It’s the season of love, heart shaped chocolates and cute date nights, but there’s just one problem…You’re absolutely broke. Not to worry! I’ve decided to put together a list of my favourite free, or seriously cheap date night suggestions around Manchester for you to take and impress your significant other, crush or just your gal pals because, as the wise Leslie Knope once said: “Ovaries before brovaries”… I’ve sorted the list into 3 categories: ‘Free, Fun and Foodie’ for you to take your fancy from so please, read on!
If you’re on a serious budget, you really can’t really get cheaper than free. The city has some great museums, galleries and parks to offer. Platt Fields Park is the perfect place for a stroll if you aren’t afraid of the cold (and rain- lets be honest it’s Manchester) plus it’s close to Uni and Fallowfield, so easy to get to. The Whitworth Gallery and Manchester Museum are also right by Uni and both free entry. I won’t lie, I mainly enjoy them for their great cafes (which are unfortunately not free) however I’m sure their art and history are also top notch!
My favourite category! Because Manchester is super #edgy there are a ton of cool places to take your date for a fun night out on the town. My favourite; Junkyard mini golf. For some reason there’s something really satisfying about letting your competitive side get the better of you by hitting a tiny ball with a stupidly thin stick, and luckily for us students, the place is half price on Mondays and Tuesdays with our Uni ID! Just take a look at their website to see their amazing courses, which have literally been made from junkyard scrap pieces. Ugh, so edgy.
Second on the list is Dog Bowl. Always a classic, bowling is made even better here with an array of great cocktails to enjoy while you battle out the bowl, and some musical classics to accompany you. Sign up for a ‘Dog Tag’ and get 50% of bowling and 25% off food (always!) as a student, as well as drink offers. What’s not to love!
I had to include this, even though it isn’t necessarily a ‘budget’ idea because it’s just so cool. The ‘Wash house’ Manchester looks like your classic Laundrette, but with a simple phone dial and a pass through a hidden door, you suddenly enter an undercover, intimate bar. The cocktails are more on the pricey side, but this place is the perfect for a one off if you want to put a bit of a ‘spin’ on the classic drinks date. (Pardon the pun).
If you want to stick closer to campus, check out the bars and pubs nearby which always have great deals for students. The SU also have food and drink deals throughout the week, including ‘Veggie Mondays’- offering half price off for all vegetarian food, (Yep, including fries!) or half price pizzas on Saturdays.