Dating your spouse when your budget is tight

Doing it on a budget

Money can be a big factor in keeping spouses from dating, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are a few ideas for fitting date night into your budget.

1. There are lots of dates that cost little to nothing. Picnics in the park, fire nights at home, all you really need is intentionality and a little creativity. Approach an ordinary afternoon with connection in mind and boom – date!
2. Date night swap – one of the biggest barriers for parents is the cost of babysitting. Set up a monthly swap with friends so that you can get a date night in and give a date night to some friends. You’ll both save on babysitting costs AND get in some special time with your spouse. That’s a win-win!
3. Another idea for parents – share a sitter! We occasionally have a sitter watch our kids and our friends’ kids. We pay our sitter a little more per hour than we normally would and both couples get to hit the town for a bit. This may not seem like a great solution for parents of young kids, but it can work if you time it right and have good sleepers 🙂
4. Make it special at home. One of our best at home date nights happened when Clement transformed our living room into a den of romance. He set out soft blankets and squishy pillows and then created a low table using a couple of plastic baskets and a leaf from our dining room table. We lounged and snacked on cheese, crackers, and grapes while sipping wine. Add some candles and music – It was perfect! We spent around $20 (not fancy wine and cheese, just delicious wine and cheese) and the evening was perfect.

Money issues put a strain on marriage, but by finding inexpensive date nights, you can keep the connection and stay in budget.

Conversation starters

1. What financial barriers are preventing you from squeezing in a date night?
2. When it comes to dating your spouse, how much money can you realistically and responsibly set aside in your budget?
3. How creative can you be with an at home date night?