Auntie SparkNotes, Date Planner

Dear Auntie,
I'm actually writing to you because something good happened to me.

The other day, as my boyfriend and I were walking down the sidewalk, we found a $100 bill just lying on the ground. Since we found it together, we decided it would be fun to spend it all on an awesome-tastic one year anniversary date. The problem is, neither one of us can think of anything fun to do in the middle of December that we would normally be too poor to do. I really want to do something special, but nothing comes to mind except eating a ton of fancy desserts, and as important as dessert is I don't think the entire date should consist of eating. Can a young, hip auntie such as yourself give us any suggestions on what to do? We have a car, we're on break from school, and the weather is sure to be freezing cold.

Oooooh, a fun, fluffy question! And such an appropriate one, too! Because in fact, Auntie SparkNotes has direct personal experience with precisely this same conundrum! Yes, it's true: I, too, once found a $100 bill on the ground during the dead of winter. And just like you, I wanted to do something fun and expensive with it. And so, after some debate, my husband and I took our surprise cash to a high-class Japanese restaurant, where we exchanged it for all manner of supremely delicious things.

And truly, it was a phenomenal and memorable meal that we could not have otherwise afforded... although admittedly, we later discovered that one of things we had eaten was deep-fried cod semen.

So, while I don't think a food-specific date is such a terrible idea—and while you should still keep that dessert party on the backburner (because yum!)—I'm happy to suggest some alternatives. And without further ado, here is a list of 9 Fun Things You Can Do With $100.

- Get tickets to a concert, play, or sporting event.
- Buy yourselves a "couples" treatment at the local spa. (Nothing says "I love you" like lying on adjoining tables and getting pummeled by an overzealous masseuse.)
- Spend an entire day at the movies watching all the late-year-release Oscar bait; afterward, take your remaining cash to a diner, order a huge plate of something deep fried, and eat it while discussing your respective opinions on the Best Picture contenders.
- Fill your car with gas, drive as far as half a tank will take you, and spend the day exploring wherever you end up.
- Split the cash and spend an afternoon separately buying each other something awesome that you'd otherwise be unable to afford, then meet up in the evening for a dinner date and exchange gifts.
- Download (legally!) a pile of new music by bands you've never heard of, then have a listening party.
- Go skiing. (Ugh, when did this get so expensive?)
- Take a cooking class together.
- Hire a clown to chase you around all day with a knife.

...What? Running in terror is a fantastic bonding experience!

And there you have it: nine good ideas that you're welcome to use, or not. (Well... okay, eight good ideas and one total nightmare.) The only caveat: planning your anniversary date should be about having a great time together, not about a high-pressure search for the perfect expensive activity on which to blow your $100. And ultimately, the thing that makes it special isn't what you spend the money on; it's the fun of having that money to spend, and deciding together how you'd like to use it.

And if what you want to use it on is an all-day dessert tour of your hometown? Then GO FOR IT. (Seriously, it sounds pretty good to me.)

But those are just my ideas; what are yours? Help our Sparkler out! And to get advice from Auntie, email her at advice@sparknotes.com.

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