Cheap Date Ideas in Singapore

In Asia, it’s unusual for the man not to pay. That can be tough for students or NS men or serial daters.
Here I share my list of cheap date ideas, from $0 to $150. And why not, for a change, girls take men out on a date!

And because there is a pill for everything except conversation starters, these ideas are great for first dates to avoid awkward silence. Thease ideas, by the way are not restricted to heterosexual couples or a duo for that matter.

1) Social Painting

has been in trend lately. Despite its name, social painting is actually rather anti-social. It’s a fantastic date idea when words are few!  If you aren’t too creative, do a bit of a research before the big date. You can pre-empt your date what you’ll be doing so she/he can prepare. Alternatively, prepare an image you two can paint together! That counters the fact that it is anti-social. A slight bump here and there, it’s very intimate painting in such close proximity without turning her off on a first date by intruding personal space!

You can paint him a picture and he can paint you a picture, otherwise paint individually and there’ll be plenty to discuss after over a cuppa!

I go to Arteatisque at Mandarin Gallery. Monday nights are Romantic Nights, so 2 for 1. $60 for a 3-hour session (at 3 fixed timings), with free yummy drinks each. Call to enquire: 6235 8705

2) Jurong Water Slide Public Pool

is still around, I hope. A knock-off defunct Fantasy Island and pricey Wild Wild Wet, this is a public pool with good enough water slides, a wave pool and even a lazy river in Jurong East (near Chinese Garden MRT). Just 80 cents for entry and $3 for the float, this is value-for-fun. Besides, you get to see each other's hot bods?

3) Ice Skating

is a group activity i often do in disguise of getting up close with my crush during school days. When i was young and shy, where boys should woo girls, i didn't let my crush know of my feelings. Ice-skating was a fantastic way to break the ice, pardon the pun.

My crush at 14 happened to be a better skater than i am, so he took my hand and spun me round and round. Thankfully, gloves were a must, otherwise he would have detected my sweaty palms with that pounding heart! Last year, prices have increased to $17 for 2 hours including skate rental. Bring socks and gloves on your own.

4) Cooking Steamboat

is a dining suggestion. Often, a date includes some chow. In Singapore, it's almost inevitably a movie and dinner. That's 2 hours of silence and 1 hour of conversation. If you think your date is likely to be a good conversationalist, lengthen the chow time! Even if there won't be interesting conversations, your hands will be kept busy with peeling prawns and watching food cook, there'll be no awkward silence.

Home-made steamboat.

My favourite steamboat place is The Magic of ChongQing Hot Pot ($40 per person). Much more affordable by J Pot with a wider choice of variety. It is after all a first date, so take your date to a fancier one than the ones along the street of Bugis.


Cooking steamboat together is a good gauge of seeing her domestic or submissive side (wife material). It is also a chance to see him care for the lady, making sure she is well-fed.

5) Lawrys 
is also another pricer dining suggestion but it's well worth the price for its ambience and food. It is also the only experiential restaurant that i know of in Singapore. My favourite place to celebrate birthdays, you get 50% off the 2nd main, and 1 free if you dine in 3. You also get a strawberry shortcake with candle as well as 1 instant print Polaroid. Main courses start at $69.


Located in Mandarin Gallery, the ambience is cosy and a hot spot to reserve is by the windows where you look down at the street lights of Orchard.

Only 1 Polaroid is free. Pay $5 to get more.

It is an experiential restaurant because the ladies are dressed in 1950s English maid uniforms (mild role play?haha.), your meats come in a solid steel carving cart by your table and your salad comes in a spinning bowl with a mini dance. Take the beef (not steaks), that's what Lawry's famous for. A California cut is more than enough for an Asian stomach. Order the cream spinach too!

6) Farm Hopping
is a low cost date idea out of the norm but you'll need a car. Located in Lim Chu Kang, there are a host of farms to hop about. Milk goats at the goat farm, get tickled by fish at a fraction of what Kenko Fish spa charges at the fish farms and buy some organic vegetables for mum!

None that i know of charges an admission free, you just need to get a car and locate the farms yourself! Kranji Countryside Association may be of help. No car? Try car rentals! 

7) Museums & Science Center
are often neglected as a date idea. This would also be an opportunity to see if there are similar interests, or at least an open mind to explore one parties' interest.With 2 new museums in Singapore at Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World, that's new date ideas! With Singapore promoting education, museums admission prices are relatively cheap.

8) Suntec Fairs

is never thought as a date idea. There're IT fairs, travel fairs, food fairs, health fairs and the likes often held in Suntec or Expo. A favourite past time of the older crowd because admission is mostly free, with free sampling and freebies. This is the cheapest of the cheap date ideas. Choose the fairs wisely though, IT and travel fairs are the most crowded and i doubt there'll be free sampling and freebies. Nestle's Health & You was one where the crowds got to consume free coffee, cornflakes, milo. There were also plenty of activity booths for memorable photos!

 9) 3 Monkeys

an affordable show if you can't afford the Esplanade. Found in Holland Village, Kumar, my favourite local comedian do stand-up comedies every Friday and Saturday. For $25, you get a drink and a 90 minute show. A date should always have laughter. Be warned though, Kumar's humour is crass, crude and explicit. Do not bring prudes! Good to make reservations at 6469 1338.

Always plan dates (make reservations) but don’t let the other party know you planned (it sounds too eager)! I know it sounds contradictory; unfortunately that’s how the game goes! Besides, it’s nice when your date is truly sincere and shows thought without you knowing beforehand they planned.

From Zero to Hero, who says money is everything?