76. FREE Coffee Bean Ice Blended Drinks

Boy, am I feelin' the latte love this week!
After you're done getting your BOGO (buy one, get one) coffee at Peet's Coffee (download coupon from Cheap Date Idea #73), pick up your FREE drink at Coffee Bean & Teal Leaf (CBTL) TOMORROW afternoon. This offer is only good for one day, Thursday, January 14th, 4-7 PM (click HERE for more info, no coupon required). No date is required for this offer, but why go solo when it's one drink free per person?

If you don't like one of the two Ice Blended flavors, they are also offering a free cafe mocha.

Pin It Up.
Originally uploaded by love-letters

By the way, all Coffee Beans offer FREE Wi-Fi, so bring your laptops, if you two are techies. I do have to admit that it's a smart marketing move to force a 10-minute coffee break every 2 hours. It's still not a bad deal, plus it gives a leg up on Starbucks.

I suggesting hitting the Coffee Beans in Manhattan Beach or Hermosa Beach since those locations are only a block or two away from the beach. While you're at the beach, check out other date ideas in those areas, such as Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach (click on hyperlink or pull-down menu bar above). The MB store has a a good-sized covered patio area if you prefer outdoor seating, while the one in HB offers more tables upstairs. There is a parking structure with cheap meters right behind the CBTL in MB (2-hour limit, 75 cents per hour). Street parking (not metered) in the Hermosa neighborhoods about 2 blocks is free right now during off-peak season until May (double check the street signs when you park).

If you miss out on this freebie, check out Cheap Date Idea #73 before it expires on Monday, January 18th (Martin Luther King's Day). Enjoy!

UPDATE 03/01/10: Come back again for a free drink on Thursday, March 4th, 4-7 PM, for their Spring Peach Tea Party. Enjoy the Peach FruTea or Spring Peach Tea Latte (hot or cold). Click HERE for info, but no coupon is required.


UPDATE 05/09/10: Enjoy a FREE Ultimate Ice Blended drink at a participating CBTL near you on Tuesday, May 11th, at 4-7 PM (click HERE for details). Thanks to Savings Cents with Sense! If you miss that or you want to go on another coffee date, Starbucks is still offering their happy hour: 1/2 off Frappuccinos at 3-5 PM daily until May 19th, so it's like a BOGO deal. Enjoy.

Approximate cost of creative date idea = FREE.
Actual value of the cheap date idea = $7.
Kiss & Tell Date Idea by @FreeFunGuides

60. 20 Questions or All About Us

Attention: DIY date idea for bookworms, romantics, and shy types!

"All About Us" is something to do on a rainy (or sunny) day at the comfort of your own home, actually it's DIY (do-it-yourself) anytime anywhere except for a first date. This book makes it not only easier, but also more interesting, than the game we all know, "20 Questions", especially for the bashful types. You might surprise yourself and learn a new thing or two about your partner. Consider this a casual way to document your relationship, even if you have been married for years! Reminisce and laugh over good old times or perhaps realize that there are a few things that you two have been meaning to do or want to do.

Don't feel pressured to fill out every single page at one sitting (or a single date). Have fun with it: light a fire place at home or head to the local park, pour 2 cups of hot cocoa, and break out a pen.  Jump on the current sale, less than 10 bucks online (click HERE). FYI, the book was published 10 years ago and about half of reviewers rated it 5 out of 5 stars. Buy it now, use it right away or save it for a rainy day or better yet, Valentine's Day is around the corner (hint hint).

Approximate cost of creative date idea = $9.32.

Actual value of the cheap date idea = Priceless.

5. Paint Pottery in Your Pajamas

the princess and the pig
Originally uploaded by Christina Krantz

Skip the messy pumpkin carving and stay in your pajamas, then head to Color Me Mine. At the Manhattan Beach studio, they have PJ Nights, where you save 50% off the studio fee on Saturday nights (open til 9 PM). So that's only $10 for a couple, plus the cost of the pre-maid pottery piece (as low as $4 each). The studio has a wide selection, including cookie jars, coffee mugs, piggy banks, and your favorite animals and characters, such as Dumbo the Elephant. The meters in the parking structure below Color Me Mine is less expensive than those on the streets (note that meters stop at 8 PM in Manhattan Beach). Make one for each other as a keepsake and don't forget to sign and date it!

UPDATE 12/04/09: No more Saturday PJ Nights, but there is 2-for-1 Special on Tuesdays or $4 pp on Sundays after 5 PM!

Approximate cost of creative date idea = $5 per person + $4 or more for pottery.
Actual value of the cheap date idea = $30 Total.
Click here for map

3. Pumpkins = Yummy Treat

Our First Jack-o-lantern
Originally uploaded by 365 Cheap Dates

This is your chance to be creative AND spontaneous... Surprise your partner by taking him/her to a pumpkin patch to select your pumpkin (one is ideal for teamwork). After the "lobotomy" (as my significant other called it), start roasting the seeds, so that the this tasty treat will be ready when the real fun starts (carving, that is). Here's a trick for you: To help separate the pulp, the seeds will float to the top in a bowl of water. Also, boil the seeds for 10 minutes prior to baking for a toasty finish. Being my first time, I tried an easy recipe from the Food Network (salt, pepper, and garlic powder) with a longer bake time. Why not share the fun? Invite friends over for a friendly contest of pumpkin carving. Make sure to proudly display your pumpkin to show off to friends and family. Better yet, take a photo of your masterpiece! 10 Days and counting...

Approximate cost of cheap date idea = $4.
Actual value of the cheap date idea = Priceless.