But as a college student and young professional, it can be quite expensive going on elaborate dates out of town and eating at 5-star restaurants every weekend. So instead of sucking your bank account dry, here are 10 fun date ideas that you can partake in during the last few weeks of summer.

Idea #1: Chill out by the pool and grill out

Eating out as a couple can get expensive very quickly, but food plus conversation is a classic date night idea for any season. Instead of spending a ton of money eating out, cook your favorite meal at home for half of the price with bae. Or better yet try a brand-new recipe that you been eye-balling on Pinterest for a bit of an adventurous date night experience. My favorite meals are when Titi and I hang out by the pool and grill some of our favorite meats. The meat tastes phenomenal, and I get to tan a little while he does all of the manly work of cooking on the grill.  

Idea #2: Take a day trip to another city near you

As we all know, traveling is my bread and butter. I literally love traveling, but unfortunately the cost of traveling far away can sometimes put a damper in my travel dreams. If you’re like me right now and need to ball on a budget, take a day trip to another city that’s close to you, something within a short driving distance away. Plan to wake up early, drive an hour or two, and enjoy your surrounding areas with bae. You don’t need to plan the entire day out like a traditional traveling experience but go with the flow and see where you land up at. Those are always the best adventures!

Idea #3: Go to an outdoor movie theater

The perfect summer evening is a night out at an outdoor movie theater. I know that sounds a little old school, but it’s actually really fun. Grab some snacks and drinks and head to the closest theater near you. The way that outdoor movie theaters work is that you actually sit inside your car and tune in to the movie station via the radio. You can also sit outside of your car or on the bed of your truck and turn up the volume of the radio. Either way you can be super comfortable in your own space while watching a classic or new movie out on the yard.

Idea #4: Float down the river

I’m literally adding two tubs to my Amazon cart right now because I am that excited about floating down the river this summer with bae. It looks like a ton of fun while also being very relaxing on the water. Just imagine a waterproof speaker, a couple of drinks, and the sun beating down as you float down the river and the wind blows through your hair. Bliss is what it sounds like. Am I right?

The only catch is that not every river near you is going to allow you free float down the river so just make sure it is allowed before you plan a surprise date event. You may have to go with a tour guide or pay for an excursion.

Idea #5: Attend a music festival

For most people, music holds a very special connection to them. Music can take you anywhere that you want to go. So, attending a music festival filled with your favorite OG artists and some new artists is the perfect summer date idea for you and your loved one. Lucky for Titi and I, a lot of artists stop hereby either in our city of Columbia or a drive away in Charlotte. We get some of the coolest events that come through, which are great if we are feeling a music-filled evening. Check out Eventbrite or Ticketmaster to see who’s coming on tour near you.

Idea #6: Visit a winery or brewery

Obviously for this one, you and your partner need to be of legal drinking age, but if you both are, this is a great summer date night idea! You may have to drive a little bit out of your town to get to a winery or brewery, but it’s a great date that can last all day if you want it too. Titi and I have gone to a few breweries during our travels, in-state and out-of-state. It’s a lot of fun tasting the different drinks and learning about the history of the company. Plus, you can either bring your own food for a picnic dinner or eat food at the location.

Date #7: Go old-school with a picnic dinner

A picnic dinner in the park is the perfect date for a summer evening and it’s super easy to do! Cook your favorite meal at home, pack it up, and head over to the park with your favorite blanket with some rosé. To make it even better, surprise your significant other with a picnic date at sunset during the summer time. It’ll be romantic and magical at the same time. Titi has done this for me before and I still remember it years later.

Date #8: Wake up early and attend a local market

Every Saturday morning, Soda City has this fabulous farmer’s market that is held on Main Street, and it’s one of my favorite things to do during the summer time. You can easily pick up your favorite fruits and veggies for the week while also shopping some of the other local vendors. Plus, this date is a 2 for 1 because you can take the items that you bought home and make a dinner for two out of it. It’s a win-win in my book!

Date #9: Roast some marshmallows over a fire pit 

Remember as a kid when you used to make s’mores or roast marshmallows over the fire pit and it was the best thing ever? Relive that memory now as an adult with your significant other. You get to have a tasty dessert and get a relaxing evening chatting with bae about anything and everything.

Date #10: Go on a bike ride

Going for a bike ride is the chilliest summer date idea! It’s such a classic date idea for couples that want to be active and want to enjoy each other’s company.  A bike ride could mean a simple ride on the boardwalk or a more active ride through the mountains. If you don’t own a bike, don’t fret! A lot of cities are starting to get new pop-up companies that allow you to rent bikes for a few hours in the middle of the city. That way you can ride a bike for cheap and return it when you’re done with it.

What are some of your favorite budget-friendly date ideas? Or what is one date idea that you want to use from this post?

You may also like: A Weekend at the Duke Mansion, 3-Day Weekend Itinerary in Asheville NC, and 8 Tips to Dating a Collegiate Athlete 

The post 10 Fun Date Ideas for A Summer Evening appeared first on Uniquely Mickie.

You’re his number one cheerleader.

