Nationwide Date Night is the 18th! Are you planning a date with your spouse? Are you fresh out of ideas and maybe fresh out of money too?
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Please leave a comment below sharing some of your date night ideas. You might be the winner of all of Kathi’s marriage books!
Our winner is D’ana H! Thanks everyone for participating!
We just went climbing at an indoor rock wall complex. We had a great time encouraging one another and competing a little. Then we went to dinner. Most dates, we plan to be back after the babysitter has gotten our 5 kids to bed.
1. We walk around our subdivision & cook breakfast together before work.
2. After candle lit dinner we wash dishes together singing the songs the choir sang on previous Sunday.
3. We follow each other to the doctors visit & go out for brunch.
4. We purchase a gift card to each other’s favorite restaurant & add funds a little at at time from each paycheck depending on which restaurant until we get enough to go out. ( we have 3 kids in college)
5. I prepare his favorite snack & we study the Sunday school lesson together weekly over popcorn.
One of the things my husband and I have gotten fond of is dropping the kids off at my parents house and then hubby and I going back to my house, watching a movie (either rented or on Netflix) and getting some snuggle time in alone!
When my husband and I first got married, he was a senior in college (and we were shelling out money for med school applications) and I was doing social work and making about $20,000 a year. Our entire grocery and household items budget for a MONTH was $40 (this was 19 years ago!). We both fondly remember going to a local laundromat in town on Friday nights and using their arcade machines (we had a washer/dryer with our apartment, so we didn’t need the laundry portion!). My favorite was Ms. Pacman, and his was Galaga (gotta love the 80’s!). We could each have four quarters and we’d take turns watching the other one play and cheering them on. If we played well, our $2 would last about an hour and a half. Otherwise, better luck next week!
We have a child who is allergic to some food items, some of which we enjoy! So we enjoy a shared ice cream treat or meal that we like but can’t have in our home. A simple thing.
Now that our children are all in school we go out to lunch together once a week.
We also like to go on bike rides together.
My husband and I are missionaries at a university in Eastern Europe. Due to my husband’s work schedule and our two babies, we must have date mornings! We have a sweet student that comes each Thursday morning that watches the children (19 months and 5 months) for a few hours. My husband and I love to go to our favorite pastry shop and eat pastries and play card games together. Even though our dates don’t always happen in the evening, I love our date mornings and the time we spend together.
Camping out in the living room to eat and watch Netflix.
We love to grab a nice bottle of wine and put on a game of name that tune. Each of us plays a song on you tube and the partner has to guess the song. When you lose you have to take off an article of clothing. After all clothes are off then it favors that we play for..It’s always a win win for the both of us.
Going to eat dinner without the kids. Sitting on the same side of the table during dinner. Thanks for all of the wonderful date night ideas!
I decided to give my husband a date of the month as a Christmas gift so I searched through Pinterest for a year’s worth of ideas. It was a lot of fun. I didn’t do nearly as good of a job planning to get them done each month, so we are still working on it 2 years later, but here is one that we did and we both enjoyed.
BOOKSTORE DATE from Dating Divas
#1 – Visit the COOKING section & chose a recipe that you would like to make for your spouse.
#2 – Visit the MAGAZINE section & find a quiz in a magazine that you and your spouse could do together.
#3 – Visit the CHILDREN’S section & find a book that was a favorite when you were a child or that holds a special memory for you…and read them to each other when you meet back up.
And then on the 2nd task card, it has:
#1 – Visit the JOKE section and pick out a HI-LA-RI-OUS joke to share with your spouse.
#2 – Visit the TRAVEL section and find a picture or information on a place you would like to visit someday.
#3 – Visit the POEM section and find a poem that describes the way you feel about your spouse.
We are starting to rebuild after a difficult situation. We go on long walks to talk and hold hands (most important). Sitting in a cafe to share some banana bread and once again, communicate.
Even after 30 yrs of marriage, there is hope and you should always make time to date ?
Our favorite is selecting a movie together and spooning on the couch while we watch; munching on fun snacks and also including massages. We also enjoy watching football games together.
We have been going on daily walks and we say that is our date. It gives us a chance to talk about our day.
We are trying something new and adventurous this Friday. We’re off to try our hand at zip lining and a rope course. Neither of us has ever tried it. Looking for a fun time just being together learning something new. Then it’s off to a romantic dinner. Can’t wait for Friday to get here.
We go out for dinner once a month without the kids. It’s a great time to relax, and talk about everything. We like going out for coffee after dinner along with a walk in a park.
My husband Tom and I have been married for 6 years now and our favorite dates are going to out of state weddings (we live in Phoenix, AZ) We are still in the season of life where many of our friends are getting married all over the country. We book the grandparents to watch our daughters and we set out for weddings all the way in Michigan to Washington state. When we are there we make a point to see all the local spots we can, and we even do some random things like go apple picking in Michigan to blueberry picking in Washington. (For those who don’t know this is foreign to most Arizonans, unless you have citrus trees) We ask locals we meet where are great places to eat and we always find these hidden gems (it’s sort of like adventure dinning). We make great memories in new places and we get to celebrate our newly married friends by celebrating our own marriage in the process.
With 4 kids, we enjoy any & all alone time we get. Thanks for the ideas.
