A lighter wallet is no excuse to turn date night into a luxury. Get out of your sweatpants, put down the cold pizza, and check out these 15 budget-friendly date ideas that will get you off the couch and into each other's arms.

1. Don those matching aprons. Fire up the skillet for a night of cooking -- for the both of you. Learn how to cook each other's favorite meal and then do it together. Whether you end up with a delicious steak and tuna casserole for two, or speed-dialing for Chinese takeout, you're guaranteed to enjoy the process.

2. Get on thin ice. Depending on the weather, head to an indoor or outdoor ice-skating rink -- it's the perfect excuse to hold hands, "accidentally" fall on top of each other, and grab a cup of hot chocolate and cozy up to each other to keep warm.

3. Head to the bookstore. Walk through the aisles together, showing each other your favorite books and bonding over the books you both hated.

4. Bowl him over at the bowling alley. Psych him out by reminding him of how many gross people wore his shoes before him, and don't forget to program his sugary-sweet nickname ("muffin-face") onto the computerized scoreboard instead of his real name.

5. Show him your rugged side and build something together. Ask him to help you build something like a coffee table or dresser for your place -- he'll be psyched that you asked him, just as long as you can bite your tongue when the table he puts together falls apart the moment you set your cup of coffee down.

6. Head over to a local car dealership. Ask him about his fantasy cars and he'll probably talk your ear off. Head over to a local car dealership and test-drive the most expensive car they'll let you take out of the parking lot. Take turns with the wheel the resist the urge to nitpick each other's driving skills.

7. Indulge your sweet tooth with your sweetie. Visit a chocolate or cookie factory. Do a quick Yahoo! search to see if there are any in your area, and give them a call to see if they do tours. If they only do group tours, make it a group date and invite a few other couples.

8. Play 20 Questions. Whether you've been together for three weeks or three years, there are probably things you don't know about each other. Sit down next to each and write down 20 questions each about the other person -- make sure they're open-ended so you don't get boring one-word answers -- and fire away. Take turns answering each of your questions and get to know each other a little better than you already do.

9. Put on your walking shoes and head to the museum. Almost all museums have one day a week where you can get in for free or for a small suggested donation. Pick the exhibits you each want to see beforehand, and spend some time in each of them together.

10. Take a class together. Sign up for a class in something neither of you know how to do. Community schools generally offer a ton of options for classes you can take in eight-week sessions, from cooking to karate.

11. Support local musicians. Wherever you live, chances are there are a ton of local bands dying for an audience. Check out Upcoming.org for bands in your area and check out a show. Alternate with your guy on who gets to pick the band that weekend so that you both get a chance to check out your favorite music genres.

12. Celebrate the first snow of winter with a day of sledding. Pick a hilly spot in your town and use garbage can lids as makeshift sleds. Wear a bike helmet to up the dorky fun factor, and celebrate living through the experience with a cup of hot cocoa.

13. Help your community. Bummed that you can't afford a week-long vacation with your man? Put things in perspective and sign up for volunteer together for a cause you both care about. TiVo Gossip Girl and sign up to work at a soup kitchen once a week, or cuddle up with lovable cats and dogs at your local animal shelter.

14. Share hobbies. You can knit holiday sweaters like nobody's business. Your man is a Guitar Hero rockstar. It's great to have separate hobbies, but it's also fun to share. Pick a weekend to teach each other your hobbies, and serenade him with a guitar solo while he knits you a pair of mittens.

15. Attend an open mic night. Grab a cup of coffee and check out a local coffee shop's open mic night. You might luck out with a great show, or you may find a mixed bag of angsty guitar solos and bad poetry -- either way, you'll have something to talk (or laugh) about on the way home.