Most of my readers know that I am single. I live in Provo, Utah, where the dating culture is, quite frankly, terrifying. Because there is always so much pressure to ask people on dates and come up with date ideas, it can get to the point that people just stop doing it at all.

For anyone in any part of the world who is a bit strapped for cash but wants to go on a fun date with your significant other, here are ___ ideas for you.

1. Learn how to dance

Pull out your laptop, open YouTube, and search for a dance tutorial. There are thousands of them in every kind of dance possible. If you want to learn cha-cha, salsa, waltz, tango, swing, etc, having a partner is essential, so what better time than a date? Move the couch or table out of the way, set up the laptop for all to see (or play it on your TV if you have one of those fancy kind) and then just have fun! You will be surprised at how much fun learning to dance can be, especially for the first 10 minutes when you are stepping on each other’s toes! Then, once you’ve got it down, just turn on some dance music and see how much you can remember!

2. Make a blanket fort

Reminisce on your childhoods and swap stories with each other as you honor the age-old tradition of pretending that blankets and pillows are your castle. Try to see how big of a fort you can make! Can you make a fort big enough to stand in? Once the fort is done, bring in your laptop or tablet, turn on some of your favorite childhood cartoons, and pour a bowl of cereal. Or, just play some of your favorite board/card games!

3. Star gaze

This one might need to be reserved for a second or third date, but it’s always a good option. Just grab a blanket and maybe some snacks from around the house. If you have a car, drive out of the city. If not, just head out to a park. Lay out the blanket and see if you can spot any constellations! If you have a smartphone you can download some very cool apps that will show you exactly where they are and give you some interesting information about the sky. If you’re lucky, you might even see some shooting stars!

4. Make “trash art”

Collect any garbage you have laying around your house. These could be paper towel rolls, news papers, paper plates, water bottles, anything. Now try to make some “modern art” out of it. If you don’t think trash can be art, just remember that modern artists have sold urinals to museums. One guy just peed on some metal sheets and called it art. So turn those candy wrappers into little birds and have some fun with it!

5. Visit a pet store

Almost all pet stores will let you play with the puppies and kittens they have for sale. If you walk in pretending to be a young couple who is in love who wants to get a pet together (and maybe you are), they will totally let you play with the animals in the hopes that you buy one. So have fun! I’m more of a puppy guy myself, but I’m sure they’d let you play with the rabbits or hamsters or any other pet you may want to mess around with.