Literally, you should be his biggest fan and you should let him know that you’re here for the sport, that he’s been obsessed with since he was a child. His sport is a big part of his life and in due time, it slowly becomes a big part of yours. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, it would definitely be best to show your man or woman that you care about him or her and that you want to learn more about the sport. Learning about the sport doesn’t just intel the rules, it can mean the different teams, the pro players that he looks up to, and what the gear or equipment is used for.

My boyfriend is Ncincilili Titi, a sprinter for the University of South Carolina for the 100m, 200m, and the 4x400m. Before anyone asks, yes that is how you spell my boyfriend’s name and he’s from South Africa. I’m still learning everything that I can about track, but my boyfriend really appreciates it when I just sit and listen. Which segways into the next tip…

Listen, but don’t nag on the results of the race or game.

After a brutal loss or a flat time, your guy will more than likely be upset, maybe a little moody, and just wants to talk about the game and his frustrations. Let the boy talk and keep your ears wide open! You’ll learn so much about the game and about him just by listening to him during these fragile times. Stay away from nagging or critiquing the game until he’s up for it. It’s kind of like don’t kick him when he;s down but pick him back up. This is the perfect time to do that.

Memorize his schedule.

Athletes are super busy between going to 8 AM classes to eating lunch then to practice or weight room. Then when they get some free time, they have to do homework, study, and go to bed. Between all of that day in and day out, it can start to feel like there’s just not enough time for you. But I promise you there is! You just have to memorize his schedule and see where there are gaps in both of your schedules to hang out. With my boyfriend, we used to eat lunch together on campus between our classes and his practice time. We would also study together, which can actually be pretty cool if you can stray away from being distracted.

You won’t be there for everything and its okay.

Being the girlfriend or boyfriend of a collegiate athlete, there is a lot of pressure on you to always be at the games or meets to show support for the team and your baby. But your world doesn’t revolve around their sport nor does their schedule revolve around your work/ class schedule. It’s not meant to be that way either. You’ll have to miss some events and that’s okay. When this happens, I always try to find another way to either be able to see the meets or tweet stalk on the team’s twitter feed to stay up to date. Titi will typically either get his teammates to record his races to send them to me or I’ll watch the meets online.

Welcome to the team family!

If you didn’t guess this one, then I’m not sure what you thought being a girlfriend or boyfriend of an athlete would be like. But you automatically become a part of the team dynamic and family, which is actually really cool. It’s like multiplying your friends by….just a lot.

You wind up with a stock load of campus gear for free.

There is so many extra clothes, gear, and shoes that Titi is given all year around by the school. It’s ridiculous, but I’m totally not mad at it because I get to have a bunch of comfy campus gear that is the perfect baggy fit for free. So if you love tshirts for “you’re going to class” daily outfit, then welcome aboard girl because you won’t ever repeat a shirt again, I promise. The only funny part is that regular classmates or students probably think that I myself am a collegiate athlete when I am definitely not because I wear so many Carolina athletic gear. But it’s totally fine!

Dating a Collegiate athlete isn’t the same as dating a high school star.

Many people believe that dating a collegiate athlete is the same as dating the high school football star. It’s totally different! Collegiate athletes are dedicated athletes that are literally on scholarships or getting paid to play sports for their college. So they aren’t just playing their respective sport for the fun of it. It’s basically their job that feeds, houses them, and gives them an education. Don’t forget that they are also extremely talented and driven individuals who were chosen over other individuals to play. It’s actually pretty incredible seeing athletes go pro and knowing that you were just sitting in class with them last semester in Chemistry. But that’s the lifestyle or should I say goal for a collegiate athlete is to go to the professional league. So forgive me when I say, it won’t be a perfect movie scene where your athlete runs off the field after the winning touchdown to give you a smothering kiss and carries you off the field like in Cinderella.

Athletes are a special breed.

To be able to work out daily, strive to do better, and push themselves to the max, that’s a special breed called an athlete. They analyze the game or race to get better for the next time or they change their diet to improve their health or change their workout routine to improve one aspect of their figure. It’s a tough life to live, but the reward is so amazing. I used to play in sports in high school and the feeling of the game was incredible, but I didn’t have it in me to keep playing in college. It just wasn’t me. I applaud all of the athletes out there in whatever sport they choose. What they put their mind, body, and soul through to be a better athlete is something you can’t describe in words. You just have to watch them play or run to really appreciate all of the efforts that go into it.

Dating an athlete has definitely made me learn a lot of lessons that I hopefully was able to outline in this post for you to help you with dating a collegiate athlete. But I don’t recommend dating any collegiate athlete just because they are campus celebrities and a lot of them can have big egos. So when you’re choosing who you want to date, pick wisely and think about your decision, because a boy is a boy and a girl is a girl no matter what they do for a living. You still want to find that person that makes you fall in love and that pushes you to be a better person overall.

If you liked this post, please share and leave a comment below so that I know this post helped you or someone that you know!

Have you ever dated a collegiate athlete or are you currently dating one? What are your experiences?

The post 8 Tips to Dating A Collegiate Athlete As A Fellow College Student appeared first on Uniquely Mickie.