Tag Archives: cheap date night ideas

9 Date Ideas That Won’t Break the Bank

Coming up with fresh date ideas when you’re married can be tough. Having to be mindful of a budget can make it even tougher.

But there are a number of things you and your hubby can do together that are fun, exciting and won’t break the bank. All you need is a little ingenuity and an open mind.

Volunteer

Giving back to the community isn’t only fulfilling (both for yourself and others), but it’s a great way to meet and talk to people from different backgrounds who will stimulate your senses and satisfy your entertainment needs.

It’s a great opportunity for you and your husband to spend some time together, while sharing an amazing experience and giving back to your community. It also offers the opportunity to meet new people and learn more about others.

Also, concerts, festivals and other types of events are always looking for volunteers. If you’re into the music scene, this is the perfect solution to getting to hear your favorite tunes while not having to pay for it.

If you don’t quite know where to volunteer or how to get started, try resources like Volunteer Match to find an organization near you.

Play a Game

Okay, this idea may seem a little stale, but you will really be surprised by the number of laughs you and your man will share. It’s the perfect excuse to order a pizza, grab some cheap beer or wine, and break out a game like Scattergories or Life. It can be played as many or as few times as you’re interested in, and the results can be quite hilarious. They also aren’t so competitive that you’ll end up bitter at each other (cough, cough, Monopoly).

Plant a Garden

Growing your own garden isn’t just entertaining, it’s good for the environment and helps you save money, not to mention spruces up your home’s exterior. If you’re a couple that likes being outdoors and active, this is a great way to spend the day together and be productive. Head to your local nursery and pick out a variety of plants and flowers to plant in the ground or for a lesser commitment, in big, beautiful pots.

All-Out Movie Night

For a relaxing and indulgent Friday night after a hectic week, plan a movie night… but not just your regular DVD and microwave popcorn movie night. Get a cheap bottle of wine, make some caramel popcorn, bring bed pillows out to the living room, light some candles and put on your favorite pajamas.

Rather than having to go out to rent a movie or watch one you’ve seen a hundred times, utilize the movies offered by your cable provider or services like Hulu or Netflix. Movies are brand new, well-priced and involve no extra effort to watch. These little details can make a standard movie night into a romantic and relaxing night in.

Flea Market Finds

If your man is game, get up early on a weekend, grab a cup of coffee and head out to your local flea market. The opportunity to find something unique and affordable for your home is something you both will love. Turn it into a contest to see who can find and repurpose the best piece; channel your inner HGTV hosts and see what your imagination is capable of.

Drinks & Dessert

Don’t you hate when you go to a restaurant and at the end of the night they give you the dessert menu and you’re either too full or too money conscious to order one of the decadent treats? Make that a date! Eat a light meal at home, then head out to your favorite restaurant to enjoy a glass of wine and share a fantastic dessert.

Baby/Pet Sitting

Have friends with kids or a dog, but you don’t? Do them a favor and offer to take their kid(s) (either fur or human!) for a few hours on a weekend. Take the kids to a museum, park, or aquarium, or take a hike with their pooch. It’ll give you and your husband a chance to get a glimpse into life with children, while giving your friends a much needed break.

Cook-Off

Do you and your husband have a favorite food show? Try recreating it together, and inviting a friend or two over to be the judge. Make a spending and time limit for both and get to cookin’! You’ll end up with two fabulous meals (great for leftovers!) and the chance to spend time together. If you’re not feeling competitive, assign one of you to the main course and the other to sides and appetizers and collaborate for an awesome meal.

Coupons

Want to do a traditional dinner date, but are afraid of the bill? Check sites like Groupon and Living Social to find deals on restaurants in your area. Many have deals that offer discounts on your entire meal, free appetizers, or coupons that give you double the money (Pay $15, get a $30 gift card). It will also encourage you to try new spots.

At Home Date Night On a Budget

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When my husband and I were newly married, we received some wonderful advice from a great couple.

They told us that they’d been having a weekly date night for 20+ years of marriage. As newlyweds, we decided to be intentional about a weekly date night.

After we became parents, my mom was more than happy to babysit for a couple of hours each Friday night so we could continue the tradition.

So, for our first 7+ years of marriage, we have had a date night every single week!

Then, we moved away from my hometown. We’re now 2 hours from one set of grandparents, nearly 6 from the other. No more easy babysitter! Couple that with a tight budget, and we knew we needed to get creative!

This is why I invented the no-prep, at-home, low-cost date – that I affectionately call the “Dessert Date”. Thinking it was a great idea, I wanted to share it with you!

Everything for this date can be done within about 5-10 minutes.

I thought it would be fun to make this a surprise for my hubby. So, I waited until the boys were in bed and hubby was in the shower, and then got to work.

The first thing I did was to lay out some nice clothes for him on the bed, with a handwritten note saying, “Put these on, and meet me in the kitchen.” Next, I put on some nice clothes myself and dusted on some make up.

I found the champagne glasses from our wedding, along with a couple of napkins, and a copy of the invitation from that day. If you don’t have glasses from your wedding, substitute what you do have.

