Frugal Outings: The Date Edition

Looking for something to do with your special someone? Searching for unique first date ideas? Savvy Student is excited to introduce a new series we're calling "Frugal Outings" to help you experience the city on a student budget. We'll also be providing MBTA directions to every location/event with a focus on bus travel whenever possible to help you avoid the expense of the commuter rail.

First Mondays @ City of Cambridge (CAC) Gallery: The first Monday evening of every month, the CAC offers "multisensory receptions featuring live performances, food, and community" free of charge. Hop on the 70/70A bus from Main Street in Waltham (there are stops in front of Hannaford and the Waltham commuter rail stop), get off at Central Square, and walk down Mass. Ave. in the direction of Harvard until you reach Inman St. Make a right onto Inman and walk for three blocks. (Total cost = $2.50)

Open Mic @ the Cantab Lounge, 738 Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge, (617) 354-2685: Every Wednesday the Cantab Lounge hosts a spoken word poetry open mic and features a poet of local or national recognition. The cover charge is $3, and you can take the 70 bus to Central Square (the lounge is right on Mass. Ave.). (Total cost = $5.50)

Bring your date to some of the following restaurants in Waltham, Cambridge, and Boston for cheap and delicious eats:

Taqueria Mexico: 24 Charles St. in Waltham, (781) 893-2205
Take the Bran Van to Main and Moody and take a right at Charles St. to enjoy some cheap and authentic Mexican food.

Punjabi Dhaba: 225 Hampshire St. in Cambridge, (617) 547-8272
Inman Square is home to a host of bars, restaurants, and shopping and perhaps most importantly, one of the best values in Indian cuisine in the Boston area. Punjabi Dhaba, a small but cozy eatery modeled after roadside stands in India, serves enormous platters of food for less than $10 per person. Not particularly starving? Split a plate with your date and walk out satisfied for less than $6 each. To get to Inman, walk down Prospect St. when you get off of the 70 bus in Central Square and after a ten minute walk, you'll find yourself on Cambridge St. Make a left, cross the street, and walk a bit further and you'll see Punjabi Dhaba on your right.

Le's: 36 JFK St. in Cambridge, (617) 864-4100
Le's specializes in Pho, a Vietnamese noodle soup dish. Soups and sandwiches will run you around $9 per person (including tax and tip). You can check out reviews here. You can walk to Harvard from Central Square by continuing down Mass. Ave., hopping on the 1 bus, or taking the red line.

Let us know if you use any of these ideas and we'll post your reviews on the blog. If you have any suggestions for cheap events or restaurants in the Greater Boston area, leave us a comment and we'll update next time with your suggestions.