Dating

These are the most fun affordable winter dates

By Sophie Rietmulder | #!31Fri, 15 Dec 2023 15:15:39 +0100+01:003931#31Fri, 15 Dec 2023 15:15:39 +0100+01:00-3Europe\/Amsterdam3131Europe\/Amsterdam202331 15pm31pm-31Fri, 15 Dec 2023 15:15:39 +0100+01:003Europe\/Amsterdam3131Europe\/Amsterdam2023312023Fri, 15 Dec 2023 15:15:39 +01001531512pmFriday=9#!31Fri, 15 Dec 2023 15:15:39 +0100+01:00Europe\/Amsterdam12#12-15-2023#!31Fri, 15 Dec 2023 15:15:39 +0100+01:003931#\/31Fri, 15 Dec 2023 15:15:39 +0100+01:00-3Europe\/Amsterdam3131Europe\/Amsterdam202331#!31Fri, 15 Dec 2023 15:15:39 +0100+01:00Europe\/Amsterdam12#

I don't know about you, but I've shot through my Christmas budget like an idiot. My money is now literally where I can see it: under the tree. It's all fun, of course, that I can surprise all the people I love this year with nice gifts, but somewhere I forgot that I also deserve a cozy December. That's why I've been looking for the coziest affordable winter dates that I've put on a very clichéd ‘December bucket list’, so that even those with the smallest budget can enjoy cozy Christmas activities.

A Christmas movie marathon
How nice is it to snuggle under the blankets with your favorite cheesy Christmas movies? Buy some cinema snacks yourself (I'm a big fan of salty popcorn with M&M's mixed in), make it cozy, and enjoy classics like Home Alone or Elf, or just go through the whole list of corny Hallmark films, who cares.

Baking cookies
Or something else Christmasy. By now you know that I love to suggest this, but I absolutely do not burn my fingers (literally and figuratively) on anything related to baking. In that case, you can put your partner to work while you play chef-spatula licker; also a very important task.

Visit a Christmas market
I LOVE Christmas markets. Cozy music, lights, glühwein, and stalls selling all sorts of junk you don't need but feel you must have. I can't get enough of them. If all goes well, there should be plenty of Christmas markets near you in the coming period where you can just walk to, but you can also venture to the larger Christmas markets in the country for a very cozy day out.

Go ice skating
Can we do it? No. Do we do it to ourselves every year again? Absolutely. A date at a festive ice rink sounds super cozy in theory, but in practice, it's mostly a lot of slipping around and you spend the afternoon in a kind of survival mode to avoid falling. The hot chocolate at the end of the afternoon is the best reward ever, and if you're lucky, you might even get a nice Instagram post out of it. What more could you want?

Have a game night
As a girlfriend of a game lover, I have to believe in this from time to time, and I must admit: this is quite cozy. If you, like me, have already tuned out by the third sentence of the explanation, go for games that everyone already knows, like Monopoly or 30 Seconds if you're with a larger group. Pour your favorite drink, make sure there are enough snacks, and play some Mariah Carey in the background, and you have the recipe for a very nice evening.

Have a pajama party
Okay, this might be more fun with your girlfriends, but try convincing your date to have a sleepover. Consider this your permission to put on your pajamas at 4 PM and pull out everything Christmas-related from the closet. Make a Christmas playlist, stock up on drinks and snacks, and enjoy your favorite Christmas movies until you (probably due to a sugar crash) fall asleep.

Decorate your home
How romantic is it to decorate the Christmas tree together? At least, for some couples this ends immediately in a divorce, but not for you of course. Bring Mariah back (she's so busy this season, that girl) and pull your Christmas decorations out of the dust. Regardless of whether this is your first Christmas together or not, decorating together will make the holidays all the more special. Pro tip: buy a Christmas ornament that reminds you of each other so you can create new memories and traditions together.