Date night is around the corner! Want to elevate your dating game to the next level? Sure, you could do a dinner and movie night — but that’s old news! You might want to make date night stand out and unforgettable.
Whether you’re on a first date or celebrating your 10-year anniversary, add a little spice to date night by hitting up your local thrift shop. Taking your date and exploring pre-loved goods might be the perfect vibe that could make for an unforgettable night — after all, second-hand goods need love too!
Check out this list of thrifty date ideas and check out our socials to let us know what kind of thrifting adventure you would take your date on.
Build outfits for each other
Is there anything better than scouring aisles and flipping tags searching for those perfect gems? How about uncovering perfect treasures for that perfect someone?
This type of thrift shop date is simple: go to a thrift shop together and build outfits for each other. If it’s a first date, you might want to build an outfit that’s going to look outstanding. It might even be better if you picked out the pieces together to make sure you’re listening to what each other likes. After all, you’re going to want your date to feel fantastic once they come out of that dressing room.
But if you’ve been with this person for a while, the game can get a little more interesting — like with an outfit you know they would never choose to wear. Whether it’s pieces you think are going help your special someone expand their wardrobe horizons or pieces you know will pull a laugh from you and your partner, this can be a fun way to get each other to feel good while also ribbing each other a little (and just a little, don’t get mean with your picks).
And if you’re especially brave, add this stipulation: you have to wear the outfits you picked for each other to the next part of your date.
Make it a movie night
For those of us who remember Blockbuster, an essential part of a movie night date was going out together to pick out what you were going to watch. And those trips to the video rental shop were sometimes the highlight of the night. Rummaging through rows of videos, getting lost in genre sections, and picking treats to snack on made for amazing snuggle and bonding time.
From blockbuster hits to indie-cult gems, thrift shops have no shortage of DVDs and VHS (some even have LaserDisc!) to explore and compile for a stellar movie marathon. This kind of begs the question: are thrift shops the new movie rental shops?
Pick out some must-reads for each other
Let’s be real, digging through stacks of books with a date is less about the books themselves and more about the experiences you’ve had with what you read. Because, as all readers know, from character deaths to major battles and blossoming romances, getting deep into a book is like living a whole other life to share with others.
The conversations you can have about and recommending books can help foster that deep bond you want to have with someone you’re dating. After all, it’s like Nick Hornby wrote, “Books, records, films—these things matter.” Why? It’s just one connecting point we have with each other that can build a strong relationship.
Record Roulette
Do you ever buy a record based only off its cover? You’ve never heard a single track, you don’t know the artist, and (if you’re especially nerdy about music) you don’t even know the record label — but you go for it! Sometimes the plunge pays off and you bring home a new favourite. But sometimes, when you drop the needle on the vinyl, you don’t know how to react to what you’re hearing.
This is a fun game we like to call record roulette — and yes, it can make for an amazing date night. This is where you and your date go pick records solely off the covers (just the covers, no cheating by knowing what’s on the album!) that make each other laugh or pique each other’s curiosities. Then bring those records home, pop them on the turntable, and talk about what you’re hearing.
Thrift store vinyl records often go for around $1, so there’s very little money risk to taking a chance on unknown albums that can feel like they’re from an alternate dimension. And who knows — maybe you’ll stumble upon a seriously collectable and rare gem.
Let’s keep the conversation going! What thrift date are you excited to try? Have any other thrift shop date ideas you want to share? Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to share your thoughts about thrift shop dates.