Spending quality time together as a couple (especially if you have children or a family on the way) is vital as it can help you enhance your relationship and improve communication. Researchers have shown that couples who spend time doing enjoyable and exciting things together enjoy quality relationships. Date nights can mean one-on-one time or even as a couple in a small group setting.
Cost-effective date planning is important at every level of the dating game, and remembers that cheap does not mean boring! If anything, it allows you to be a little more inventive and creative when it comes to planning the date. You also get to come up with out-of-the-box concepts and put in that extra effort. And that can pay dividends!
Cook a Meal Together
Cooking a meal together is a wonderful opportunity to spend some quality time together. Try a new fancy dish or choose a meal from a country you would like to visit. Research recipes in your granny’s old cookbook or look for recipes online or watch a classic cooking show to get the juices flowing. It may even become a weekly or monthly “date” whereby you can discover more about each other’s tastes. You can even collaborate on a monthly food plan and bulk cook. Set the table, light some candles, and sit down to enjoy your delicious home-cooked meal that will taste better because it is prepared with love!
Plan a Hike Finished by a Romantic Picnic
Fresh air, sunny skies, and blood pumping through your veins – what better way to spend a date than an energetic hike. You could plan to end the hike off with a splash in a waterfall followed by some cheese and wine alfresco. A picnic is a terrific way to spice things up on the cheap, whether you go for a classic outdoor picnic or spread a blanket inside or on a rooftop with a view.
Watch the Sunrise or Sunset
While on the subject of picnics, a breakfast or sundowner picnic is the ultimate in romance as you snap some great photos of the sunrise or sunset with the love of your life. Go out of your way to see the sun and the sky in all its glory from a different perspective.
Have a Games Night
For a budget-friendly but fun date, you can plan a games night at home. You can dust off the classic board games like Monopoly or try your hand at strategic games like Settlers of Catan. This is perfect for a double date as the more, the merrier – competition can be fun.
For a change of pace, you could visit Online Casinos to play your favorite games from UK casinos, live or online, with your partner. If you want the feel of a land-based casino without leaving your home, live casinos are ideal. You can play live dealer games from anywhere, and you don’t have to wait for the casino to open. The goal of live casino gambling is the same as it is for non-live betting — whether you’re playing traditional blackjack, roulette, baccarat, or poker, the goal is the same: fun!
You could even borrow the gaming console from your kids and have a laugh while you challenge each other. Puzzles are another perfect way to spend an evening. Chess is a great way to show your significant other who is King or Queen! Up the stakes by agreeing that the loser does the dishes for a week!
Date Like a Teenager
A great evening out where you get to act like youngsters in love can be just the ticket. Go to the arcade, go bowling or play miniature golf. Pretend you are both PGA champs on the putt-putt course and make the loser pay for dinner. Playing paintball can be an exhilarating but messy (sometimes painful)—activity, especially if you’re both competitive. Wind up the date sharing a monster-size milkshake and a plate of chips!
Boost Your Brains – Learn a Language or an Instrument
See if there are any free courses or programs offered in your area, or if not, look online. From learning to play a musical instrument to learning a new language, this is a great way to spend time with your partner while also expanding your mind. Learning a new language can lead to more enjoyable date nights as it can become a recurring date as you can start conversing with each other in a new language. You can also sign up for dance classes together, either at home (online) or in person. This is a great way to learn a new skill and work up a sweat at the same time.
Sing Karaoke Together
For some good, clean fun that will make memories to tell the grandchildren about, sing karaoke together. Find the cheesiest ballads you can think of! Try songs like “Like I’m Gonna Lose You” by Meghan Trainor and John Legend, “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” by Elton John and Kiki Dee, “Shallow” by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, or even “We Go Together” by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John from the movie Grease.
If you are not brave enough to do it in front of an audience, set it up at home. Look for videos on YouTube, turn on the subtitles, turn the lights down low, and sing your hearts out! Brooms and mops work well as “microphone stands,” as do traditional hairbrushes.
Art Gallery or Museum Meandering
Some museums and galleries may charge a fee for admission, but others offer free or subsidized days or hours during the week. Find one or a few that may be of interest to both of you. Become culture vultures and take the opportunity to mingle with fascinating individuals on an educational journey. Libraries are further underappreciated places to visit. You could attend a workshop at your local library or listen to a local speaker. You may even want to join a book club.
Volunteer
Assisting others in need could bring you and your partner closer together. Why not volunteer in a homeless shelter, at the local soup kitchen, or visit an animal shelter? You may not be able to adopt a pet, but the love and attention you can offer to the furry creatures will bring joy to their lives.
Ride a Bike, Fly a Kite, or Learn to Skate
Bike riding is not only great exercise, but it’s also the perfect way to get some fresh air and do some sightseeing. Tandem riding may not be your thing, but you can rent bikes or ride your own through the local park or along a nature route. Fly a kite together – it’s not as easy as it looks! Go skating together – roller skating, inline skating, or even ice skating will do. What better excuse to spend the afternoon holding hands with your other half!
The Beatles had the right idea when they sang “All You Need Is Love,” but they also understood life when they said, “Can’t Buy Me Love.” So, take advice from the fab four and do your research when it comes to cheap and cheerful date night ideas.
