With the economy being what it is right now, it can be hard to scrounge up the dough required to take a girl out on a standard date. How're you supposed to pay for dinner and a movie when you had to scrounge through your couch cushions for laundry money?

Fret not, frat boy friends. There are plenty of decent date ideas that you can rely on to get you through this tough financial crisis. Here are a few ideas:

1.) Grab Coffee. This is an old standard, and allows you to actually get to know a girl before you sleep with her. Novel idea, right? My friend Chris actually takes the cheapness of a coffee date to a different level by showing up 15 minutes before the date is scheduled. This way, he buys his coffee, grabs a seat and then when the girl shows up, she'll buy her own. Devious? Yes. Uber effin' cheap? You betcha. That said, Chris has more money in his savings account than most of the people I know.

2.) Feed the Ducks. I'm fully aware of how lame this seems, but girls totally dig it. So, go find some water, hunt down some ducks and toss them the stale bread that's been sitting on top of your refrigerator for the last two months. Just don't pull out the rifle your dad gave you for Christmas last year and start shooting...it'll ruin the ambiance.

3.) Catch a Matinee. When you see a movie before 5pm, the ticket price is about half of what you'd pay during the evening. Essentially, it's like a BOGO movie ticket, but without you having to bring a coupon (more on coupons later).

4.) Picnic! This is great, because if you play your cards right the girl will pay for everything. All you have to do is suggest a picnic, then mention that you don't have a basket. Since every chick has a basket of some sort laying around her apartment, she'll probably offer to bring hers. Then, in an effort to amaze you with her sub-par cooking skills, she'll volunteer to pack the food too. So, not only do you get a free date, but you also get a free lunch!

5.) Redbox and Couch. This isn't usually a good first date, but it works every other time. She'll enjoy the opportunity to snuggle next to you while wearing a pair of your sweatpants, and your wallet will enjoy the fact that it's so, uh, cost efficient. Microwave some of the popcorn that your mom sent over in her last care package, offer her some hot tea (or booze), and catch up on some new releases. Redbox movies are only $1 per night, but you can even get those for free by checking out a website that has their free promo codes.

The secret to being cheap is to never let anyone know what a penny pinching bastard you really are. While whipping out coupons from the Sunday paper is an okay thing to do at the grocery store, you never want to do it on a date (EVER).