18 Cheap Halloween Date Ideas That Make Staying Home Special

We have learned that some of our favorite date nights don’t happen at fancy restaurants or bars. They happen when two people decide to spend time together and change up an ordinary night so it feels different from every other night. Halloween creates the perfect opportunity because you already have an excuse to decorate, dress up, and have fun without spending money.

Making your own Halloween decorations, wearing silly costumes, cooking your favorite Halloween treat, or watching scary movies feels different than your typical Tuesday night at home. You don’t need to spend money to have a good time if you get creative and use things you already own.

If you need cheap Halloween date ideas at home, these are just a few inexpensive things you can do to turn your living room into a place you want to spend quality time. Whether you like romantic activities or fun silly games, you can use Halloween as an excuse to reconnect with your partner without spending too much money.

18 Cheap Halloween Date Ideas

1. Have a Halloween Movie Marathon

Watching movies is one of the easiest date ideas for couples. However, you can make watching movies at home feel more like a special event. Decide on two or three movies you want to watch, prepare some inexpensive snacks, turn down the lights, grab your softest blankets, and cozy up together.

Pick movies from a variety of categories and enjoy different types of Halloween fun. You can start with a genuinely scary movie and then try something funny. Finish strong with a romantic or nostalgic Halloween classic. Whoever gets scared can hide behind the other person the entire time.

Cheap movie theater snacks don’t need to cost a lot of money. Popcorn, homemade nachos, candy, hot chocolate, or whatever else you have in your kitchen will work. You’re not trying to recreate the movie theater experience at home.

Create a cozy movie night atmosphere that gives you both something to enjoy together.

2. Cook a Spooky Dinner Together

Cooking can be romantic if you let it be. Stop treating it like another nightly task and have fun with it. Make silly Halloween themed meals together and turn cooking into a chance to spend quality time with your partner.

Pizza can be rearranged into little monsters, sandwiches turned into ghosts, pasta made black and orange, and everyday meals turned into silly Halloween creations with funny names.

Look in your kitchen first and base the meal around what you already have. Try to challenge each other to create a meal using ONLY ingredients from inside the house. Then cook together and judge each other’s masterpiece.

Play some Halloween music while you cook. Pour each other cute Halloween themed drinks and enjoy each other’s company. Don’t forget to write down the recipe so you can have it again next year.

3. Create a DIY Halloween Decoration Challenge

Skip the expensive Halloween decorations and make some of your own. Set a time limit and compete to see who can make the funniest, creepiest, grossest Halloween decoration using items already around the house.

Use old paper, cardboard, egg cartons, staples, tape, markers, and anything else you can think of. Make paper bats to hang on the wall, create cardboard ghosts, turn old bed sheets into creepy hangings, and even make a silly Halloween centerpiece for your dinner table.

Try to one up each other without taking it too seriously. Vote on who made the best Halloween decoration and let the winner choose the next activity or course of the night.

Who says you can’t have contests on dates? The prizes don’t need to cost anything. Awarding the winner the right to choose something means they feel involved and like they have control over the night.

4. Have a Halloween Dessert Bake Off

Turn dessert time into a friendly competition. Grab ingredients you already have to make a basic dessert and add a Halloween twist.

Cookies, cupcakes, brownies, pancakes, or even a simple fruit dessert can all work for this Halloween themed challenge. Split the dessert ingredients evenly and decorate however you want.

One person can try to make the funniest Halloween dessert while the other person tries to make the scariest. You can even grade each other on how impressive it looks. If you’re both talented bakers, this adds an extra layer of difficulty because your skills can produce awful results.

Sit down with your desserts and honestly critique each other’s creations. Who made the best dessert? You can grade based on looks, creativity, flavor, or originality. This inexpensive couples activity will give you hours of fun.

5. Dress Up In Costumes Using Clothes You Already Own

You do not need to go to the store and buy expensive Halloween costumes. Challenge each other to create a full costume from clothes you already have in your closet.

You could dress as a favorite movie duo, switch styles, exaggerate your current style, or completely make up a ridiculous costume neither of you would ever wear.

Only give yourselves 10 15 minutes to create your costume. Whoever takes the longest loses and has to sit through every scary movie you watch like a huge baby.

Take pictures of each other in your costumes. Do this especially if you ended up looking ridiculous. You do not have to post them on social media. You can simply use them to remember the silly times you had with each other.

You’ll appreciate looking back on them more than you would realizing you spent money on another store bought costume.

6. Have a Couples Halloween Trivia Night

Challenge each other with some Halloween themed trivia you make up on the spot. Try to think of trivia questions about Halloween movies, holiday traditions, scary stories, music, famous Halloween icons, fictional monsters, or even random facts about pumpkins.

