Don't get me wrong, I love fancy dinners and extravagant outings the same as the next girl. I love going out to restaurants, or out for the night. I also love day and weekend trips that we can take together to the beach or the city. These types of dates are the ones we are used to, the kind of things we think about when we hear the term "dates". We have seen it in movies, tv, and books our whole lives, as well as see it projected across social media. The thing is, dates don't have to always have to cost a lot of money to do, they can be simpler, yet still, show one's love and devotion towards another.

Simpler dates take the focus off the date and put it back on the relationship and then people in the said relationship. They include the simpler things, such as making dinner together or for the other, having a movie night in, packing a picnic, going on a hike or walk, or just doing some homework together when you are both slammed with work. None of these dates are the traditional ones many think of, but they can sometimes be better than ones we think of first.

When you take out all the clutter, that time then becomes more a focus on the two of you in the relationship, instead of the date itself. When it focuses more on the person or couple, than little things one does makes it all the more special. Making a meal you know they love, giving them a shoulder massage while they tirelessly study, or cleaning and putting on their favorite movie with a snack really show them you care, at half the price. One doesn't need to constantly show affection through how much they spend on you, instead, they show it in their actions and words and just the fact that they overall are thinking about you.

Maybe I'm a sap, but I just feel more loved and appreciated when others show how much love me through actions and words that show they know me and who I am and love that person. That can easily be done without spending a whole lot of money or going out to a nice restaurant. All dates have the potential to be fun and bonding, but sometimes all one needs is a simple date that just shows the caring and love couples have for each other.