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Since having our third child, I have started to notice that my husband and I are so busy all of the time we don’t even have time for a date night. I stay at home and he works from home, so you would think that we would spend plenty of time together, right? Wrong. Having three kids has been a whole new level of difficulty in our parenting journey. It seems like our girls are constantly arguing, while the baby is crying and needs to be fed.
It’s easy to get grumpy and take out all of my frustrations on my husband. It’s even easier when we don’t talk or spend any time together, away from taking care of our children. We have learned that making our marriage a priority makes us better parents. We are a team that needs each other.
If we are not getting any alone time or real conversations, than its going to lead to negative thoughts and bad attitudes. We knew that something needed to change and I wanted to share with you what we have done to make time for each other each week and that includes having a date night.
Once a week, we watch a movie together. Also, I plan ahead to make one of our favorite, quick and easy dinners. We love this sausage dip recipe from The Two Bite Club. I serve these with tortilla chips for James and baked lavish bread for me. I usually make a yummy trim healthy mama treat to snack on while we watch our movie. We put the kids to bed and we snuggle up while we watch our movie together.
By doing this once a week, it has allowed us to take the time out of our busy schedules to spend time together just like we did before we had children. For me, I’m tired at the end of the day but having a genuine, meaningful conversation is something that I crave as a stay at home mom. We try to pick movies that encourage conversation and have somewhat family-appropriate content. Sometimes the movies we watch, inspire us to think and talk about a certain subject together. It may have to do with our family or just life in general.
Just to be clear, our date nights are not perfect. They are not glamorous or fancy, but it’s what we are able to do in this season of life. Many times we will have to pause the movie and put the kids back to bed or take someone potty or give the baby his pacifier. With three kids, four and under, we are well accustomed to interruptions.
Now, I understand that more goes into a marriage than watching a movie together, but setting aside this time each week has helped us to really enjoy being together again. I look forward to Saturday nights now and it’s fun to pick out a movie that doesn’t have anything to do with fairies or talking animals.
What do you do to make time for date night? How do you make time to invest in your marriage while taking care of little ones?
Simple, Free Cheap Date Ideas for Married Couples
Under this subheading I want to take out time to recommend to parents, live in partners and married couples, couple of free cheap date ideas that can work for you and your spouse.
From my experience with my husband, I think I am somewhat qualified to give you such free date ideas that have worked over time for us.
This doesn’t mean you can not have yours still, but here are some new things to throw in as spice here and there to brighten things up or to just try something entirely new.
Some of them include date night ideas at home and even cheap romantic date ideas you can just have at the comfort of your home, a restaurant, at the garden or even in a church, a park or any free public area.
I have categorized my ideas in to groups and I will take them one by one
unique date night ideas
There are so many things you and your partner can enjoy for a date night, and as you know, it’s better to do the things you love and here are some recommended ideas.
1. Hobbies swap
On a cool evening when you both may have retired the kids to bed, you both can hop on the couch or on your bed and have this sweetheart fun time – hobby swap.
This is you both talking about your hobbies to each other and teaching the other something about it. Sounds like a new idea, right?
The spicy thing about this is that you don’t even remember doing that hobby of yours in a while just because there are kids now who take your time.
Well, while you and your partner are on that sofa, couch or bed, you can reminisce on that you love doing and talk to each other about it. You would be surprised how this unique date night idea can spurn out that sweet desire from your spouse.
2. Plan a future trip together
While you may argue why this fall under unique date night idea, you would be surprise about the uniqueness of discussing about a trip together on a cool evening.
The uniqueness of this is that it’s in the quiet time of your room where there is no echoes of the world around.
Not ruling out there may be kids now, remember it is a future trip you are planning together. So, there will be the time to execute it.
But just discussing it alone is a beautiful date idea for you both to enjoy the night together.
3. Go to a local Trivia Night around you
Yeh! Another one here. Trivia nights are beautiful moments couples can have together where they get to see what your partner is interested in.
Learning about your partner doesn’t get old. And trivia questions brings even new ideas you both can learn over again.
Another unique thing about a trivia night setting is that they are surrounded with music, and movies to keep the vibes going for you.
cheap romantic date ideas
1. Go bowling
Bowling can be really fun! A double date night is all you need to strike the romance. Oh yes, romance must not only do with cuddling. A little play time is also romantic.
This romantic date idea is rather relatively cheap. But check around your locals to see if there’s a special event coming up.
2. A visit to a Trampoline Park
While trampoline parks are generally known for kids, it’s really not just for kids. Some trampoline parks accommodate for adults also with games like dodgeball which you and your partner can partake in.
But even if you may not fancy competitive sports you both can still jump around. That’s the fun of romance, isn’t it?
3. Attend a comedy show
Fun time! Laugh time! Gat that favorite comedian you love? Even if there isn’t just any random comedy show is cool for the night.
A night time to laugh out loud in the arms of your partner. Such a beautiful romance
Cheap Date Night Ideas at Home
Now, you may not want to be far from your kids and would love to spend that date night at home. Well, here are some free date ideas for a cheap date night for married couples at home.
Mind you, cheap is the emphasis here. So that means something quite different from the ideas I already gave from earlier for home date night.
So here, you are going to be setting up s unique serene environment to imitate a wonderland.
1. Cook a new meal together
While you may already have a meal plan for the week or month, something out of the blue could be a unique romantic way to spend a date night and mind you, that’s even cheap.
All you have to spend on is just grocery shopping for what you need for just the night.
Just in case you don’t already have a meal plan for your home yet, here‘s a guide on how to prepare a simple meal plan.
So, you can search Pinterest or a couple of recipe websites for a new recipe you can cook together and share turns at putting in ingredients.
2. Have a Spa Night
Spa is not only for the spa! You can have a fun spa time too at home. Get some cucumbers, bath bubbles and foot lotion, then get ready to spoil each other. Pamper yourselves both. You deserve that romantic date night together.
3. Take a scenic drive
Do you know you enjoy the beauty of nature when you watch the landscape on a cool bright evening? How many times have you stopped to experience this just anywhere?
At the hills, the woods, backroad trips are just few of such places to behold the beauty of nature and guess what, this is cheap or almost free. Just gas fee for your car.
This is a compiled list of cheap date ideas for married couples and at home date night ideas that can help cool off and rejuvenate that romantic feeling you and your spouse had before the kids started coming. Even where there are no kids yet, just the time coming is enough to wear you both out.
A little fun here and there is enough to spice things up again.
So, get up and go put this free date ideas to use with your partner.