Write each question down on scraps of paper, or simply take turns trying to remember fun things you know the other person will not know.

Try to make the questions personal to each other. Ask things like “What Halloween costume would my partner dress up as if they didn’t have to worry about what others thought?” or “What scary movie would my partner watch if they were home alone?”

These types of questions lead to more interesting conversations than simple Halloween trivia will.

Keep score if you want the competition to be fierce, but don’t let winning become the goal of the date. Create silly prizes that let the winner pick their favorite activity, dessert, or next course.

Things like “have to cook me breakfast tomorrow” or “loser has to do ____” are fun because of the memories you create, not because of the activity itself.

7. Make a Blanket Fort and Have a Date Inside

Playing in a blanket fort when you were little was fun. Being in a fort with your spouse on a Halloween date can be even more fun.

Use chairs, couch cushions, blankets, pillows, or anything else you can think of to build your blanket fort. Build your fort in the living room so you have plenty of space inside.

Turn off the overhead lights and see what lamps or flashlights you have to provide ambiance. Bring your snacks and drinks into the fort with you and relax.

You can still watch movies in the fort, or try talking, listening to music, or simply relaxing with each other.

Leave the fort up after your date. It costs nothing and instantly changes your living space so it doesn’t feel like your typical night at home.

8. Try a Halloween Couples Question Game

Asking each other questions is one of the cheapest date ideas because it allows you both to talk and learn more about each other. Create a list of questions before the date or make them up as you go.

Start off with light silly questions. Once you both feel comfortable, move onto harder, more personal questions.

Ask each other things like “What is my biggest Halloween candy guilty pleasure?” or “What holiday reminds you of our relationship?” Take your time answering questions and enjoy hearing what your significant other has to say.

If they say something that triggers another question, ask it! You never know what memories you can dig up when you let yourself talk and be vulnerable with each other.

9. Make Your Own Halloween Cocktail/mocktails

You can have a fun drink night without buying expensive Halloween cocktails. Use random juices, sodas, food coloring, candy, syrups, tea, or whatever else you have to make unique Halloween drinks.

Name each drink something cute and make a menu of your drinks for the night. Normal coffee mugs can become fancy if you decorate the table and drink creatively.

Use unique glasses, add ice, or slice up random fruits to make simple drinks feel like a masterpiece. You can even turn it into a drinking game where each person makes the other person a drink without telling them what’s in it.

Try to guess the ingredients in each drink after you’re done tasting it. You’ll be surprised how fun and cheap this couples drink night can be.

10. Have a Halloween Scavenger Hunt Around the House

Scavenger hunts don’t require money. You need a pencil, paper, and a lot of imagination. Hide notes around the house for your partner to find and try to make each clue lead somewhere else.

You can make the scavenger hunt as easy or hard for your partner as you want. The final clue can lead to anything from snacks, a handwritten note, a gift you already had laying around, or even lead into another activity for the night.

Be creative with your clues and make them as personal as you want. One clue can lead your partner to your pantry where you hide all your favorite snacks. Another clue can lead to their favorite hoodie you always say gives them ninja like qualities when they wear it.

If you want to make your partner smile, hide compliments around the house for them to find. Instead of every clue just leading to the next place, leave reasons why you love your partner or remember shared funny memories.

Turning a normal game into an opportunity to remind your significant other how loved they are is priceless.

11. Recreate Your First Date at Home

Spending more time together doesn’t always mean going out and doing something you’ve never done before. If you and your partner have been together for a while, try recreating your first date.

Think about what you did on your first date. Where did you eat? What did you talk about? What made that day special for you two? Now recreate as much of that day as possible with what you have at home.

Don’t worry if you can’t recreate every detail. Remembering what made that day special to you both and revisiting those memories is what’s important.

Cook the same meal, listen to music you both enjoyed back then, dress how you felt comfortable dressing, and talk about all the memories you can remember from that time period.

This is also a great time to talk about where your relationship has gone since that day. What did you notice about each other? What surprised you? What did you envision your relationship being years down the road? Talk about what you loved about your partner on your first date and see if you still feel the same way.

12. Have a Spooky Story Night

Turn off all the lights so it’s nice and dark. Get cozy and spend some time telling each other scary stories.

Stories can be fictional, non fictional, random stories you make up, or actual scary stories you look up online. Don’t be afraid to take turns screaming at each other. You’ll feel so much closer after listening to your partner tell you they farted and watched their stomach explode in a horror movie.

Make up a rule that each person gets five minutes to tell their story. The listener cannot interrupt until their time is up.

