Times are tough and everyone is cutting back on spending. One of the things we have cut back on is date night. Many believe that dating means fancy restaurants, going to the most exclusive clubs, etc. But what we forget is that you can have a romantic evening without spending a fortune.
What makes the date night special is not how much you spend but the time you spend together. The couple is what makes that evening special. Think back at when you were younger, in high school and even college. You didn’t have much money to spend.
Your budget was limited because of course; you didn’t earn enough to splurge. So you made the best of it. The most popular date was a dinner and a movie. Of course, dinner was not at an exclusive restaurant. Teenagers went to fast food restaurants or pizza. It was fun; you sat there, ate your dinner and talked. Anyways, you didn’t even realize if the food was that great, you were too busy staring at your date. You were in love, mesmerized.
Why not do that again. Of course, many of us don’t want to be in a fast food restaurant but we can have nice inexpensive sit down restaurant. Today, due to the economy, many offer specials. They offer 3 course dinners for less than $20.00 for a couple. Another good date idea is to check your local listings. There are always events going on, especially during the summer. Most of them are free and for those that you have to purchase tickets, the cost is minimal. They have live music, special acts, magic shows, etc. It can be a lot of fun.
There are also local areas that show movies, have plays, or play music in the evening at the parks. You can pack up some food in a picnic basket and sit on a blanket under a tree. Enjoy your food and each other’s company. So far you can see that you can have fun for a lot less. Another fun thing to do is go to the lake or the beach. The beach is the best, because in the evening the view is spectacular. It can’t get any more romantic than that.
But the other good thing about spending a day at the beach is the evening. There are areas on the beach that you can get a drink, a bite to eat and listen to some music. If you want to make it a date night away from home, then find a hotel on the beach. Now you may think that they are expensive but you will be surprised to know that many will offer you a special rate. The hotel will do anything to fill up their rooms.
If this is still too much, then do date night at home. As a couple, make a special dinner, do it together. Spending some time cooking can be fun. When dinner is served, dim the lights and light some candles. You can have some of your favorite music playing in the background. Sit, eat, and talk. It’s like you are getting to know each other again. Don’t talk about work, finances, family, have a conversation that is different. About each other, you might find out things about each other you never knew.
Open up a bottle of wine and sit down to see a favorite movie you both enjoy. To make it fair for the couple, why not rent a romantic comedy. This way the movie is not too mushy. This can be very special, just being with each other, enjoying each other’s company and just rekindling the romance. This can be done once a week or every other night.
When you are planning a special night out but you don’t have lots of money to spend, think of fun things to do as a couple. Just going to a park and going for a walk together can be romantic. Remember, romance is not about money or location. It’s about the couple. They create the ambience and the romance; it comes from their desire to be with each other and the love they share.