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Overview
Spring in Brisbane is a pretty great time to dial up the romance. The scent of summer is starting to drift through the air, and the days are getting longer, meaning more sunlight hours for planning a few stellar dates. But as is the age-old dilemma of being a young city-dweller, it's your budget that can hold you back when it comes to the planning. Dating can be pricy, but you obviously don't have to take out a bank loan to show someone you care; there are plenty of wallet-friendly activities to do in Brissie. To give you a little inspiration refresh this spring, we've teamed up with RACQ — who offer some pretty sweet deals, giving members access to top activities on the cheap — to put together five great date ideas for under 50 bucks, so you can spend some quality time with your person and still pay rent.
AN OLD SCHOOL BOOGIE
Brisbane's beloved Lefty's Old Time Musicall Hall hosts movers and shakers of all ages within their western saloon-style interiors. On Fridays and Saturdays, Lefty's is generally packed to the rafters, so head here during the week for slightly more relaxed vibes and excellent, 'old-timey' live music. Also, with a few less people, there's more room to practice your honky tonk, square dancin' skills. If you need a little liquid confidence to get you going, try a couple of Lefty's famous whisky and apple cocktails — the secret's in the apple, freshly juiced upon order.
Once you and your date have worked up an appetite after all that dancing, treat yourselves to something delicious from the Southern American-inspired menu. Share some spicy buffalo wings, try the fried pickles with smoked habanero hot sauce and see who can eat the most bacon-wrapped padron pepper poppers. And if you're after something a little heartier, order the quarter pounder cheeseburger for only $14 a pop, or one of the barbecue po'boys for $12. A night of eatin', drinkin' and good ol' fashion dancin', sorted.
POP CULTURE PUTT PUTT
There's nothing wrong with adding a little friendly competition to the mix to spice up your date, so challenge them to a round of pop culture putt putt at Holey Moley, an inner city mini golf bar — yep, mini golf bar. Have a drink while you putt through a game of nine holes for only $16.50 per player, where each hole comes cleverly themed around your favourite pop culture references. As you putt your way through The Simpson's living room and up to the nine-iron throne, why not make things a bit more interesting by playing each other to see who shouts the first round of drinks? The bar has a clever selection of punny cocktails to choose from like the Teeyoncé Holes and Tee-quila Mocking Birdie. Hit up Holey Moley for a date night like no other. You and your date are bound to have a tee-lightful night out. (Sorry.)
Image: Lucas Dawson.
$20 THEATRE TICKETS
Break away from the typical 'dinner and a movie', and change up your next date with a night at the theatre. Brisbane's theatre scene is brimming with talent, and there's always something guaranteed to inspire at Queensland Theatre. At first thought, seeing a play may sound a little out of your price range, but not to worry, there is such a thing as $20 theatre tickets. Members of RACQ can access this cheap ticket deal with QT any time, plus, after you've reserved those tickets, you're left with an extra $10 to spend at a cheeky pre-theatre happy hour at one of the many West End establishments.
FREE COMEDY
Who doesn't love a good laugh, especially when it's brought on by some free comedy. Every Friday evening, the Powerhouse hosts Knock Off Comedy from 6pm, welcoming various comedians, all making funnies for you at zero cost. It's an excellent cheap date night idea that also offers an opportune moment to see if your date's humour matches your own — because those who laugh together, stay together, right? And since you still have $50 to spend thanks to this freebie, you can now afford to enjoy a few Friday bevs overlooking one of Brisbane's best river views after the show. A total win/win.
CHEAP EATS
Whatever your date night plans are, it's inevitable a meal of some sort will be included — because who doesn't love food? Getting to know each other over great eats is a classic, but unfortunately when you're on a tight budget, eating out takes a noticeable chunk out of our back pocket. Cheap eats hot spots are great, but sometimes you want to up the ante with something a bit more special, which is where the Catch-22 of wanting to splash out on a meal, but not having the funds to do so comes in. With RACQ Dining Rewards, you can get 10% cash back on your Visa from a selection of restaurants around Brisbane. There are hundreds of culinary options to choose from, so even the pickiest of dates will find something to their liking. Some of our picks? Look to Sassafras — they're also dog-friendly — The Euro, Urbane and Lock'N'Load.
Want more date ideas? RACQ offers members a huge selection of deals from those cheaper eats to a slew of festivals to scaling the Story Bridge and more. Check out their full offering here.