinking games: www.webtender.com/handbook/games

Picnic at the park/Barbeque with friends
Again, you can't go wrong when there's food around. BBQ Steps : 1) Pick a spot - perhaps at a beach or a park, 2) pray to the Weather God for a sunny day, and 3) have your friends bring different things to grill. Burgers, hotdogs, smores, kebabs, etc. Picnic Steps: You can either prepare your own food, or you can do it the easy way - share a bucket of KFC with your pals and chill on a grassy lawn. Preferably with some musical accompaniment. Smiley faces are guaranteed!

Water fights
Perhaps after pigging-out, you’d feel guilty and maybe even undergo food-comatose. A great way to combat this is by doing an activity that requires you to run around and get a little wet. Water fights! Just borrow your little brother’s water gun and fill it up with water, and pick a target! If you can’t get a water gun, just fill up some balloons with water. Lots of balloons. And lots of fun!

Sports
If you’re too sophisticated for water fights, any kind of physical activity will do. Studies show that exercising with friends encourage a healthier lifestyle. So go play a sport with a couple of friends. Tennis, football, squash, swimming - the list is endless.


$1 Theaters (Yelp it!)
'Nuff said. No? Still need convincing? C'mon...With a price like that who cares if it's not the latest movie. Or if there's a very limited number of movies being showed. Bring your own snacks and enjoy the experience. If it gets boring, and if there are nobody else around, have your friends and yourself do comical voice-overs. Thumbs up if you can fake a European accent!

Whatever you do, it is imperative that you avoid:

· Malls
· Arcades
· Online shopping
· Shopaholic friends

Safeguard that wallet! Good luck!