Summer for a college student looks nothing like the movies make it out to be.

There are very few college students who get to spend the entire break with their S/O living it up on a beach or on an exotic vacation or anything else you might see in a romantic comedy. The majority of college students don't have that privilege but instead spend the entire break working.

So what do you do if you still want to go on enjoyable dates without having to spend the little money you have? Believe it or not, you can have fun without spending a ton of money. With my experience, low-budget dates have always ended up being more enjoyable anyway.

1. Go to local festivals

You'd be surprised how much fun you can have walking around your town festival, art show, or carnival. You don't have to be interested in what's being presented at a show to have fun, if anything, it is awesome to see what the people around you have been doing in their spare time.

2. Visit well-known coffee shops

The actual coffee is only 50 percent of the experience. Sitting at a coffee shop is the perfect place to relax and catch up.

3. Fly a kite

Why don't people do this more often? And why aren't people doing this in romantic movies?

4. Watch each other's home-movies

 

There's no better way to get to know your S/O than watching their embarrassing experiences caught on camera.

5. Take each other to the places you frequently visited as a child

This could be an ice cream shop or a park, either way, it is fun to see where your S/O spend time as a child. Go on a tour of their childhood.

6. Make a life list

A life list could be anything from the things you want to do to the people you want to be as you age. Future-planning is a great way to learn what values you both have in common.

7. Go to a drive-in movie

Vintage and romantic.

8. Go hiking

Visit a state park or local trail and get connected with nature!

9. Go to a shelter and pet the animals

Even if you can't afford to adopt, it's still nice to give the animals a little love.

10. Stay at home and cook your favorite foods

This could become a little pricey, but in general it is way cheaper to eat at home, and much more enjoyable to cook with your S/O

It seems impossible to have fun without spending money, but if you think outside the box just a little bit, you may end up having more fun than you would on expensive dates.