Many couples want to spend quality time together, but they can’t afford the expense of a sitter plus whatever activity they choose. It is easy to find frugal date ideas, but it takes a little more legwork and creativity. Here are some that I have used myself! This post is brought to you by me and Groupon coupons, which are awesome.
- Staydate. My husband planned one of these, but unfortunately it included the kids, pictured above. (Just kidding, it was cute. I think it was for my birthday when I didn’t want a sitter.) All you need is the desire to cook, the desire to eat, and candles. For after the kids go to sleep, you can include some date night questions, too!
- Movie night. If you usually just watch a show on TV and barely talk, try to pick a movie about relationships, pop popcorn, and then discuss the movie afterwards. In a really cute study (and how often do you hear research described as cute?), couples who watched movies about relationships and then discussed them afterwards had lower divorce rates than a control group, and it was as useful as some couples counseling! If you have Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Hulu already, this idea is free!
- Walk around the mall. Malls often have daycare by the hour that can be cheaper than hiring a babysitter. If you don’t end up buying anything but a food court dinner, this can be an under $25 date night, plus you get to people watch. I especially like to watch the cute teenage couples at the mall, who are so sweet and awkward.
- Go to Target. I am not joking. Anything without the kids is fun, and women love Target. (If you think I am generalizing, go find a woman who doesn’t like Target. See? Told you.) The key to not overspending here is to (a) buy stuff you actually need, because then this is actually a free trip because you would have had to buy that stuff anyway* and (b) use coupons. I like Groupon coupons, which include a Mystery Deal. And what spells romance more than a Mystery Deal?
- Go to Home Depot. Not joking again. Women love home improvement projects almost as much as they love Target. Especially home improvement projects initiated by their husbands, who then figure out how to fix something without calling a repair person, thereby looking smart, masculine, and frugal all at once. (You can get Groupon coupons for Home Depot too!)
Hopefully some of these ideas are either fun and/or dorky enough to provide some laughs for you and your frugal partner. And till we meet again, I remain, The Blogapist Who Says, Also Go To Aldi.
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* This logic is why I am in the soft sciences.