Dates are usually daunting if you are cash-strapped. So what do you do when you are low on budget and due for that hot date? Innovate and be interesting, without your wallet coming into the picture. Nature provides many idyllic and romantic settings perfect for a first date. Just make sure your date is equally green-minded and doesn't mind a bug or two - carry repellents with you - and also pre-inform your date to dress for the outdoors lest they land up in ridiculous footwear! And if

If you're a bird, I'm a bird

So okay, Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams weren't playing ornithologist on the beach in "The Notebook". But with that one sentence, Ryan Gosling a-bombed every woman's insides into goo! If morning is your middle name - then this is one hobby that you can bank upon to take your first date to. Think of it; the nip of the early morning hour, the quietness of the woods and the cosiness of being on a nature-treated date! Who knows what you might get to see?

Row, row, row your boat

We're back to Ryan and Rachel from "The Notebook" again. The boat ride and the scorching kiss that follows is etched into many a heart. Plenty of lakes and streams dotting your topography? Then a day out in the water, replete with a picnic lunch could really tilt the odds in your favour! You can hire a paddleboat or a rowboat pretty cheap, let the yacht be for another time...

Trek freak

So think hiking movie scenes and what comes up are horror and gore. So instead of movies try taking inspiration from real-life reel couples aka the once hot Henry Cavill and Kaley Cuoco who were spotted trekking up and down the LA hills - they spilt but don't blame the trek for it. A slightly arduous trek, or even an easy one - gets that blood pumping and is a good way to bond amidst greener pastures! Make sure the weather is conducive, carry enough food, water and shelter and ensure that you do know the route - getting lost on your first date may mean no more dates!

To the stars

Remember Shane West and Mandy Moore and the naming of the star scene in "A Walk to Remember" - it may be teeny-bopperish when it comes to the actors but the scene was beautiful. Sounds very clichéd, but a blanket spread in the middle of a park, a small picnic and your eyes pointed heavenwards can work magic, even if you haven't named the star after her. Stars spell romance in capital letters - so while it may be clichéd, why not give it a try - you might just fall under a cosmic spell.

Find some fungi

There's actually a movie out there, "Now, Forager" and the tagline reads love and fungi! Mushrooms and truffles proving hard to fit in your budget? Forage for some and make a date out of it. Combing through the woods for edible fungi can be great fun and exhilarating. Just be sure to carry a guidebook of sorts, so that the edible ones are easily identifiable from the poisonous ones.

A picnic

Remember Ben Affleck walking animal crackers over Liv Tyler's rather delectable body in "Armageddon"? Goofy romantic but oh-so-touching! A lake-side locale, a basket full of home-cooked goodies, a bottle of home-brewed wine or lemonade, some fruit and a comfy blanket accompanied with soft music - the ideal setting for a cosy picnic will leave your date asking for more, and you wallet still feeling full. You can also choose a night-time setting and get a fire going to cosy-up by.

Raining on your parade?

Where do we start? With the argumentative scene of "The Notebook" that ends in a well, passionate kiss in the rain? Or Reese WitherSpoon running to Josh Lucas in the rain and well, yes, another passionate kiss in "Sweet Home Alabama". So make the best of it - grab the wellingtons and the raincoats and head out in the rain - the streets will be empty as will the parks - so take an invigorating walk that opens your senses to the beauty of nature. A steaming cup of coffee or soup will drive the chill away and make for a memorable day.