Cheap Dates

Yet Another Reason to Make Thursday Your Favorite Date Night of the Week

2008-05-31T08:10:00.003-05:00

Here's a couple of cheap date ideas that are sure to impress your date. One week you can get to know each other by enjoying some jazz music at Bradley Fair (the summer concert series is back; you can click here for a printable schedule). The following week, take him or her to cinema alfresco at the Brickyard. Both activties are free and give you the flexibility to be as cheap or extravagant as you like.

If you decide you want go to dinner before the concert, Bradley Fair offers several options. You can go all out and dine at Cibola (Sarah Newby's favorite restaurant), but I will tell you now the date will not be cheap. You can go ultra-cheap and go to McDonald's at Tallgrass, but that's not a very good idea either. For some nice inexpensive options, you could choose Applebee's, On the Border, Adrian's, and Bella Luna. I don't really recommend Applebee's because we've consistently received poor service there the last few times. I love the food and ambience at Adrian's. I've never been to the Bella Luna at Bradley Fair, but the food at their East Central location is fantastic. And, of course, On the Border has awesome drinks and will be perfect if you both like Mexican fare.

Pre-movie dining options abound if you go to cinema alfresco because the Brickyard is located in Old Town. Brickyard itself offers a burger and fries special for $5 on Thursdays. With these two date ideas, you can really adjust the experience to suit your budget simply by making different choices.

Now, I've looked at both schedules and my recommendation would be to go to cinema alfresco on June 19 for Election (one of my favorites; and it's an easy-going movie that's not so heavy for a first or maybe fourth date) and then attend the Bradley Fair concert on July 3. I chose the final performance because it concludes with fireworks. Hopefully, you'll experience some magical fireworks on your date as well.

Of course, you can do these activities as many times as you like for the duration of the series. However, it's important to add some variety and not do the same things over and over again (unless you both really enjoy jazz and then it's fine to go to the concert each week). Otherwise, you'll seem obviously cheap to your date and that's not the idea. The idea is to be creative so that you don't go broke while trying to impress your date. You know what I mean?

Cheap Movie Night

2008-01-27T20:28:00.000-06:00

SPLURGE! Magazine has partnered with Warren Theaters for a special movie day on the last Tuesday of every month. Movie tickets will be just $7.00 per person all day for any movie. The "Fred and Ginger" combo which is usually $12.50 will be specially priced at $5.00 -- What a deal! This program starts on Tuesday, January 29th. Brian and I are seriously thinking of moving our movie nights to the last Tuesday of the month just because of this.

Staying Home to Watch Movies Just Got More Cost Effective

2008-01-13T23:34:00.001-06:00

Now is the time to join Netflix. Seriously. Effective tomorrow Netflix will begin offering unlimited online movie streaming to customers who are on the $16.99 plan. That's the three-at-a-time, unlimited plan that Brian and I are on. Oh, yeah!

Not that we have ever come remotely close to to the 17-hour time limit. Although, Brian has been watching a lot of SeaQuest on the Netflix web site. Why you would want to waste valuable movie streaming allowance on SeaQuest is beyond me, but he likes the show and all other shows similar to it. Anyway, beginning tomorrow it won't matter. LOL.

[via TechCrunch]

Not Necessarily a Cheap Date, But a Pretty Good Travel Bargain

2007-12-22T01:10:00.000-06:00

Kurt's new business venture, Getaway Easy Travel, is offering a heck of a deal on their 2008 halloween poker cruise. Even though we've done this particular cruise before, we would totally book now (except we have vowed not to take a trip in 2008 so we can work on the house and put it in the market during the 2008 real estate sales season).

I remember when Brian and I took this exact same cruise (only backwards, our first port was Cozumel instead of Ocho Rios) during our honeymoon in 2002, it cost us about $3200 and our room was even on the bottom with mere portholes. If you book through this specal offer, $609 per person will get you an ocean view room, your tournament buy-in, and port fees. They'll even let you use easy pay -- you can put down a reservation fee of $50 per person and then just pay in installments. It truly is an unbeatable deal!

