For the past 20 or so years we have prioritized going on a date night once a week. Here are some of the dates we have done, along with a few tips to help keep them affordable.
- Just go out to eat. Our budget dictates where we can go.
- Buy restaurant gift cards at a discount at Costco and use them to go out to eat. We have done this with Tumbleweed, Smokey Bones, and Longhorn Steakhouse. Not a date night, but they also carry Honey Baked Ham store gift cards so if you buy one at Christmas time, get the gift cards for $69 with a value of $100. This is a great savings. Combine the gift card with a coupon or special for even more savings.
- Go to see a movie (again, buy gift cards at a discount at Costco). Load the money into the app. Find out the cheap nights (around here it is Tuesday) and go on cheap nights or to matinee (before 4 PM).
- Go to the library and pick out a board game, or bring one from home, and sit and play. We are wild, we have sometimes stayed all the way to close.
- Derby Dinner Playhouse. This is not the most economical date night, however, we have some friends who go to every show, so we purchased a five show package and asked if we can join their table when they go. Doing this, we get time with other couples and get to enjoy a fun show and dinner. Certain nights of the week are cheaper than others, so check those prices. Next year we only signed up for two shows because several had content we did not want to see.
- Ask another couple over for dinner. The times we have done this, the other couples have asked what they could bring, so I had them bring a side or dessert. For far less than the cost of eating out, we get a great dinner and can visit with our friends for as long as we like without troubling a server.
- Invite couples over for games. We have a few couples we get together with regularly and rotate homes. We all contribute to the meal and play cards for several hours over fun food and coffee.
- Pick up carryout food just for the two of us and watch a movie on Amazon Prime (This is great if one of us is feeling sick or extra tired).
- Go walking. I have been trying to add more walking into my weeks, so occasionally we will walk on our date night.
- Our orchestra has free concerts from time to time and a friend has given us orchestra tickets when she has extra.
- Broadway shows in our town. Often these have “ticket lotteries” and I have won heavily discounted tickets this way for a few shows (Wicked, Hamilton, Les Mis).
- A local church in town has “Couples Night” where they have dinner and a speaker and often fun games for enriching our marriage. These may offer childcare as well.
- Make it a planning date. On recent dates, we made plans for our upcoming family vacation, and most recently planned what to do for our anniversary next month. In the past we have done “scheme and dream” nights where we decided the course for the next several months for our home business.
- Since breakfast is often cheaper to eat out than a dinner, we have gone out to breakfast on occasion.
- Often we can get an appetizer (during happy hour they are sometimes half price) and a main course to share to save money.
- I have asked from time to time to eat off the children’s menu or senior menu (do not lie, just ask if it is ok to order off there). If they say yes, it is easier on the wallet and the waist.
- At times we eat dinner at home and just go out for dessert together.
- We like to see free shows in the park like Shakespeare in the Park.
- Farmer’s markets often have musicians or other entertainment that are there for everyone to enjoy.
- Stay home and do something you do not usually do, like work a puzzle, play a game, or do a yard project together.
- Serve together. This summer we will serve at our church VBS together. We have done a variety of things together, just find a place you both feel called to serve and do it together.
We have been blessed to have a large spread among our children’s ages so we often had a babysitter among older siblings. We have special date night rules like extra video game time, they get to watch a movie, or other things they look forward to so they get excited it is our date nights as much as we do. If paying for a sitter is not in your budget, trade with another couple or family, or get creative and let the kids watch a movie or something while you and your husband enjoy some time in another room.
