Are you trying to achieve your money goals and making sacrifices along the way? Maybe you are trying to pay off your student loans but have to eat out less because of it. Or, are you trying to save an emergency fund but have to cut
cable to find extra money? I know it’s hard right now as you trudge through your financial journey and there are a lot of sacrifices you’ve had to make BUT don’t sacrifice time with your spouse. Just because you are on a budget doesn’t mean you can’t have a date night!
Date night is one of the easiest categories to eliminate on your budget because it can be expensive when you have to pay for a babysitter, and then do dinner and a movie. Let’s break that down for a sec…
babysitter for 4 hours at $12/hr = $48
Dinner for 2 = $50
2 Movie tickets = $25
Total = $123 for 4 hours of fun…..
That’s a lot of money for 4 hours so it’s no wonder why it's easy to get the AXE on a budget.
It’s no big deal if you and your spouse can’t have date nights while you are getting your finances in order, right? WRONG. As you work through your financial journey, you need to be able to communicate well with your spouse and hold each other accountable knowing that you are trying to achieve a money goal that sets your family up for success. It’s going to get tough! If money and kid conversations are the only discussions you are having with your spouse, your journey together just got even harder and let’s be honest, LESS FUN. The financial journey is hard enough, so make sure you make “US” time for you and your spouse.
On the flip side, you work really hard for your money, so don’t spend it all and then some on a fancy date when it’s going to stress you out and most likely lead to a money fight because you overspent and now you can’t put money towards your goals like you were REALLY working towards.
So to be clear, DATING is a MUST even when you are on a budget, but BUDGET-BUSTING DATES are BAD!!
Now there are plenty of websites and blogs that have “40 FREE Date ideas” so if you want a big list, google it! But I do want to share what has worked well for Kyle and me on our financial journey!
Cheap AT-HOME Date Ideas
You may not be in a position to go out for date night because it gets costly and you are saving for your money goal, but that doesn’t mean you just sit in front of the TV, living your romantic life through movies, and not giving your spouse the attention they deserve. Put the kids to bed, turn the baby monitor on, and engage with your spouse with one of these fun CHEAP date ideas!
Cook Something NEW Together
Kyle and I have tried a few meal kits (i.e. Blue Apron) and it was really fun! I know what your thinking, they are really expensive and YES it can be, BUT we bought a Groupon for it to help offset the cost SIGNIFICANTLY!! What’s great about it? Well, it brought us closer in the kitchen (which we never do). Kyle is very much the GRILL Master of the house, and I’m the chef in the kitchen….well, in my family’s eyes :). So the meal kit brought us together in the kitchen where we had fun using new foods and techniques as well as enjoy our hard work eating and chit-chatting at the table. The downside? Small food portions, which usually resulted in us munching on popcorn later in the night. Since then, we’ve looked on Pinterest for a fun and different recipe to try and had a fun date that way!
Bring on the Competition!
If you know me at all, I have been extremely competitive my whole life and playing board games is no exception. It’s great when Kyle and I shut the TV off, drink a beer, and play some Cribbage (Yes, the old people game. Try it before you judge lol). Other fun two-person games we’ve played are Rummy, Othello, Yahtzee, and Sequence. Whatever you love to play, have fun and don’t hold back!
WARNING: BEWARE of the extremely competitive spouse. If you are crazy competitive like me, make sure you remember life goes on if you lose. Don’t take it out on your spouse because that might take away from the date lol (Sorry Kyle :) ).
Affordable OUT AND ABOUT Date ideas
OK, so you got out of the house and left the kids with Grandma? Awesome! Try these date ideas and have fun!
Minor League Sporting Event
I haven’t been to all types of minor league sporting events but I can vouch for hockey and baseball. I don’t love watching them on TV so if that's what you are thinking and you want to dismiss this idea, STOP. It is ACTUALLY a blast! You can people watch, cheer with the crowd, watch the fun extra activities in between innings or periods, and just chit chat with your spouse. I totally recommend this one as it’s fun and different!
Get Fresh AIR
I am a Christian woman and nothing brings me more joy than getting outside in God’s beautiful creation! Pack some snacks, find a cozy spot in a park, and have a picnic. Or, you could go for a walk or a hike and just talk about life! Kyle and I have had some of our best chats on life while walking on the riverwalk trail in Tucson.
Have a DREAM DATE
Head over to a place like Lowes or Home Depot and let the visions and dreams begin. Kyle and I (especially while renting) used to do this and we talked about what we wanted in a house. Put money aside and just dream! We would go into the kitchen section and we’d talk about what our dream kitchen would look like. Mine included a huge island where the future kids could do homework at, and of course I needed double ovens (neither of which I have in my current kitchen lol). Just listen to each other and have fun with it! Because when MONEY is no object, the sky’s the limit!
Dessert, Coffee, Tea Anyone?
Going out for a full dinner can get pricey when you get an appetizer, two entrees, drinks, and sometimes dessert. But who says you can’t just go out and get dessert? Kyle and I both have a sinful sweet tooth so we are big advocates of treating ourselves to a dessert date! So have dinner with your family, get the babysitter over, and take off for after dinner coffee or dessert and enjoy the time with your spouse without the kiddos.
More of Beck's Tips…..
Plan Ahead
As always, plan ahead and determine how much you actually have to put towards a date night! It might be $0, $50, or $100 but whatever it is, you need to KNOW the number so you don’t overspend and pay for it later!
You could even create a savings account for dates! Check out HOW!
Affordable Babysitter Options
Got kids? Babysitters can be EXPENSIVE so sometimes if you scrounge up enough cash to go out, it’s mostly spent on the babysitter leaving you with nothing for the date! Well, you can put the “G” in babysitter by calling up the grandparents if they live close and are able to babysit! Usually, they want to spend time with their grandkids anyway so it’s a WIN-WIN. No grandparents? No problem. Talk with your friends and see if you can swap babysitting duties. Watch their kids for a night so they can get out, and then swap roles! It’s a cheap and easy way for your kids to have fun with their friends, and you get to GET OUT and be a couple again!
No Electronics
Put the phones away! Whatever you do on your date night whether it’s at home or you are out, put the phones away and really focus on one another.
Take Home Message
I know you are all working hard towards your money goals but don’t cut date night out of your budget! Dates are important to keep a healthy marriage and there are plenty of ways to have an affordable date to keep the romance alive. So don’t eliminate dates completely but also don’t let dates bust your budget. Find a happy medium to keep your romance alive while CONQUERING your money goals!
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