Today my husband and I are going on a date. We started doing this once a month since May.
I like to think of it as an investment in our marriage rather than a luxury.
I recently went to a playdate and told one of the mothers that my husband and I have been together since we were 17 & 19. She then asked "Do you still love him?" And without blinking or having to think about my answer I said "Absolutely"
I wasn't offended either. I'm well aware of the stats for people getting married at 18 & 20. More so, I was remembering how far we've come and how I still love how close we are today. I hope that never changes.
Anyhow, so I'm not letting a tight money schedule hold us back from our dating and going out once a month.
We're going to see a movie but it should only cost $3 because I have movie tickets. Then I was thinking about us going to Starbucks and sharing a drink... which I have a Starbucks gift certificate.
Don't really have a plan for dinner, but I'd be perfectly content going to the grocery store to buy some food and a glass of wine instead of going out.
The most expensive thing will probably be the babysitter at $10/hour for four kids. So the plan is to stay cheap.
When we were dating in Hawaii, he used to catch the bus to see me and we'd walk all along Waikiki. Sometimes we'd stop at the movies and watch something... but most times we'd stop at Jack In the Box, share a meal and then walk back to my house. That was our date, every weekend for 5 months.
Its not so much as what you DO... its the company you keep. And for those five months, we have some amazing memories cause we were more wrapped up in each other than what it was we were doing. I remember being so excited once when we shared Oreos on the beach together cause he knew it was my favorite snack.
I'm not sure how we ever got swept up into the idea that to have a great date it needs to be expensive and lavish... we had it right from the beginning.
Cheap Date
September 28th, 2008 at 01:41 pm
September 28th, 2008 at 01:49 pm 1222609782
Because my husband and I were friends first, we never really did figure out when we started "dating". I'd have him over for dinner, or I'd go over to his place and we'd watch a movie. We never thought of them as dates at the time.
Now that we're married, our favourite "dates" are when my son is away, and we just stay home together. With four kids, that would be tough for you, but it sounds like your solution works great!
September 28th, 2008 at 02:23 pm 1222611829
Hey, if it works for you, great. Personally, we NEED date nights!
We tend to stick close to home and don't always spend money. The babysitting is the biggest expense. We are trying to make it a larger priority in our budget.
September 28th, 2008 at 03:23 pm 1222615406
September 28th, 2008 at 08:09 pm 1222632553