8 Date Ideas from Frugal To Fancy

My husband and I have been married eight years now, and we love to date each other. Even though money is tight and good babysitters are hard to come by, we really try to make it a priority to send time together, just the two of us. Here are some of our favorite date night ideas.

I received tickets to an event for this post, all opinions and ideas are my own. 

Free

Because of busy schedules and living on a students budget, many weeks our date night ends up being an “At Home Date”.

“Faux-mantic Dinner” On these nights I try to fix the kids dinner a little early and we wait to have dinner after they have gone to bed. I don’t make anything different or fancy, we just wait to eat it until we are alone. It is amazing how much conversation you can get in when you are not monitoring food consumption and table manners! Throw some candles on the table and it feels just like you are at a real restaurant, you just have to get your own refills. To really make it special plan on your dates favorite foods and spend a little extra time in the kitchen.

“Healthy Competition” One of our favorite at home dates is Nintendo Wii night. My husband and I were best friends in high school, so settling in for a heated match of Mario Cart takes us right back to our early dating years. Halo more your style? Great! Whatever works for you! It is a great way to get some good laughs in with your significant other. Wanna spice things up a bit, make a wager on the game!

Practically Free

A few bucks can go a long way in dating!

“Movie Night-“ We love to grab a movie rental to watch after the kids go to sleep. With services like RedBox, Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon, getting a movie to watch has never been easier or more affordable. The catch? Treat your home theater like a real theater, no phones or interruptions! It is better than a movie theater though because you can cuddle!

“Ice Cream and a Stroll-“ I am a sucker for a good soft serve or frozen yogurt. We love to grab a cup or cone and head to a gorgeous park near our home. We could spend hours just strolling and talking. I think so many of us get wrapped up in our day to day lives that we forget how good it feels to really connect and chat with your spouse or significant other. No electronics, no distractions, just some good old bonding time.

Average

Sometimes we like to just head out on a normal date. One of our favorite ways to make dates like these happen is to swap babysitting with a friend. Then we can spend that money on our date instead of our babysitter!

“Drive In-“ When was the last time you went to the drive in movie? Do you have one near you? We do and it is one of our favorite date destinations. We love to grab take out on the way and fill the back of our car with pillows and blankets. For the price of a regular movie ticket we get to see two movies! It is a great twist on the typical dinner and a movie.

“Active-“ Going somewhere to be active can be fun too. We love to hit a rock climbing gym or driving range as part of a date. Maybe you have a local bowling alley you love or miniature golf course. Either way it is something different to do that allows you to talk and hang out, something movie theaters discourage.

Splurge

Occasionally we love to really splurge on our dates. Usually we are celebrating something, a birthday, an anniversary, or a special accomplishment.

“Eat, eat, eat-“ Is there a fancy or spendy restaurant you have just been dying to try, do it! Obviously this isn’t something most couples can do all the time, but every once and a while, go for it!

“Be Entertained-” If you ask my husband what my very favorite thing to do on a date is to go to some sort of live show. I LOVE concerts and any sort of live stage performances. Tickets to an event are the sure fire ticket straight to my heart. We are getting ready to celebrate our anniversary and I am checking a major event off my bucket list.

I have wanted to go to a Cirque du Soleil show for years!! I was so excited to find out that Cirque du Soleil’s Varekai, will be at the US Airways Center here in Phoenix February 18 – 22, 2015.

The word Varekai (pronounced ver·ay·’kie) means “wherever” in the Romany language of the gypsies the universal wanderers.  Directed by Dominic Champagne, this production pays tribute to the nomadic soul, to the spirit and art of the circus tradition, and to those who quest with infinite passion along the path that leads to Varekai.

With amazingly talented performers and acts that include aerial hoops and straps, clowns, hand balancing on canes, juggling, Russian swings and so much more, I know we are in for an incredible night. We don’t get to really splurge on date nights that often, but I know that this will be worth it!

Are you looking for a special night our with your loved one? Tickets for this event can be found here and range from $40-$100. To see if this show is coming to a city near you check here.

Have you ever been to a Cirque du Soleil show before? What is your favorite kind of date night?