It’s Friday night and you feel like you and your spouse haven’t connected in ages. However, it’s pretty close to pay day and you can’t pay for a babysitter right now. What to do? Fear not! Here are some great tips for a cheap date night at home!

1. Late Night Movie. Put the kids to bed and then cuddle on the couch for a fun flick. Action, adventure, romance? Your pick! Watch a video and pop some popcorn, or see the newest thing out on Netflix or your cable provider. After, you can chat about your favorite or least favorite parts and hopefully connect and relax all at the same time.

2. Board Game Bonanza. Forget about Candyland. Dust off board games for grownups like Scrabble, Pictionary, Risk or whatever tickles your fancy. A little friendly competition can be a catalyst for other kinds of grown up games! Try card games if you want too! Maybe you’ll even try something with “strip” in the title.

3. Dining In. Again, getting your children tucked in and off to dreamland is key. Also, feeding them dinner early is a must for this. When you are preparing the kids dinner, start prep for something nicer for yourselves. If you have a little cash on hand, do a little planning earlier in the week. Think make it at home Chinese food with paper lanterns, a fun tablecloth, mood lighting, or an Italian feast with candles, a little opera in the background, evocative of the mood you are trying to set. While one of you is getting the kids down for the night, the other should set the scene, and, if you want to go all out, change clothes. Dress up a little. You may have to use your imagination but who says you can’t transform your dining room into a little Italian bistro or French café?

4. Stargaze. Remember when you were dating, how simple things seemed like so much fun? Grab a bottle of wine and a blanket and head out in the backyard to look at the stars. Talk about your week, make out or discuss your future while you take in the beauty of the night sky.

5. Personal Masseuse. Give each other a back rub or a full on massage. Non-sexual touch is important for every relationship, but spoiler alert here, this is one date that usually ends with everyone’s clothes off! Out of massage oil? Olive oil or coconut oil work in a pinch too.

6. Bubble Bath For Two. Hop in the tub and wash all the weeks cares away! Set the mood with candles and music if you wish. If your tub isn’t big enough for two, you can take turns bathing each other or hop into the shower together.

7. Play 20 Questions or “Would You Rather?” Feeling a little distant? Let loose and let the questions fly. Maybe you will uncover a hidden side of your spouse you never knew about or hear about high school shenanigans for the first time.

8. Tell Me A Story. Get a book you are both interested in reading. Read it separately and discuss or take turns reading to each other. If there is nothing you want to read at the moment, make up your own. It could be fun seeing what you could come up with!

9. Get Cooking! Search yard sales for an ice cream maker or bread maker. Grab ingredients and see what kinds of creations you could come up with. Coffee-lavender pistachio ice cream anyone?

10. Remember When? If things have been a little rough lately, maybe it’s time to remember why you fell for each other in the first place. Look through your wedding album, watch your wedding video or write the story of how you fell in love down together to preserve it for your children and future grandkids.

11. Get Active! Play a friendly game of twister, bust a groove with a video dance game or anything that is sure to get you moving and giggling. Not only will it flood you with feel good feelings (aka serotonin), but it might get you in the mood for other activities!

12. Are You Compatible? I don’t believe that any personality system should have any bearings on who you marry but taking some personality quizzes, learning each other’s love languages, etc. could give you some real insight into how your partner ticks and give you a new appreciation for each other.

13. Set Goals. Whether you have been together 1 year, 5 years or 10, it is likely that you both have a picture of the future in your mind. Make sure those futures match up by talking about what you want your lives to look like five or ten years from now. If you are feeling motivated, set goals to make sure you actually get to that place in the future that you are dreaming of.

14. Plan A Trip. Even if you don’t have vacation plans anytime soon, just thinking about the places you could go has been proven to put you in a good mood. Talk about trips you have taken in the past and places you would like to go in the future. Spend a little time online together looking at places to stay and sights you would like the see if you get a chance to take your dream getaway.

15. Search For Your Dream Home. Maybe you are renting or maybe you already own a home. Chances are though, that your current situation might leave something to be desired. Whether it’s size, neighborhood, number of bathrooms, we all are looking for something just right. Even if you aren’t ready to increase your mortgage, passing an evening looking at free online real estate sites can help you see what’s available when you are ready to move and can give you a better idea of what your joint dream home might look like.

I hope one or a few of these ideas have piqued your interest. Surprising your spouse with one of them is sure to paint a smile on their face. Have a great night!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider sharing it...
12000