Perfect Date Night.

Get A Little Fugal With A Steal of A Happy Hour And A Free Holiday Party.

Welcome to Perfect Date Night, a new weekly feature that acts as your spirit guide for going on a perfect date in what is objectively Texas' best city, Dallas. Each week, we'll give you a night's worth of suggestions for a date night in a specific neighborhood, complete with recommendations for bars, restaurants, concerts, art shows, sporting events or, well, anything, really. Just make sure you include an emoji or two when you text your crush to invite them out.

Date Details.
• When: Friday Night.
• Duration: 3 hours.
• Number of Stops: 2.
• Modest Estimated Budget For Two: $60.
• Ballin' Estimated Budget For Two: $150.
• Ideal Partner: fellow broke college graduate/student.
• Romance Scale: 3.5 hearts out of 5.

December means the end of a semester, which means yet another flood of college graduates are about to enter the real world.

To be clear: By real world, we mean the budgeted world. That means you can no longer ball out on your parents' dime. As such, it's time to learn how to do a date night that'll sweep that lucky someone off their feet without hurting your wallet. All the independent ladies and fellas out there already know a trick or two, but here's a pro tip: Happy hours and free events are your friends.

Let's get started.

Stop No. 1: Parliament.
2418 Allen Street.
Uptown.

If you haven't been to Parliament, you've been missing out. You've probably heard of their artfully crafted cocktails already, but their happy hour is what makes it a must-stop for your date night. Running from 5 to 8 on Monday through Saturday — or, awesomely, anytime it's raining — you can come here and get some of the best-made drinks in Dallas for around $4 to $7 each. It's a fixed menu, but trust me when I say their choices will do just fine. If you happen to feel like splurging and ordering something else, do yourself a favor and order my personal favorite: The Ramos Gin Fizz. Also, because we're keeping it a bit cheaper tonight, we're sticking to bar food. But when your bar food happens to come from the nearby State + Allen, as Parliament's does, there's no reason to complain. Order up a burger if you're really hungry, but the sweet potato fries will hit the spot just fine. Mostly, just drink your cheap happy hour drinks and take in the funky ambiance of Parliament.

Stop No. 2: The Holiday Party at Club Dada.
2720 Elm Street.
Deep Ellum.

Last but not least, we have your second and final destination, The Holiday Party at Club Dada. Thrown by Do214 and Prekindle, you can get in free with an RSVP at Do214.com or $5 at the door for the laziest among us. Take advantage of their generosity by enjoying a night of performances by excellent local artists such as Blue, the Misfit, Sudie and The Misteries, plus DJ sets by the Son of Stan and Color TV. Bonus: Stoli Vodka is a sponsor, so be on the lookout for free drink opportunities during the night. Even bigger bonus: Santa will be there, so rejoice like Will Ferrell in Elf and go get a picture with him of you and your date. You can show it to your kids someday, because this date is going to go great.