10 Frugal Date Night Ideas That You’ll Love
Valentine’s Day is upon us. With inflation looming, you may be wondering what you and your spouse can do this year that doesn’t bust your budget. Luckily, you do not have to spend an extravagant amount of money to show someone you care. Heck, you don’t even need to splurge on a sitter for the kids! Here are my top 10 frugal date night ideas for Valentine’s Day or any date night.
Dinner at Home
This one is usually our favorite. We wait for the kids to fall asleep and cook our dinner together. For the price of one dinner out, we can make steak and veggies at home. Make it as simple or fancy as you want. Get a fun tablecloth, candles, or simply focus on one another.
Movie Night
This is another one we love to do together. We wait until our children are in bed and turn on a movie or documentary we’ve been wanting to see together. We usually pull something from a streaming service like Netflix or Prime, but you could also rent something for much cheaper than you’d be paying to see at the theater! As parents, we’re usually behind on blockbusters anyways. We pop some popcorn and cuddle up on the couch.
A Walk (or swing) to Remember
I love taking a walk with my husband and catching up at the end of the day. This doesn’t have to just be a walk though. We also enjoy chatting on our porch swing. NOTHING is more relaxing than feeling the cool breeze, listening to the quiet, and looking at the stars with your loved one. Live in a super cold climate? Try grabbing a hot tea and a big cozy blanket and get super snuggly!
Thrift Store Shopping
My husband and I love thrift store shopping together. Whether it’s getting new clothes for the kids, ourselves, or simply just sifting through what the store has, we love checking out our local thrift stores and spending our time chatting and being silly. If you don’t need anything specific, try a thrift store challenge. Give yourselves $10 and see who can come up with the best, weirdest, or ugliest outfit for one another!
Game Night
This one is my personal favorite. We have several board games in our collection and I adore playing one with my husband for a few hours after our kiddos go to sleep. We laugh, get competitive, and spend one-on-one time together. We’ve also been known to play a video game together, like Sims 4. Whatever games you like, pull them out for a fun evening!
Window Shop
While I don’t normally condone window shopping, my husband and I love strolling aisles and dreaming together. I’m talking Target, Bass Pro Shop, whatever your favorite store is to browse at. Be careful, as you have to be leery about buying something you don’t need, but if grandma has the kids for a few hours and you’re looking to get out of the house, this can be fun and free!
Lunch Date
If you do want to eat out, consider lunch instead of dinner, as it’s usually cheaper and may even have a lunch menu. My husband and I have a few favorite places we like to go where we can both eat for about $25 or less including tip. Find a coupon, get a Groupon, order water, split a meal, or whatever you need to do to make it affordable for you.
Coffee House Vibes
Drinking coffee from a coffee shop is a treat for us. We try to drink it at home only as much as possible to save money. So, grabbing a cup at the local coffee house and chatting for a bit is a great, frugal date night idea.
Volunteer Together
I have fallen in love with my husband all over again after we served others together. This may sound like an odd idea, but we absolutely love volunteering together. We try to do this all as a family, but there are times that my husband and I do it together without them. This may be something as simple as putting together items for the homeless, playing with animals at the shelter, or visiting nursing home residents. Maybe it doesn’t scream romance, but it does keep you connected and gives you that time together.
Spice it Up
Spending intimate time with your husband is probably something that is going to be at the top of his list anyways. Enjoy this time with your spouse, reconnect, light some candles, maybe even try something new. Just let him know how loved he is and I am sure he will reciprocate.
BONUS POINTS
Most of these can be done in unison. We rarely just do one of them. Sometimes we’ll grab a coffee and spend an hour sifting through books at the bookstore or we may grab lunch and spend an hour on the walking bridge. Get creative, find things you love to do together, and make the most of your time and budget! For a bit of extra fun, throw all these on separate sheets of paper. Put them in a hat and draw one at random!
There you have it. 10 Frugal Date Night Ideas! Personally, dinner and a movie at home is usually our go to! What’s yours? Are you going to be trying any of these? Let me know in the comments!
