If you are trying to live a frugal life, dating can be the worst.
Especially when you’re married and want to keep the magic alive, it’s hard to have a limited amount of funds to spend with your sweetie. I’ve (recently) taken this as another chance to get creative and find ways to save money and still have fun.
Before I share some of our date night ideas, I will admit that Fred and I are still working on this. We’re still learning how to date on a budget and still have fun. We have a little date night envelope where we give ourselves $50/month to spend. That’s only $12.50/week, which doesn’t leave us a lot of options, so we’ve done some trial and error to find out what’s worth spending money on and what we enjoy doing on dates.
Our normal date night is Tuesday night, so here are some fun deals that we’ve found for this night of the week:
On Tuesday nights, Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt has a buy one get one free (in the Langley stores, you need to check your local Menchie’s to see what nights they have BOGO). So tasty and affordable!
This is our local “cheap” theatre. On Tuesday nights tickets are only $5 and you can buy popcorn for $2.50 if you bring your own container. We’ve had so much fun seeing some movies that we like or movies that we wouldn’t have considered seeing at full price. (The best week was “Frozen” and “Catching Fire” on a $5 ticket night! #boom)
Most cities have a cheap theatre or a drive-in, so do a bit of research to find out what fun little family place you can find! (At The Clova the owner sometimes tells jokes before the movie – what could be more fun than that?)
For those of you in the lower mainland, Colossus offers half-price admission on Tuesdays.
This is great option for us because we don’t have $24 for both of us to be admitted to a movie, but we do have $14.50 ($7.25 each). Our theatre doesn’t offer matinees, so it’s out of luck for us if we want a more frugal option for ticket prices – that’s why this Tuesday thing is great! We can go to the “real theatre” without breaking the bank.
Here are some frugal ideas that work any night of the week.
4. Little Caesar’s Pizza
Sometimes you just want to order a pizza and have a night at home, but this can also be pricy. Our favourite is to get a pepperoni pizza and crazy bread for less than $10. Score!
We usually pair this with an evening in where we watch a movie and just spend time together. (Bonus: It’s also great because it means that I don’t have to cook dinner those nights!)
5. Picnics
Sounds cheesy, but this is actually a really fun date night. You can have a picnic in your living room for a more solitary date night, or you can find a nice park or beach to have sandwiches (or leftovers) and spend some time together talking.
This can be simple (sandwiches at the park) or more planned and romantic (chocolate-covered strawberries, music, candles, and a little note or gift for your significant other). It’s up to you!
6. Groupon Deals
Some of you have likely used Groupon to find some savings (if not, you should check it out). This isn’t always the best way to find deals, but sometimes you stumble upon something fun. One time we went to a corn maze/petting zoo/got a pumpkin for $10 at a local farm. Really fun day for us! (See pic to the left)
Other fun things you can find are coupons to restaurants you wouldn’t normally try or events that you might not consider going to unless you have a coupon. This is a fun way to explore some options in your city without paying full price! Just make sure to read the fine print before you buy any vouchers.
Sometimes, like tonight, we don’t do anything out of the ordinary and just stay home and spend time together (this week we’re both sick). It’s good for me to remember that dating (especially when you’re married) isn’t about how much money you spend or what you do, but it’s about getting to know someone better and spending quality time with them on a regular basis.
Now it’s your turn! What are some of your date night deals or frugal date ideas? Leave a reply below!
Disclaimer: None of these companies or products paid or compensated me at all. I’m just sharing my favourite date night places and deals and added links for your convenience.