Top 5 Inexpensive Date Ideas
Let's be honest – dating is incredibly expensive, am I right? Who has the money to pay a sitter, go to a nice restaurant, get food and drinks, and any other activity on top of that? My husband and I from an early point in or marriage decided to make sure we continued to date, as we saw issues when we got too wrapped up in being parents or just life in general. I cannot stress how important dating is no matter where you are in your relationship. Any friend who has asked me for marital advice I always say just keep dating! Spend intentional time together. Not TV time in bed side by side, not cooking your dinner in the kitchen while your hubby is playing with your kids, not family movie time. Intentional one on one time where you have to plan an activity and have INTENTIONAL alone time together. Whether your a mama with a now empty nest, a new mama or not a mama, go date your spouse.
But who has time or money for dating anymore? Guess what? You need to make the time but you don’t need to spend the money! Hubs and I have nailed down 5 different fool proof cheap date ideas that are our go tos for date night! This is no lie… friends and family can vouch that we have these dates quite often throughout the year. Make these ideas happen, I promise you will have an amazing time and connect with your partner in a real but inexpensive way!
1. Find a great bakery in your city and go pick out a few of your favourite guilty desserts. Don’t worry about those calories, its date night and its time to let yourself enjoy a little! Take that bag of deliciousness to your favourite park or lookout in your city, and sit and enjoy! Hubs and I go to Lakeview Bakery located here in Calgary and just at the end of the road there is the beautiful Glenmore Reservoir which has an amazing view and walking paths that we usually explore after indulging. This is an amazing under $10 date that has created so many wonderful memories for us and has always been a great time.
2. Create for yourself an outdoor movie setup with popcorn and your favourite snacks! Its so easy to jump in front of the TV at home and watch a movie like every other weekend (or weeknight…. I’m not judging!) Pull out a blanket or sheet, grab your pillows and cozy blankets, comfy pants and your laptop or device of choice and set up a movie outside! Its the best cuddle atmosphere of all time! Make it even better and grab your favorite bottle of wine and you’ve got yourself a very romantic little setup!
3. If you have an extra buck or two, go find a brewery or winery and take a tour and do a tasting! It is so fun to try new things together, have new experiences, and maybe find something new that you like! Hubs and I wine taste on the Naramata Bench (located in the Okanagan in British Columbia) and we look forward to it every year! We often buy a few(or lots oops) bottles of wine, bring them home and enjoy the memories we made together over a glass of delicious Okanagan wine! Whatever it is, go try something new, and try it together!
4. Go to an amazing cafe that you haven’t tried yet and get this – actually sit INSIDE the cafe and drink out of a real mug and actually talk to your spouse without any distractions or interruptions! I know any mama out there is thinking “Gosh… I wonder what that’s like?”. A few weeks ago hubs and I visited Rosso Coffee Roasters and sat there for almost 2 hours as we talked about goals and future dreams! I’m sorry, but we probably couldn’t do that at home unless we tied up our kids and put them in their closets with locks on the doors, and we definitely wouldn’t have that deep of a conversation sitting at home on our couch with the TV on. Go out and enjoy some amazing decor and some delicious beverage of choice that isn’t in a take out cup and engage in real conversation! Maybe make a list of 10 questions for each other as a fun conversation starter? The sky is the limit! But again, an under $10 date!
5. Last but not least, if you're the adventurous kind of couple, take a road trip to a close small town and scout out a one-off cafe, tea house or restaurant! Hubs and I love one-off places much better than chains and love trying new food and drinks at random places. OBVIOUSLY you want to make sure they’re somewhat clean and licensed and all that stuff, but you can find some hidden gems and have a new place to go without seeing your neighbour from across the street, also with some fun adventure finding it!
Those are just a few ideas for some fun inexpensive ways to date your partner, I could name a lot more! Try these top 5 out and comment below on which one you and your partner enjoyed the most!