Pack an easy but delicious picnic of fresh fruit, different cheeses, crackers, and our favorite chocolates. Go hiking near the lake and enjoy the picnic at a spot along the way.
take the kids to his parents, then he grills steaks and we have a chance to talk and eat ice cream. 🙂
We have a lot of fun together. One of our favorite dates is a sunrise at the lakefront (Lake Michigan) where Brian takes awesome pictures. We spell out words in the sand or rocks for cards….always including a heart and love. Then it’s off to breakfast at a place we find on the way….a new place each time, local, no chains….LOVE spending time together and being creative too!
We take a drive on the Parkway and stop and look at the wildlife. So romantic!
Sometimes just watching a t.v. series or streaming a movie.
We’ll go to a park and walk around for an hour or two. Great conversations, and it’s free!
We live in San Diego and now that all the tourist have gone home we love to walk on the boardwalk by the ocean. This time of year is beautiful and there is never a big crowd anymore. There is nothing better than a pumpkin spice latte, a sweater and holding your honey’s hand while strolling together.
We watch Netflix together.
My husband & I have two grown children & three grandchildren living with us so we try to get away as much as possible for couple time. Sometimes we just go out to eat & then just go for a ride. We live in a rural area so there’s not much to do without driving about 30 minutes to 1 hour to a theater & nicer restaurants. When we can afford it we will get away for the weekend even if it’s just in our little camper!
We live about 45 min from the college campus where we met. On nice autumn evenings, we’ve had wonderful dates strolling around the campus and recalling memories from our dating years, then stopping for coffee or an inexpensive dinner close by. We’ve brought our kids along for a college memories stroll at other times and let them hear some of our funnier adventures.
At the end of every year we buy the “Cinemark Popcorn & Soda Refill Special” then we go to the Movie on the Discount Day (Different Days at some locations). $6.00 each movie ticket, $3.50 for Popcorn, $3.50 Soda or I use my Cinemode Reward for free Soda from the last movie. $19.00 for two or $15.50 with Reward!!!
My husband doesn’t like it, but I like splitting up our date and enjoying different restaurants (especially where I have coupons). So we might eat dinner at one place, go to a movie, then eat dessert somewhere else.
Walk in the park, watch the sunset at the marina, board/card games, movie night at home, take a drive, mini-golf/arcade (make sure to use a coupon! 🙂 ), be a tourist in your own town or a nearby city and take touristy photos…
We will go to cinema cafe at a mall where they show movies that have been released for awhile and it’s only 3.50 to go and then by a meal and share while at the movie.
One time we had an “at home date” on our at home on our farm. We grilled burgers and stuffed zucchini, then took a long walk down our back lane and climbed to the top of our grain bin to sit and take in the view on a beautiful evening! It has been one of my favorite dates and didn’t cost a thing!
Garage Sales & ice cream. Makes a fun outing!
We like to go to the bookstore, get a coffee and sit and read books that we are thinking about buying. We usually don’t buy them, but often we will have some good conversation. We need to do this, and other dates MUCH more often. Thank you for all that you are doing to try to help us strengthen our marriages.
One of things that we love to do is have movie night when the children are sleeping. We get our movies from either the library (free) which have a large selection of movies or use a free redbox movie code when we get them.
We love driving along the beach. We might “splurge” and get rootbeer floats while we walk the peer. We usually try to avoid local so we don’t run into friends. Even a 20 minute drive is helpful
My husband bought me the movie “War Room” but since it’s not out yet I also have “God’s Not Dead”. We’re going to get some popcorn and spend the night watching one of these movies. We haven’t been to the movies in so long. We both have disabilities that makes it hard to get out. I’m so looking forward to spending the night with my sweetheart. As much as it cost to go to the movies and having popcorn, coke and candy buying the movie probably didn’t cost anymore. Having bought these movies we will be able to share them with others. Happy Date Night!
We like to go fishing and just hang out together.
We live in Michigan, where we are known for our beautiful, crisp Autumn season. The colors are just beginning to start in the northern part of our state. We are heading north with our pop up camper Thursday-Sunday for some fishing, nature walks, and “alone” time! Looking forward to snuggling with my husband on a cool night in front of an outdoor smoldering fire.
We like to go out and eat somewhere and then just drive around and look at houses, yards, etc. We also like to go to the movies every once in awhile – but, I’ll admit – we don’t do date nights NEAR enough!!!!!
You’re the winner! My Ministry Manager Sherri Johnson sent you an email to get your address. Congratulations!
We put the kids to bed a little early and play monopoly with our own rules. We laugh and have a lot of fun just being silly.
Thanks for the date ideas – I really have to plan something and just do it!
Have my wife get comfy on the couch or bed and give her a much needed massage after a long day at work (she’s a nurse). All the while we watch random funny dog videos on youtube or old cartoons we used to watch when we were kids!
My husband and I like to buy Chinese food (we share it so it’s cheap) and take a blanket to the park. Our park has a pond and we always sit by the pond and then go for a walk afterwards. We finish out the evening by watching the sun go down by swinging. Always a fun and romantic time.
One of our favorites is browsing through antique malls for treasures. Our last outing, we managed to spend a whopping total of $2.43. 🙂
Go for a motorcycle ride together (dirt or street)
Go fishing (he fishes and I read = both happy)
Take the dogs for a walk
Candlelight Picnic in bed
We will take a walk down to Dunn Bros (coffee shop), sit outside on the beautiful fall evening, and talk about things that we talked about when we were in college (where we met)..I. E. nothing to do with kids, bills, or jobs! 😉 THAT is a beautiful date night.
Have a candle light dinner in front of the fire place at home.
A hike on the beach.