You could also use a nice quote about love or marriage printed out, instead of your invitation. We don’t drink alchohol, so I bought some sparkling grape juice to go in the glasses.

I prepared my super quick, super yummy strawberry cream desserts.

Finally, I found the mix of love songs that played during our wedding reception.

Honestly, because of the effort put into it, this felt much more like a “real” date, than some of our out-to-eat, followed by a stop at Walmart “dates.”

We had a lovely time staring into each others eyes like newlyweds.

The entire prep for this date happened during the short time that my hubby was in the shower, making it a very low-stress date. It was also very inexpensive – around $5 or so. And between the fancy plated desserts, the champagne glasses, candle light, and all of our wedding reminders, it was very romantic.

We both remember it fondly as one of our favorite dates ever — going out included.

If you’re needing some alone time with your husband, but don’t have the resources or babysitter for a night out, I would encourage you to get creative!

You can make great memories right where you are.

What’s your favorite date night?

The BEST 2 Player Games for Date Night!

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Since my husband and I have young children, the majority of our date nights are spent at home.

We do try to go out on a date once a month, but we still make an effort to spend time together at least once a week, interacting with one another, without distractions (such as TV or internet).

While we try to spend quality time together more than once a week, we are sticklers about getting at least 1 night in a week, regardless of our busy schedules.

Game night is one of our absolute favorites for weekly fun. It’s been a challenge to find games that translate well to 2-player versions.

Several games that I enjoyed growing up, just don’t work with only 2 people. We’ve finally gotten a good collection of really awesome board games that work with 2 players.

Here are a few of our favorites, so you can start working on your own collection of games for date night!

Best 2 Player Games for Date Night

Dominion – This will always be one of my favorite games! It can be played with up to four players, but works really well with just two! It’s a card game, we’ve played it for several years now and still love it! There are many expansions for the game (intrigue, seaside, hinterlands etc.) and they all add so much to the game! We’ve purchased each expansion as it came out and I have trouble choosing a favorite!

Fluxx - This is a game that must be played with a good sense of humor. The rules are constantly changing, along with the goal of the game! It’s another card game that certainly will keep you laughing and keep you on your toes! We recently bought the “martian fluxx” variant and definitely prefer that version to the original.

Glory to Rome - This is one of the more complicated card games, I’m still trying to wrap my head around playing it well, but it’s definitely fun! You each build your own buildings and try to come out on top! There are multiple ways to score points in this game, so it’s a challenge to choose which strategy to go with. It also makes the game fun though, because you never have to play it the same way twice!

Race for the Galaxy - This has always been one of my husband’s favorite games, but I’ll be honest, it took me awhile to get on board. I love the game now, but there’s definitely a steep learning curve to it, and it may take awhile before you really feel like you can play it well.

Carcassone - This was one of the first games we purchased together (about 4 years ago) and we’re still getting lots of enjoyment out of it! Carcassone is a tile-laying game, and it allows you to build cities, roads, farms and cloisters and connect them to one another to gain points. Very fun game, and it’s always neat to see all the scenery that you’ve built together at the end of the game!

Famiglia - Another card game, this time the cards represent different “mobster” families. Each color card allows you to do a different action, and thereby gain better cards into your “family”. It’s simple to learn, but there’s a surprising amount of strategy involved!

Pandemic - This game is unique because, instead of playing against one another, you are on a team against the game! It’s shockingly difficult and a lot of fun to get to work together in a game instead of having to compete. There’s also nothing quite like trying to save the world from multiple viruses! You really feel like you’ve accomplished something awesome together when you win this game!

Tigris & Euphrates - This game is truly one of our favorites. It has a longer play-time than most, but it’s definitely worth the time! You play on one board and build your own little kingdoms by laying tiles of various colors. You are then able to join kingdoms or invade one another, and gain points. It’s a very interesting game, especially since you don’t know how many points the other player has earned until the end of the game!

Suburbia - This is one of our newer games. It’s also a tile laying game, but instead of building farms or roads you create buildings for your city. The strategy is in which tiles you put where, as well as which tiles you choose to build. We only purchased this one a few weeks ago but it’s already a favorite!

Agricola - Remember that popular Farming game on Facebook awhile back? This is a game that is very similar, but with lots more strategy! You are a farmer, and you must build your hut, farm your land, raise cattle and feed your family! It’s a very interesting game and quite the challenge!

Zertz, Yinsh & Dvonn - These games are more abstract than the others I’ve listed. Instead of having a theme or story to them, they are pure strategy (like chess or checkers, but more fun). These games can be bought separately and played as a single game, or can be combined with a couple other games in the series to form a huge tournament. We currently own two in the series and are working our way up to have the whole collection. They are quicker games and deceptively difficult!

I’ve created a list on amazon with all of the games, so you can find them easily, instead of needing to do multiple searches. This is an affiliate link to my 2 player games list on Amazon.

These are our absolute favorite 2 player games! Have you ever heard of any of them? Share with us on the Happy Wives Club Facebook page.

We’d love to hear about your favorites!

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4 Fun Summer Date Nights

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There is something about the summer sun that makes me feel at home and happy.

