20 Budget Friendly Date Ideas

I love going on dates with my husband, whether they are little mini-dates we catch here and there or a full day together. I love that feeling of just reconnecting with him and being able to give him my full attention without interruption. I think it’s so important to take time out of our busy lives to solely focus on each other. It keeps our marriage alive.

Romance doesn’t have to be expensive to be great! Here is a list of free or nearly free ideas to make your dating a pure pleasure:

• Have a winter picnic. Put a blanket on the living room floor, grab the pillows off the couch, turn the TV off (or to the fireplace channel), turn the music on and light candles.  Feed each other chocolate covered strawberries.  Take time and enjoy each other.

• Wake your love up early. Have coffee and donuts then head outside to watch the sunrise together.

• Take a spontaneous drive without having any destination in mind. Turn the music up, sing together, hold hands and enjoy the ride. Make a love song “mix tape” to enjoy during your drive.  This one is one of my favs!

• Get a movie or 2, popcorn (movie theater if you like), boxes of candy, favorite drinks, and curl up on the couch together to watch a movie. Wait until the kids are sleeping or send them to grandma’s house for the night if you can.

• Buy a pizza and play board games together.  We love Scattergories.  And when you gamble kisses, it makes losing not so bad.

• Celebrate your married romance by spending the day in bed together watching TV.  Only get out of bed to grab snacks then hop right back in.

• Go to the drive-in, pack snacks and a blanket and get cozy in the back seat.

• Go shooting together, something we love to do.  I mean, hello, seeing your guy handle a gun is pretty hot.  Just remember, safety first!  

• Have a spa day by pampering each other with massages, candles and music.

• Sleep in, snuggling together, before heading out to a local coffee shop to start the day off slow together. Take time to hang out for an hour and catch up!

• Relive your first date.

• Write a love letter to each other, exchanging them after a candle light dinner.

• Volunteer together at a shelter.

• Park somewhere with a pretty sunset, and talk – learn how to become better friends, and laugh a lot. Sometimes it just feels good to get out of the house and look at God’s creation with your best friend.

• Have a “remember when” night. Reminisce about your dating days, when you fell in love and recall some of your best memories.  Look through old photo albums together and listen to music from back in the day.

• Take dance lessons. The sexier the better. Salsa anyone?

• Go shopping and walk through the mall, holding hands of course!

• Go off the grid for the weekend- no cell phones, no TV, no computers. You’ll be amazed at what you do for entertainment.

• Head to the ATM and get out $20. Drive around to some local yard sales and see what you end up with! There are tons on the weekends!  Or you could each take $10 and have a little competition.  Winner gets a massage!

• Fill the bed of the truck up with pillows + blankets, head out in a field and hop in the back to count your lucky stars.  Don’t forget to take some yummy nibbles along.  Have you ever saw a shooting star?  It’s super romantic and you’ll be entertained for hours trying to recognize the stars and looking for them.