Don’t let poverty ruin your love life anymore. Here are some date ideas from fellow Sacramento State students that should help with those money woes.

Everyone knows that dating is hard work. How do you meet people? What do you wear? Even more dreaded is making the decision of where to go or what to do on that first date. What’s even worse, you are low on funds. What do you do? Swear-off dating until you have the appropriate funds? That’s fine, if you don’t plan on dating in college. The trick is to find inexpensive activities.

In order to gather information I walked around the beautiful Sac State campus and asked you, the students, what kind of things you enjoyed doing on dates, and what suggestions you had for your fellow starving students. Everyone seemed to be able to come up with at least one idea.

When asked what you wanted to do on dates, some of you answered with “do something.” No one wants to just sit around and stare at each other across the table. The difference in activity doesn’t matter, just as long as you are active.

The popular answer on campus seemed to be a picnic. Jose Madrigal, a Spanish major, suggests taking a picnic to the park, while Megan Overmyer, Marketing, suggests picking up deli sandwiches and taking them to the river. For a night-time twist, Kelle Collier, Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS), says to try taking a drive to a vista point with a bottle of wine, turn on the music and dance in the light of the headlights.

Another idea is to do something seasonal. Lisa Beauchene, FACS, suggests carving a pumpkin for Halloween, driving around to look at the Christmas lights or going to a fair. With snow on the way, Eric Ferrara, Computer Science, suggests innertubing in the mountains. Other examples of seasonal ideas are: Hot August Nights in Reno, visiting Apple Hill in Fall, and of course, floating down the American River on a blazing summer day.

For those who seek more action on their date, do something physical. Mey Saechal, undecided, suggests playing a sports game, sort of a one-on-one. Guys listen, you are not trying to sack Brett Favre or Rich Gannon, be gentle. Crystal Fitch, FACS, recommends ice-skating, roller-skating, or rock climbing. About the rock climbing, should you choose to do this on a date, please have experience, don’t just show up with a rope and expect us to climb a rock. Kim Beman, Communication Studies, says to try the driving range or miniature golf.

Lisa Beauchene also suggests taking a dance lesson in ballroom, swing, or salsa. When you want to have a more laid back approach to dating, Clinton Harrell, Business Administration, recommends going to one of the cafes downtown, or taking a walk around the Capital. Devin Clardy, Communication Studies, suggests the rarely used, but quite fabulous idea of the lunch date, going to play on the playground is also a fun option. Monica Ramos suggests something at home, such as making breakfast for a date idea. While Kaytie Sproul, Communication Studies, suggests grabbing cup of coffee and walking around downtown.

For those die hard penny pinchers in the crowd, I have a few ideas for you too. Try shot gunning a twelve-pack of cheap beer, and sliding down a levy on a cardboard box, of course watch out for cars. You could dress up for Halloween and go out trick’r’treating, let someone else pay for the food. Jose Madrigal says to take your date to Costco for the free samples. Who says all the good ones are taken?

Having said all that, when does being cheap cross the line? Is it ok to use a coupon on a date?

Crystal Fitch said it would be okay as long as her date was up front about it. Jack Arroyo, Communication Studies, said he would be to embarrassed, “she would think you wouldn’t take care of her.”

Dawn Siracusa, Communication Studies, has a better idea to cut the cost, she suggests going dutch, “they work hard too, why should they have to blow it all?”

After all this it should be evident that the amount of money spent on the date is inconsequential, what will be remembered is how you acted, so be nice to the servers, turn of that cell phone, try one of these suggestions and smile. You will do just fine.