The ship sails from Galveston, Texas on Sunday, October 26, and returns to Galveston the following Sunday, November 1. Here's a list of some of the things they're throwing in:

Complimentary "WPTAPL Members Party" (we didn't get this on our honeymoon cruise)
Cash Games
Tournaments starting at $25 (there weren't any poker tournaments on our cruise, only blackjack tournaments)
$500 FreeRoll for all players (a shot to win some money with no tournament entry fee, what more can you ask for)
Satellites to Main Event starting at $45
Main Event Tournament $440 Buy-In
Visiting Montego Bay, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel (these are excellent ports with lots of fun off-site excursions; trust me, we've done this same cruise)
Halloween Costume Party
Meals are included

If mom and dad weren't planning on going home to the Philippines next year, I would totally try to talk them into going on this one. Granted, they don't play poker... But these are some of the best cruise rates you'll see. Even if you're not really a poker player, you can even do the free roll. You might even win! Beginners always seem to win. Wouldn't that be awesome? If you could go on a cruise, play a poker tournament for free, and win some money for souvenirs?

Shoot, I want to go just writing about it. Even if I've visited these places before. This is too good a deal to pass up. If we get our house sold by September, I'm definitely going to try talking Brian into going. We are getting on this ship!

Here's how to reserve your trip: Call 316-689-8149 or 316-689-0600 to speak with a cruise specialists. Don't forget to mention that "Cherrie" referred you, so I get my referral bonus. If I refer enough people, maybe Brian and I can go for free. That will surely make talking him into going even easier!

Getaway Easy Travel LLC
900 George Washington Blvd Ste C
Wichita, Kansas 67211
316-689-8149
316-691-5914 FAX

The Kurt mentioned above is Kurt McPhail, Executive Vice President and COO of WPTAPL and prolific entrepreneur. He is always coming up with big ideas for new businesses. I really admire Kurt and Shawn (Shawn Riley, WPTAPL's President and CEO) for their courage to pursue their dreams.

Everyone has thought of owning their own business and being their own boss at some point in their lives, Brian and myself included. Brian has a lot of ideas. He's always thinking of different things. Except, Brian and I don't have the capital, gumption, and courage to take the plunge. We wouldn't know where to even begin.

I think I'll probably end up working until the day I retire (with a few much-needed vacations thrown in). Although, Brian and I are ferociously saving for retirement now so that hopefully we can both retire by the time I'm 55. If I get to retire at 55, it will make working my tail off worthwhile (or at the very least a bit more bearable). LOL. At the rate the stock market is going, though, I may not be able to retire at all.

Kidding aside, do check out Getaway Easy Travel. Even if you don't book the 2008 halloween poker cruise, if you end up booking some other trip that will help me out considerably!

Astronomical Zoo at LAPO

2007-12-03T10:28:00.000-06:00

Lake Afton Public Observatory will feature the program "Astronomical Zoo" from 7:30-10:00 PM on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 7-8. Explore the strange and wonderful as we view clouds of gas, star clusters, galaxies and other amazing objects that make up our universe. Admission is $3 for adults, $2 for children ages 6-12 and free for children under the age of 6. LAPO is located 20 miles southwest of downtown Wichita at MacArthur Road (39th Street South) and 247th Street West in Lake Afton County Park. It is immediately North of the lake, just off MacArthur Road.

For more information, call (316) 978-3191 or email observatory@wichita.edu.

Participate in the Local Culture

2007-10-28T20:15:00.000-05:00

There usually lots of free activities going on around town. Immerse yourself in the local culture. Last Friday Brian and I decided to check out the Final Fridays art crawl. As the name suggests, the event happens monthly on the last Friday of every month. Many art galleries and craft shops participate throughout Wichita. For a sense of what it's like, click here.

Besides Final Fridays, there are a plethora of events in Wichita. There's usually something for everyone. Your town probably has a calendar of events similar to this one. There will usually be several events that are free to the public throughout the month. Invite your partner to check out some of these events for a fun day or night of cultural enrichment.

Stay Home for Movie Night

2007-10-16T22:34:00.000-05:00

Here's another cheap date idea. Stay home for movie night. With Netflix you don't even have to go to the video stores anymore. You can just have the movies sent directly to you.

Brian and I really enjoy this a lot. We even used to take our featherbed to the family room so we could lay in front of the big TV all night. Anyway, this is a great low-cost date idea. Can be romantic too, depending on what movie you are watching and how you set the mood.

Picnic at the Park

2007-10-14T02:39:00.001-05:00

Having a picnic is perhaps one of the most basic low cost date ideas. The afternoons in the fall is a great time to do this because it's not so hot outside. With the changing colors of the foliage, the scenery is beautiful and can be very romantic also.

You can make sandwiches or buy pre-made food and snacks. We like to bring sparkling red grape or sparkling apple cider. It's entirely up to you on what you want to bring. The idea here is to spend quality time with your loved one in a nice, peaceful setting at little to no cost. Select a secluded spot or, at least, a quiet one. Enjoy your time together.