9 budget-friendly at-home date ideas
TRANSCRIPT
Pre-kids, when we wanted to go on a date, we would just go. Usually it was something free or very inexpensive because we were on such a tight
budget, but even a walk at the park or a picnic was great.
Not so Easy Anymore…
As any parent of young children can probably appreciate, these days, going on a date is more of a nine step process:
1. Decide to actually go on a date and have enough time to ask the other person if they want to go2. Call 3-5 people until you finally find a babysitter3. On day of date, pre-make food for whichever meal you’ll be missing at home so the kids are well-fed4. If the date is at night, also pre-bathe children so the babysitter doesn’t have to5. Remind kids to clean rooms, do chores, etc6. Find something to wear… if you’re an over-achiever, maybe even put on makeup7. Make list of all instructions for babysitter8. Finally make it out the door to go on the date9. Almost fall asleep during dinner/movie/etc because you have small children and aren’t used to
staying awake after 9:30 PM
Such High Cost!
• The cost to go on a date has changed a lot too over the years! It used to cost $0-$10 to go on a date because we would go for a walk or hike or to a free event at a local outdoor theater. If we were really splurging, we would go to a bar for drinks or out for coffee.
• Now, a babysitter usually costs at least $40 for an evening, a nice-ish dinner is easily $30+ and if we went to a movie, that is another $22. $92 for a basic dinner and a movie seems like a lot.
• So over the years, I’ve developed a list of some of our favorite at-home date ideas. We’ve found that even if we are just spending un-interrupted time together after the kids go to bed but are intentionally not on our phones or computers, we have a great time and can rekindle some of that fun quality time spontaneity and romance of our early dating years.
At-Home Date Ideas
• Unfortunately, a good 60-minute massage can cost at least $70 in our area, and as a mom, it is hard to get away for over an hour on a regular basis, even if budget allows.
• A great solution would be for my husband and I to give each other massages, but for a long time I was out of luck because he didn’t enjoy giving them and I didn’t want to always nag him to massage my shoulders when they were sore.
• A few months ago, he gave me one of the best gifts ever and not only got an at-home massage course but watched the videos and learned how to do it!
• The PG-rated Melt Massage For Couples course is taught by a husband and wife team in an easy-to-learn format and the full course costs less than a date night away from home or both of us getting only one massage.
Massage (My favorite)
• I’m lucky because one of his favorite date ideas is also a favorite of mine: watching sports. We share favorite baseball and football teams and have weekly dates to watch games.
• Not an at-home idea, but for big anniversaries or birthdays, I’ll try to work out getting actual tickets to a game so we can go together.
Sports (his favorite)
• If you don’t already have a Chess board and set, you can pick up an inexpensive one and learn to play together.
• It’s fun and great for your mind, and also a great game to teach your kids!
Chess
• We built a fire pit in our backyard and some of our favorite at-home dates involve sitting by the fire, sipping wine, and just talking.
Rekindle the Fire (literally)
We enjoy watching documentaries together and often this leads to good conversation about a controversial topic. Some great documentaries that are available on Netflix or Amazon to stream online are:
• Jiro Dreams of Sushi • Fed Up • The Business of Being Born • Man on Wire • Microbirth
Documentary Date
• Really fun date ideas that also help you learn more about each other.
• There are several personality tests you can take for free online (Myers Briggs Free Version, Love Languages, Color Code Basic Analysis, etc.) and some that are low-cost and really interesting (Color Code Full Version, Fascinate, etc.).
Personality Quizzes
• These require a babysitter or leaving home, unless you happen to live on a lot of land, but spending time outdoors and disconnected from technology is a great way to reconnect.
Hiking or Camping
• We don’t watch much TV, but over the years, there have been a few series that we’ve really enjoyed and that gave us an excuse for regular date nights at home.
• We usually don’t watch them live but record them or watch on Hulu or Netflix later so that we can avoid the commercials and watch once the kids are in bed.
A new Show
• Cooking together can be a lot of fun, especially when trying new recipes or cuisines.
• Pick a recipe to make together.
• If you have the time, pick a movie that corresponds to the cuisines and enjoy dinner and a movie. Make an Italian meal and watch an Italian movie together, or try your hand at sushi making and watch Jiro Dreams of Sushi.
Cook Together
For more unique and affordable date ideas, Click here.
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