You can meet the love of your life anywhere; online, in a shop, through a friend… We even had one couple meet through the GalaBingo.com chat forum who are now happily engaged!

Unfortunately, finding the love of your life can be expensive – our recent survey found that it costs single Brits around £40 to go on a date, with another £21 spent on new clothes, makeup, and haircuts beforehand!

But dating doesn’t have to be costly. And to prove it, here are ten dates for under £10 that are sure to impress a potential love interest.

Play retro games at the arcade

Take a trip down memory lane by visiting a local arcade. With games costing as little as 2p to £1, you can easily while away a couple of hours without spending a lot of money. Challenge your date to a dance off, or work together to beat some baddies. Either way, you’re bound finish the night on a high, for a next-to-nothing spend.

Head down to a nearby animal sanctuary

Plenty of animal sanctuaries are open for visitors to go down to see, feed and play with the animals. It’s a feel-good date and will cost you a bag of animal feed, which you can pick up for a couple of pounds. A fun date all round, plus it’ll show you to be a caring, kind person – you’re sure to bag yourself a second date.

Listen to local comedians at an open mic comedy night

Plenty of venues offer open mic comedy nights with free entry, meaning you can take a love interest to enjoy an evening of comedy for the price of a few soft drinks. You could even volunteer to stand up and do a sketch yourself, and show your date how funny – and confident - you really are.

Pack a picnic

This idea works best when it’s warm and sunny, so can’t be used all year round unfortunately!

Find a nice, scenic spot outdoors, pack a blanket, some picky food and a few ice-cold drinks and head outside for a picnic lunch. The peace and quiet of the outdoors is a perfect set up for getting to know your date, without the need to shout over loud music and incessant chatter. To make a great impression, why not go all out on the picnic food? The best way to the heart is through the stomach, after all!

Embark on a treasure trail

Plenty of cities and towns have ‘secret’ treasure trails available to buy online, allowing you to explore the city and solve puzzles for next to nothing. Working together to solve clues is bound to get you and your date bonding, plus it’s a great way to explore where you live in a new, fun way.

Play old school board games

Are both you and your date competitive? Battle it out over board games. You can do this at home, or even better, plenty of coffee shops and bars now offer retro board games where you can sit and play. The loser buys the coffee.

Go to the seaside

Taking a trip to a nearby seaside is a date that is sure to please everyone, and you can try seaside classics like fish and chips and ice cream for under a tenner. Take a stroll along the beach front, explore the wildlife in rock pools, or simply relax on the beach.

Take your pooch for a stroll

Do you and your date both love animals? Why not borrow a dog from friends and go on a long, romantic dog walk (complete with wellies!) for a fun, affordable date? Plan your route in advance using our guide to the UK’s best dog walks - you can even factor in a pit stop at a country pub, to fuel up post-walk.

Visit a local food market

Many towns have both regular and pop up food markets, offering local artisan food and drink. Depending on the size, you can easily spend a couple of hours browsing the stalls – and you’ll probably get to try some free food and drink samples while you’re there. Finish the date off getting the full-size dish of your favourite sample, for just a few pounds.

Deal sites

Deal sites often offer great savings on meals and tickets, and you can even buy vouchers for restaurants at reduced rates, meaning you can treat your date to a fancy meal at a fraction of the usual cost.