1. Help celebrate the YWCA’s annual Week Without Violence campaign by learning how to fight. Starting at 6 on Thursday, men and women are invited to the Penn Quarter YMCA (624 Ninth St., NW) for a free one-hour self-defense workshop with Sara Salam. The class will cover both holistic and physical ways to channel fear into strength in order to confront attackers.

2. You’re young, ambitious, and working to change the world. Isn’t it time society gave something back to you other than a barely livable wage? Following the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network gala at the White House on Thursday, BlackFinn American Saloon is throwing an after-party for Washington’s young nonprofit workers and their friends starting at 6. A $5 donation is suggested at the door; Miller Lites are just $2, and glasses of house wine, Champagne, and rail drinks are $3. BlackFinn will provide free food. The networking is up to you.

3. The Bethesda-based Chic Physique fitness club is kicking off its grand-opening weekend with a free Friday-night Sexy Halloween Party at 7, followed by a free pole-dancing demonstration at 9 by Jessalynn Medairy, who teaches the gym’s Ooh La La Lap Dance classes. The fitness center is also offering free trial lessons from noon to 5 on Saturday and Sunday. Classes include Pole Tease, Lap Dance, FlirTease, and Hot Hips.

1. Rocklands Barbeque and Grilling Company is hosting Pooches on the Patio at its Arlington location Thursday from 4 to 8. Whether your pup’s a well-groomed handbag accessory or shaggy fetching companion, all breeds are welcome to this large outdoor patio. Canines get free treats, and owners get to down drafts ($3 to $4.75). If you bring your four-legged friend, you get 10 percent off your tab.

2. Pay homage to the late director/writer John Hughes and get in the back-to-school mood with a free screening of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off at the John Hughes Memorial Film Series at 8 Thursday at Asylum in DC’s Adams Morgan.

3. Sway to swing, bob to Brazilian, and jive to jazz at the Smithsonian’s free Jazz in the Garden on Friday from 5 to 8:30. Between the great wine on hand and the splashing of the National Gallery of Art’s grand fountain nearby, you’d be wise to locate the nearest restroom beforehand.

4. Motown Philly’s back again! More middle-age and less pubescent than before, Boyz II Men is playing at the Maryland State Fair Friday at 7:30 in Gaithersburg. The $8 fairgrounds admission is your ticket to the show.

5. Electronica meets hipster meets dub at the Liberation Dance Party at DC9 on Friday starting at 9. So lace up your Converse All-Stars and hydrate with free rail cocktails from 9 to 10:30. $6.

1. Sangria lovers should head to Nando’s Peri-Peri for a happy-hour deal featuring 32-ounce pitchers of the stuff for $4.95. It runs from 4 to 7 every day at the Dupont Circle location and Monday through Friday in Chinatown. The promotion ends September 7.

2. We’re a tad annoyed that no one (we’re looking at you, Alejandro) told us about Blingo at Sticky Rice. Every Thursday night, the Atlas District bar hosts a bingo/white elephant mash-up game, where bingo players can win prizes and steal better ones from their opponents. The game kicks off at 11 and usually runs until 1 AM. Free.

3. The Arlington Cinema ’n’ Drafthouse has a good roster of second-run movies, including Land of the Lost, starring Will Ferrell, and Sacha Baron Cohen’s Brüno. Tickets are cheap—$1 to $5.50, depending on when you go—and you can enjoy table service during the films. Both are being shown Thursday night.

4. The Comcast Outdoor Film Festival at Strathmore wraps up Friday with a screening of Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. Thursday night, it’s Slumdog Millionaire. The films are free, but donations to NIH Children’s Charities will be accepted. Movies start at 8:15.

5. Asylum in Adams Morgan is all grown up—the bar is celebrating its 18th birthday Friday night. To mark the occasion, bartenders will sling beers for 18 cents from 8 to 10 and for $1.80 from 10 to closing. A DJ will be on hand with dance tracks, and the local reggae band Lucky Dub will play at 9:30. No cover.

Who says the recession is killing romance? Just because you’re broke, it doesn’t mean your love life has to be. Here’s our second installment of how to date on the cheap in Washington. (See our first here.)

Related Links:

• Wallet-Friendly Washington
• Half-Priced Wine Nights 
• Cheap Food at Happy Hours

Dating is never easy, and the economy isn’t helping romantic matters much, either. How can you impress your true love when you can barely afford a box of macaroni and cheese for dinner?

But never fear! We’ve come up with suggestions for free (or super-cheap) date ideas that won’t wear out your wallet. Got more cheap-date suggestions? Leave them in the comments below.

Related Links:

• How to Have Fun for Free in Washington
• Best Bargains Package
• Dirt Cheap Eats

• See art and get a free flower.
Part of the Torpedo Factory’s Second Thursday Art Night series, the special Valentine’s edition, Heart Art, will feature live music, open studios and galleries, and refreshments. A bonus: The first 300 guests will be given a flower. Stick around to do a heart-themed scavenger hunt through the gallery and enter a free raffle. The event is Thursday, February 12, from 6 to 9.

• Do a naked scavenger hunt.
No, you won’t be running around Washington in your birthday suit; you’ll be solving nudity-themed riddles and searching for nude art at the National Gallery of Art or the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Watson Adventures, a company that hosts scavenger hunts in dozens of cities, will run two adults-only, nudity-themed scavenger hunts on February 14. The National Gallery hunt will start at 11 AM, the Smithsonian American Art Museum hunt at 1; both are $22.50 a person. According to the Web site, “No knowledge of art, or nudity, is required.”

• Host a spa or yoga party.
Get the girls together for a yoga party at Tranquil Space in Dupont Circle. In addition to a one-hour class, you’ll have time to sip tea and munch on cookies in the lounge. The cost is $250 for two to eight people, $300 for nine to 15, and $350 for 16 or more. E-mail info@tranquilspace.com or call 202-328-9642 for details.

Relaxation more your bag? The Wright Touch Traveling Spa will set up shop at your house for a spa party. It’ll provide all the spa accoutrements, such as candles, music, beds, and bowls, as well as a team of licensed staff to accommodate any party size. The only things you’ll need to provide are food, drinks, and friends. Services include facials, manicures, pedicures, massages, hairstyling, and makeup. Prices range from $60 a person for manicures and pedicures to $400 a person for all the services. The traveling spa will come to locations in DC, Maryland, and Virginia.

• Get makeovers.
A Mary Kay beauty consultant will come to your house for a few hours of sprucing with the girls. She’ll bring tons of skincare and makeup products to try and offer advice on what products make sense for different skin types. The best part: Mary Kay parties are free.

Parties last about two hours, says local Mary Kay consultant Linda Jean Boyd, but they can go longer with larger groups. Consultants vary on the number of ladies they’ll make over at a time; Boyd says she accommodates up to 15, but she’s heard of other consultants who’ve done 30 or more. “It’s best to check with your beauty consultant before you start inviting friends,” says Boyd.

To find a consultant in your area, click here and enter your Zip code in the box on the left. An image consultant’s name and contact information will appear at the top of the results page. If the consultant isn’t available, search again with the same Zip code and you’ll likely yield a new name; multiple searches for 20001 brought up a new name each time.