Love on a budget

Don't let your love life feel the crunch. We have ways to recession-proof your dates, and help you impress for less

Money can't buy you love, but it helps. Those early months with a new bloke are full of pricey temptations, from posh knickers to last-minute Eurostar tickets.

But with all this talk of recession and the credit crunch, you may want to tighten the purse strings. The good news is that the best dates don't cost the earth. In fact, a lack of cash can improve a date. There's less worry about who pays, and less pressure for everything to be perfect. You can relax and let things unfold.

So if you're watching the pennies but don't want to scrimp on romance, here are a few pocket-friendly alternatives.

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Eating out

Big-money version: Book a table at this month's celeb-fave restaurant. Bill: a week's wages.

Credit crunch version: Show off your culinary skills and turn the lights down low.

Go for modest but quality ingredients: pasta or rice with homemade pesto, and ice-cream for afters, costs next to nothing; you can get decent wine for under a fiver. If all goes well, you'll soon be chewing each other's faces off.
Price of love: £10-20 for ingredients.

Art for art's sake

Big-money version: The latest exhibition by a world-famous artist. Tickets for the Rothko exhibition at London's Tate Modern are £12.50 each.

Credit crunch version: A wander round your free local art gallery. The UK is home to thousands of free museums and galleries, from local history centres to Tate Modern.

Also, sign up for gallery mailing lists, and you may get free invitations to exhibition openings, with free champagne!
Price of love: Free admission; a couple of quid for coffee in the cafe.

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