take KARE of your MONEY: A week of cheap date nights

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Send us your cheap date ideas to jfryer@kare11.com.

Back by popular demand, KARE 11 has collected some ideas for cheap date nights -- with at least one suggestion for each weeknight.

Monday:  Acme Comedy Club

In these tough economic times, it's good to know that you can laugh for free. And on Monday nights, you can go to Acme Comedy Club for free.

Monday night is "Open Mic Night" at the club. It gives rookies a chance to take the stage and lets more experienced comics test their new material.

"We've been doing it about 17 years now and it's got a great cult following," says manager Derick Johnson.

Open Mic Night starts at 8 p.m. each Monday. Guests do have to pay for drinks on Monday night.

Acme Comedy Club has other great deals on other nights of the week as part of its "Comedy Stimulus Plan."

Acme Comedy Club | 708 N. 1st St. | Minneapolis, MN 55401 | 612-338-6393

Tuesday:  Meal and/or movie

Zeno Cafe in Uptown recently started a "Cheap Date Night," also known as the "Couple's Bailout Plan."

For $30, a couple gets an appetizer, bottle of wine and dessert to share, plus two movie tickets to the Lagoon Theatre, which is block away.

"One of the great things about it is the movie tickets, they're blank vouchers, so you can go any day, any time, see any movie that you like," says Zeno general manager Josh Clark.

Zeno Cafe | 2919 Hennepin Ave. | Minneapolis, MN 55408 | 612-824-6300

If you're craving a movie -- without the meal -- you can head to the Riverview Theater in south Minneapolis. Admission is $2 for everyone on Tuesday nights.

(Tickets are also $2 for all matinees before 6 p.m., for children 11 and under, and seniors 62 and older. Tickets for adults are $3 on other nights of the week.)

Riverview has an old-school feel with a giant marque outside and retro decor inside. Plus, the popcorn is coated in real butter.

As for the actual theater, it has a modern-day sound system with comfortable rocker seats, which were installed in 2007.

Riverview Theater | 3800 42nd Ave. S. | Minneapolis, MN 55406 | 612-729-7369

Wednesday:  "Deals and Steals"

This is a great day to go shopping for deals. Check out "Deals and Steals" at the metromix Twin Cities website.

You can buy $50 worth of gift cards to a local restaurant for $25. A new restaurant is featured on Wednesday at 11 a.m., but the cards can be used any day of the week.  Make sure to read the restrictions before purchasing.  For example, some restaurants require a minimum purchase or don't allow the certificates to be used for certain expenses.

"Once the deal is gone, it's gone," states the metromix site. "So be quick."

Thursday:  Walker Art Center

The Walker Art Center recruits many fans on Target Free Thursday Nights. Admission to the galleries is free from 5 to 9 p.m. every Thursday. Free tours, films and lectures are also available.

"You can come in for free and check out anything that you want at a low commitment," says the Walker's Sarah Peters. "If you don't like it, you can leave. If you'd rather go up to the 2021 bar for a drink, you can do that."

Walker Art Center | 1750 Hennepin Ave. | Minneapolis, MN 55403 | 612-375-7600

Friday:  The Saint Paul Hotel

You can end the week with a more romantic date, perhaps best suited for couples who've known each other a while.

Minnesota residents can stay at The Saint Paul Hotel for $99 a night.

"It has been a tough year for a lot of Minnesotans and we wanted to be able to give back," says David Miller, general manager of The Saint Paul Hotel. "We turned 99 this year, we obviously turn 100 next year, so we wanted to be able to give back to the community."

The deal is actually available any night of the year, depending on availability at the hotel. The offer runs through December 30. Guests should mention the special rate when making a reservation. They'll need to present a photo identification when checking in.

The Saint Paul Hotel | 350 Market St. | St. Paul, MN 55102 | 651-292-9292

Send us your cheap date ideas to jfryer@kare11.com.

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