Five Fun, Romantic and Inexpensive Dates

or so they say. Sometimes it's true, sometimes it isn't but when you're trying to impress a member of the opposite sex, it applies more often than not. Whether you're thinking about a first date or you've been married for 25 years...the planning and preparation count for far more than the money spent.

a game of frisbee. Or checkers. Or cribbage. It doesn't really matter as long as it's something that you both enjoy. Bring a book and read aloud: poetry, fiction, humor, it doesn't really matter. Find a quiet park, bring a blanket and pack a picnic -- it doesn't have to be elaborate, just show a little thought. Perhaps peanut butter and jelly -- on pretty plates with linen napkins. Cold fried chicken from KFC -- on china. Even a gourmet meal or something sweet. Make it unique. Make it something special.

Make it fun and make your date the center of your world for a little while.

A quiet walk by a lake. Through a park. On the beach. Conversation can bring you close and it's the shared experience and being together that counts, even sharing the trail with other people can't get in the way when you concentrate on your date and she (or he) knows that they have your complete attention. Listen and share and tune out everyone else. There's nothing more attractive than feeling like you're the center of someone's world, even if it's just for a little while.

Plan your day around a theme -- maybe a return to childhood: a trip to the zoo, followed by a stop at a playground and then finish by going out for ice cream.

Take your date out for an afternoon of kite flying. Fresh air, sunshine, a warm breeze and a brightly-colored kite soaring in the sky -- all of it exhilarating and, what's more, fun.

Do a little research -- you'll be surprised at how many free concerts in the park you can find. Theater festivals sponsored by local community theater groups and college drama departments. Museums. Fairs and festivals. There's a lot out there, if you just take the time to look for it and much of it is either free or very reasonably priced. Treat your date...and yourself...to some of these wonderful opportunities and enjoy some music or theater under the stars on a warm summer night.

Oh, the possiblities....