Manchester dating on the cheap

Oh the days of dating in sixth form. Either you had a job and therefore SO MUCH FREE CASH you could lavishly spend on cinema trips and Frankie and Benny’s (the height of sophistication) or you saw each other every day at school and at that age, that seemed like enough.

Then student life hits with bills and normal meals (well, kind of) to pay for, leaving no room for meals out and even an Orange Wednesday is pushing the boat out. Plus you’re an adult now attempting to form a mature relationship so apparently it’s not acceptable to mong in the living room in your matching onesies. With this in mind, The Tab brings you some top tips for dating on a student budget in Manchester. Some sensible, some not so much.

Sainsbury’s basics picnic

Gone are the day of family picnics of sandwiches, a homemade cake and lotsa lemonade (plus you know your parents were blatantly swigging gin from their thermoses). Roll on the cocktail sausages and questionable scotch eggs. If you want to add a bit of danger go Whitworth Park in the dark. Because that’s safe….

Manchester Christmas market

A semi-sensible suggestion here and seasonally appropriate. Just don’t be tempted to buy anything (£1 quid for a macaroon, you must be joking!) or go on a Saturday evening. It’s a bloody nightmare.

Recreate the lady and the tramp

All it takes is a lil’ bit of spaghetti and meatballs (you can even skip the meatballs if that’s too much). Though, it never quite works out as well as you think it will……

Themed movie night

Don’t lie, everyone has a pair of legwarmers lying forgotten in a draw from a misguided night of freshers. Just whip out a copy of Fame and you’re good to go.

Library

Let’s not lie, revision has to fit in at some point. Multi-tasking to the max- make use of the stylish Library Cafe

Waiting for a study partner

The gym

Kill two birds with one stone and shift those pounds you put on from stress eating cake during assignments and spend quality time either getting to know someone or with your loved one. Plus if they still love you when you’re sweaty, you know you’re onto a winner.

“Work out with me?”

Visit an art gallery

It doesn’t matter if you don’t ‘get it’, all your friends will think you’re a cultural couple. Not quite so good for a first date though. The awkward silences are massively emphasized.

We don’t get it either

Night out

Because nothing says romance like a kebab and a tactical chunder. Although please, for the love of god, don’t reduce yourself to the level of BOP.

Romance isn’t dead