Huge thank you to Armitron Watches for sponsoring this post! All opinions, words, and images are 100% my own.

Date nights are an essential, and fun, part of any long-term relationship.

Being able to go out, spend alone time together, and do exciting activities are some of the best parts of dating. However, after dating someone for a long time the cost of going on these dates regularly really adds up and can take a toll on your bank account. Dating is expensive!

Sometimes you should step back and plan a few more casual or inexpensive date nights (or days!) – saving money doesn’t mean sacrificing fun or romance!

Today I’m partnering with Armitron watches to bring to you some of my boyfriend (hi, Anthony!) and my favorite less expensive/more casual date night activities. 

Casual Date Night Ideas:

1. Discount movie days

2. Game night

3. Cooking a romantic dinner together – Our favorite!

4. Picnic in park

5. Hike

6. Grocery store games (Who can find the most interesting $5 item in the store? Who can make an entire meal with only $3?)

7. Seeing a local performance

8. Mini-golfing

9. School sports game

10. Zoo

11. Concert in the park

12. Ice skating

13. Bowling

14. Game night

15. Taking a dance class

Our Casual Date Night Style

What really takes these simple and more casual style date nights and steps them up for me is dressing up! I love dressing up for a fun occasion, and even if we aren’t going anyplace “fancy” when Anthony and I take the time to dress up it really makes the occasion feel more special.

Our go-to date night outfits still have a sense of comfort and casualness to them (jeans!) yet are stepped up with a few key items.

Pairing some nicer shoes with jeans is a simple and comfortable way to step up a more casual outfit a notch. I’m currently in love with these heels ($24 at Marshalls!) and Anthony’s shoes from Kohl’s are a little bit more dressy than his normal style which makes this a special outfit.

I think this goes without saying, but a nice blouse and a button up shirt (with the sleeves rolled up on a warm day) complement our casual jeans while tying in our “dressy” shoes at the same time!

Tying in and finishing off the outfit are our favorite accessories: watches! 

Here Anthony and I are both wearing Armitron Watches – which we love because they are affordable yet very stylish and unique to our personalities! For this outfit I chose this one with a burgundy strap and Anthony chose his favorite multi-function watch with a rose-gold accent. These watches are a great accessory, especially for fall, and really complete our date night outfits!

What is your favorite casual/inexpensive date night idea? Share in the comments to help inspire others!