Another idea is to make up silly challenges to see who can come up with the scariest story. Throw three random objects in the middle of the room and each of you has to incorporate all three objects in your story.

You could even look up random Halloween stories online and take turns reading them to each other. This date idea is cheap because you probably already have everything you need to complete it.

Grab some random pillows or blankets to cuddle with and spend some quality time listening to each other’s scary adventures.

13. Create a Halloween Playlist Together

Music can set the tone for any activity you do. Spend part of your night making a Halloween themed playlist you can both enjoy.

Add songs that make you think of Halloween, songs you both enjoy listening to, feel nostalgic about, want to dance to, or are romantic.

Don’t be afraid to take turns adding songs to the playlist. You can even create different sections such as “song to start the night,” “dance songs,” “song to cook to,” “song to cuddle to,” and “songs that remind me of you.”

Once you’re done, make a playlist, actually listen to it. Dance around the living room, cook dinner to it, or cuddle up and listen to the tunes you both picked together.

Building a playlist as a couple creates personality to your night instead of you both passively pressing play on a random Spotify playlist.

14. Have a Living Room Dance Party

You don’t need expensive alcohol, a club, or a night out to enjoy dancing with your significant other. Rearrange your furniture enough so you two have space, throw on your favorite music, and dance away.

Pick songs that will make you two laugh and be ridiculous. Once you get tired of dancing to fun songs, turn on some slow music and allow each other to make out.

If you’re both up for it, teach each other dance moves or look up dance tutorials online and try to follow along.

The point of dancing with your partner is to let loose and have fun. Don’t take the dance “moves” you come up with too seriously and enjoy laughing at yourselves.

Dancing is also great because it allows you two to be physically close. Spending time touching each other and dancing will create a bond that watching TV or doing an activity alone can’t reproduce.

15. Make a Halloween Memory Jar

Grab any old jar you have and cut up small pieces of paper. Throughout the night, you and your partner can write down memories, compliments, reasons why you enjoy being with your partner, or things that happened that you want to remember.

You can also write down things you hope to do as a couple, places you want to visit together, foods you want to try, or activities you want to complete before the next Halloween rolls around.

Take turns reading what you’ve written in the jar that night. You can save it and open it a couple of months from now or make this an annual Halloween tradition with your partner.

Making a memory jar is a great way to keep your date budget friendly but give you guys something to look forward to in the future.

16. Have a Halloween Photo Shoot at Home

Both of you don’t need to be professional photographers to capture memories on Halloween. Use your phones and set up a mini photo shoot in your home.

Pick a corner of your room and use it as your background. Grab your silly Halloween costumes or use them as props, and take turns taking photos of each other.

Don’t try to take perfect pictures. In fact, some of the worst pictures you take will end up becoming your favorites later. Why? Because when you look at them, you’ll remember how you felt that night and how stupid you both looked taking them.

17. Play Classic Games With a Halloween Theme

Dig up any board games, card games, puzzles, or simple games you own and give them a Halloween theme. Make up silly rules that each time someone loses they have to….

If you don’t have any games at home, you can make up your own. Try playing Charades, drawing games, guessing games, 20 questions, or would you rather? There are a million versions of these classic games you can find when searching online.

Halloween is the perfect holiday to spice up classic games. Get creative and have fun with the games you choose.

You can also build in relationship wins or losses. If someone loses, they have to “compliment the heck out of” their significant other for a minute. Let the winner choose the next snack, make the loser tell them an embarrassing story, or answer a slightly deeper question your partner already wants to know.

Just make sure any relationship challenges you give each other are respectful and don’t ruin the playful competition you’ve created.

18. End Your Night With a Halloween Wind Down

After all you’ve been through together that night, spend some time winding down with each other. Dim the lights by using safe candles or lower lighting if you have it, turn on some relaxing music, grab a blanket, and cuddle up next to each other.

Talk about your favorite part of the night or ask your partner what they enjoyed most. Find out what they would change for next year and create ideas on how you can improve your Halloween date night next year.

Thank your partner for spending the night with you and tell them why you’re excited to spend more Halloweens with them.

Ending your date night with quiet time together is okay. Sometimes trying to fill every second with activity takes away from the time you can spend enjoying each other’s company.

How to Make a Cheap Halloween Date Feel More Special

Cheap and budget friendly date ideas do not have to mean your date feels inexpensive. There is a difference. A date should always be intentional no matter how much money you spend.

When you take the time to plan out things you BOTH will enjoy and spend your night laughing, talking, learning about each other, or creating memories, your date will seem way more expensive than it actually was.

