25 Dates under $25

cheap datesAfter two years of marriage, date night is a rare occurrence in our house. Fancy dinners out and long weekend getaways are now replaced by Redbox, take-out and errands. Where did the passion go?

In our quest to ignite the fire once more, my husband and I have committed to reinvigorating our social life. Since we are a young married couple on a budget, we set the limit of our dates to $25. But there are lots of options for having dates on a budget. All it takes is a little bit of extra creativity and perhaps some planning.

25 Dates Under $25

  1. Picnic in the park
  2. Visit the beach
  3. Go on a hike
  4. Go to a matinee movie, or better yet, visit the $1 theater
  5. Find a local cheap wine tasting (we googled and found one that has 8 tastes for $5!)
  6. Take a class at Whole Foods (learn how to make sushi? Yes Please!)
  7. Visit a local fair or festival
  8. Scout out free local Art Walks
  9. Attend a free concert in the park
  10. Take advantage of happy hour
  11. Order dessert at a four-star restaurant
  12. Visit a museum on a half-priced day (there are a lot in the summer)
  13. Find an adventurous recipe online, go buy the ingredients, and cook together
  14. Go thrift store shopping
  15. Walk to get frozen yogurt together
  16. Create DIY art for the home
  17. Tackle a home project together that ends with an evening of wine
  18. Spend $25 in gas and take a day trip (pack a lunch)
  19. Go to your local zoo
  20. Volunteer at a local animal shelter
  21. Bake a decadent dessert together
  22. Drive around looking at your dream houses
  23. Go for brunch at a small boutique diner
  24. Take advantage of a good Living Social or Groupon deal to a restaurant
  25. See if your city offers Restaurant Week and take advantage!

The Importance of Date Night

Date Night has long been a discussion in many women’s groups, as well as ministries across the country that commend the importance of a night out with your significant other. Most of these discussions are geared toward people with children, since couples can often lose sight of their relationship while trying to raise little monsters, er, I mean kids.

However, date night isn’t just for couples with children anymore. We find ourselves–as a relatively young married couple–falling into the same routine and ruts. Perhaps, it doesn’t help that we have conflicting work schedules, with one of us sometimes working weekends and nights, that makes it really hard to plan a good date night.

Date night is not just a reason to go out and spend money. It’s a time to reconnect and separate yourselves from the drama and exhaustion of everyday life. We often get bogged down by the little things, like things that need to be fixed around the house, bills that need to be paid, or social obligations that we need to attend. It gets to be too easy to just say “We’re tired, let’s stay in.” And while I am the biggest proponent of staying in and vegging out, I also realize the importance of date night and how great I feel after having some quality uninterrupted, no-distractions time with my husband.

The Key to a Good Date Night

Oftentimes, it’s not what you’re doing on date night that’s important. What matters most is that you both feel that you’re getting what you need from the relationship. Make a point to act like teenagers–kiss more, hold hands, be affectionate. And most importantly, be present in the moment. Don’t let yourself get bogged down by grievances and annoyances.

If you’re feeling like you just really won’t be able to enjoy date night, offer your partner a massage to help them destress. That always leads to best kind of date night ; )

photo by spiritquest