By Melanie Heimburg & Amy Crelly

These days it seems like everyone is budgeting, looking for ways to save, and reigning in their urge to splurge, but that’s no reason to skimp on date nights! We’ve got plenty of on-the-cheap ways to keep the romance alive, and long after all things bright-red and heart-shaped have disappeared from the store aisles.

1. Learning is for Lovers.
If a traditional date night seems pricey (dinner + movie + dessert = big dough!), take advantage of a free museum day. February 7th marks Sacramento’s 11th Annual Museum Day, with free admission to twenty-six local hot spots, but many museums offer regular free admittance days throughout the year. The Crocker Art Museum in Downtown Sacramento welcomes patrons in for free every single Sunday. Give your lover a meaningful glance as you stroll hand-in-hand past the nudes, debate the latest exhibit, or laugh at your least-favorites over coffee afterwards.

2. I Heart Art! ...And Music! ...And Food!
Second Saturday is a local favorite for cheap daters in-the-know. Besides free peeks at new art, Second Saturdays offer the chance to sample all kinds of live music—from jazz to indie rock to live DJs of every stripe—and all for free (or incredibly cheap), thanks to the Midtown art galleries, coffee shops, restaurants, clubs, and boutiques that host local bands. Bonus: a lot of places (great party hosts that they are) also offer free refreshments. Visit 2nd-sat.com to find out more.

3. There's Something About Cooking.
Call it Breakfast at Tiffany's, without the bling. Lots of local places offer fun, one-time cooking classes that are perfect for foodie couples. William Sonoma, Whole Foods, Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op and Nugget Markets regularly offer demos and classes that will have your kitchen hot in no time, and at free or great rates. Try it! And if you like it, our local city colleges offer semester-long cooking programs for just $20 per unit, per semester.

4. Cheers! Here’s to Romance!
Placerville is the new Napa Valley. It’s true! There are lovely wineries just up the hill that offer complimentary tasting during hours that will fit any schedule, in scenic locations to help set the mood. Boeger, Madrona and Conti Estate all offer complimentary tasting 11am-5pm daily. (Just remember to make safe arrangements for transportation.)

5. Passion to the People!
Volunteering for a cause you both care about is a great way to reconnect. Head to HandsOnSacto.org to find a local volunteer opportunity that’s juuust right. You could plant trees together in North Sacramento, work side-by-side on a Habitat for Humanity project, or share warm thoughts while serving warm meals at the Sacramento Food Bank. What a great way to bond with your best friend!

6. Put a Little Sugar in Your Bowl.
Skip dinner. Skip the movie. Head straight for dessert. Rick’s Dessert Diner (on K, near 23rd in Midtown) serves up European and American desserts, made from scratch daily at their retro-inspired diner. All their cakes, tortes, mousse tarts, pies and pastries are sold by the slice (and what a big slice it is!) at a very reasonable price. Also worth an extra workout: the dessert case at the Tower Café (on Broadway next to the Tower Theater in Sacramento), which is legendary for a reason. And when the weather heats up, their outdoor seating area, with its splashing fountain, soft lighting and super lush greenery, is one of the most intimate and relaxing places to linger with someone you love.

7. Let's Get Physical.
What's free, gorgeous and all over Greater Sacramento? The myriad of wonderful hiking, biking, running, walking and getting-your-move-on options that sit just beyond your backyard fence! Consistently beautiful weather lets us lucky Sacramentans get our gams pumping year-round, so take advantage of that river-front hiking path, or bike trail to Old Town (and then call your North-Eastern friends who have been snowed in all week to brag, of course). In addition to getting those endorphins flowing (hello, instant mood elevator!), you can go at any rate, any pace and any level together.