Remember the five senses when planning your Halloween night. Change up your surroundings by adding lighting, play fun music, cook or order each of your favorite foods, and be physically comfortable with each other.

You don’t even have to buy new decorations. Move your furniture around, pull some blankets off the couch and make a blanket nest on your floor, and turn snacks into a fancy appetizer tray by using candles and plates you already own.

Trying new activities that force you to be creative with each other is also a great way to spend a Halloween night.

Don’t feel obligated to try every single idea on this list. Pick three or four that you both will enjoy and build your night around those activities.

Maybe you want to start off cooking a yummy dinner, then transition into playing Halloween themed trivia, watch a movie from inside your blanket fort, and end the night by making a memory jar.

Creating a nice flow to your night will help you both enjoy spending time with each other instead of running around trying to do everything.

How to Plan the Perfect Halloween Date at Home

First things first, what type of mood do you want to set? If you want a romantic night, try cooking together, building a nice music playlist, great conversation, and make sure you two are physically comfortable.

If you want a fun and playful night, pick activities that let you two be silly like wearing costumes, playing games, going on a scavenger hunt, or having a dessert competition.

Both of you enjoy watching scary movies? Plan your night around horror films, scary story contests, and darkening your home so it looks spooky.

Once you figure out what type of Halloween night you want, go through your house and see what you already have. You would be surprised at how many random things you have that can become part of your Halloween date night.

Lastly, surprise your significant other with something. You don’t have to spend money to be thoughtful. Leave your partner a cute note, cook their favorite snack, make a playlist just for them, or hide compliments around the house for them to find later.

Little things your partner knows you thought about during your date will mean more to them than spending money on something that doesn’t include a sentimental value.

How Much Should You Spend on a Cheap Halloween Date?

Similar to planning the perfect night, you shouldn’t spend a set amount of money. Trick or treating around the house looking for things you already own can cost you absolutely nothing.

The most you may spend is on food, drinks, or buying a few decorations you can reuse next year. Set a budget that you’re BOTH comfortable spending before your Halloween date night starts.

If you only have $10 to spend that night, you spend it all on making a delicious dinner and dessert. Don’t feel like you need to buy Halloween themed sprinkles to cover your pancakes in. Adding Halloween themed shapes to the food you cook will suffice.

The biggest thing to remember is once you set your budget, stop thinking about how much things cost. Focus on making your partner have the best time of their life that night.

Trust me when I say your partner will remember how you made them feel over what you spent that night any day.

Conclusion

Dates at home can be the best! Don’t feel like you HAVE to go somewhere to have a good time. You’re with your partner, the significant other you want to spend your life with. Anything you can think of doing together will be awesome!

Cooking, building blanket forts, taking silly pictures, dressing up, and watching Halloween themed movies are the type of moments you’ll look back on years from now and wish you spent more time doing.

At home date nights allow you both to be creative with each other and spend time enjoying each other’s company. Want to spend your Halloween night in? Here are 15 cheap date night ideas you can do from the comfort of your own home.

Don’t try to buy your way into creating a memorable night. Pinterest has millions of budget friendly ideas on how you can spend Halloween with your significant other.

I recommend taking bits and pieces from multiple articles and adding it together to create your perfect night.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are cheap Halloween date ideas at home?

Some ideas include having a Halloween movie marathon, cooking a spooky dinner, creating DIY Halloween decorations, dressing up using clothes you already own, Halloween themed trivia, building a blanket fort, and playing a question game with each other.

How can I make my Halloween date at home romantic?

Create a good atmosphere and pay attention to each other. Put lighting somewhere it pops, cook or order each of your favorite foods, lower the main lights and turn on a nice relaxing playlist, and make sure you’re both comfortable.

What can couples do together for Halloween for free?

Couples can watch movies, make costumes from clothes in their closets, build their own decorations, play games, tell scary stories, dance to music, make a playlist together, take goofy pictures, or simply talk.

What should I cook on a cheap Halloween date?

You could cook anything as long as it’s something you both enjoy eating. Pizza, pasta, sandwiches, pancakes, cookies, brownies, popcorn are great cheap foods to buy and add a Halloween twist to.

How do you make staying home feel like a real date?

Make your typical night at home different. Change your normal attire and dress up for your date. Clean off the kitchen counter and set up food nicely. Hide candies up and around your house when your date arrives so they have to search for them.

Are staying at home for Halloween good for new couples?

At home dates are great for new couples because they allow you two to talk and learn more about each other. Just don’t pick activities that make either of you uncomfortable.

You can still cook together, play games, watch movies, and enjoy conversation like you would at any other place you go on a date.

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18 Cheap Halloween Date Ideas That Make Staying Home Feel Special