On the first day of summer I welcome in with a happy heart the heat, the bbqs, the swimming, the vacation time.

But, what I look forward to most is spending the warm summer evenings hanging out with my husband. There is little else that brings my heart so much joy.

Summer is a time when you can forget the traditional date night of heading to a restaurant.

It is the time when you can get creative, head outdoors and enjoy the lingering summer sun with the one you love.

Here are some ideas for fun summer dates to spend with your sweetie.

Go To A Drive In
A drive in movie is, without a doubt nostalgic and romantic. And, there is something undeniably tender about snuggling next to your sweetie under the summer night sky and sharing a box of Milk Duds.

Revisit your youth and pack up the car with chairs, blankets, pillows and sweets and take your spouse to a good old fashioned drive in theater.

Do an online search to find a drive in near you. No drive in theaters around? Check event listings in your area. Many cities offer movies in the park for a similar experience.

Dance at an Outdoor Concert
There is nothing quite like an outdoor concert. But, going to a big expensive concert isn’t necessary in order to take your sweetie on this fun date. Many towns offer concerts in the park with local bands.

Pack up some fold up chairs and buy some take out and sit back and enjoy the local culture. Hear a song you like? Ask your spouse to dance. Summer air, good food, music and your sweetie? Now those are the ingredients of a great date!

Go For a Drive
For as long as I have known my husband he has loved to put together a summer playlist of music. Back in the day that meant making a mixed cassette tape. Now it is as simple as dragging and dropping our favorite songs in ITunes.

For a great summer date, make a playlist that your spouse would like and hit the open road. Go for a drive with the windows down, the music on and sing out loud together. See where the road and the music takes you.

Watch a Meteor Shower
One of my favorite date memories is when Husband and I drove up to the mountains and laid in the bed of the truck watching a meteor shower. Talk about romantic.

This summer, head out past the city lights between August 10th and August 13th to catch the Perseid Meteor Shower. Grab some blankets, pillows, wine and dessert and have a romantic night among the stars.

Whatever it is that you do for date night, get out and enjoy the summer air. The freedom and hope that summer brings comes and goes so quickly. Don’t let it fly by without taking some time to enjoy it with the one you love most.

Christmas Date Night

All you need is:

Your car (unless you are willing to walk in the cold!)
Mugs of Hot Chocolate
A Notebook
Each other!

Whip up some hot chocolate and go for a drive (or walk) together. Find the fanciest neighborhoods in your town and look at the beautiful light displays that they have in their yards.

Try to find the most extravagant decorations and come up with awards for the houses based on their decorating charm, or beauty, or even cheesiness!

“Most Traditional” or “Master of the Inflatable Machine” etc. Be sure to take notes on which houses are receiving what title so you don’t duplicate an award.

Have fun getting creative with the titles!!!

If you want to add a bit of competitive fun, you could try seeing who can spot the most Santas or snowmen, or even make it a “double date” with another couple, competing to see which husband & wife team can find the most exciting lights throughout the night.

This is sure to be a fun date night that you will not soon forget!

Marriage Mondays: Top 10 Tips to Have Date Night on the Cheap {& Link Up}

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Did you know we have a Date Nights section on the new Happy Wives Club site? We sure do and you can find great articles like this one from HWC contributor, Paula Rollo.

Enjoy and today is Marriage Mondays so don’t forget to scroll down and link up!

Until tomorrow…make it a great day!

____________

Finances can often be a huge hindrance for couples wanting to have a consistent date night. The desire may be there, but that doesn’t mean it is always do-able financially!

I don’t work outside of the home and we have 2 young kids, so my husband and I have definitely learned to get creative when it comes to making date night work for us.

Here are my top 10 tips to have date night on the cheap:

Share an entree. This isn’t only a great way to get a meal for less, it’ll help you watch your figure.
Skip the pricey beverages and order water. This will also help you reach that often elusive goal of drinking 8 glasses each day.
Dress up like you are going to a 5-star restaurant, but eat at a local deli instead. A night on the town doesn’t need to come with an $100 tab at the end of the night.
Stay home and play board games. Put the kids down early and let them know mommy and daddy are having a special night. Incentivize them to stay in their room if need be.
Go on a romantic nature walk. If you live in the city, this may be a bit tricky. But there are generally beautiful walking paths (most off the beaten path) almost anywhere you go.
Add date night into your monthly budget. Some couples create a “date night” savings account they add to (and usually drain) monthly. Some put it in a jar or envelope. The important thing is to set money aside for this express purpose.
Save a few dollars each week until you have enough for a fancy dinner date. If “fancy” is important to you, save toward it. But don’t wait until you’ve saved enough money before enjoying a date night (see tip #3).
Swap free babysitting and date night weekends with another couple. You never know how easy this can be until you try.
Have dinner out but rent a movie instead of going to a theater. With theater prices going through the roof, it may be time to stay under your own roof.
Go to a movie earlier in the day to get cheaper tickets. Can everyone say “matinee”?! If there is a movie you just “must see” while in the theaters, enjoy it for a little less.

QUESTION: What inexpensive date night tips do you have? Share them in the comments section.

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Best 2 Player Games for Date Night

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