I’ve been really making date nights a priority these last few years. Taking that time out to connect with your spouse is so important to maintaining a healthy, happy relationship. That one-on-one time, regardless of what you are doing, will help you connect, even if the week has gone sideways and you’re stressed to the max! So how do you implement frequent date nights without breaking the bank? Here are some inexpensive summer date ideas to choose from:
Head Berry Pickin’: Do you have a berry orchard near you that offers a “you pick” option? If so, grab a bucket and get to pickin. Not only will it be a fun way to spend time together, but then you end up with buckets full of delicious healthy treats! {My husband would never do this. He’d rather pay someone else to pick the berries.}
Light Up Your Date Night: Plan a date night around the 4th of July and it will seem like you have your very own fireworks to celebrate you! Whether you watch from the bed of a truck or lay a blanket out somewhere, cuddle up and watch the night sky light up! {Unless of course you live in the woods with an old cedar shake roof. In that case, date night would consist of sitting outside all night in lawn chairs covered in bug repellent with a hose ready.}
Couples Yoga: Time to put those yoga pants to good use! It’s intimate and cathartic! Plus, yoga has been known to be the perfect mediator for a couple that needs to get re-centered. Check your local community to see if couples yoga is available in your area. There are often Groupons available or studios that will let you try your first session free. If not? You can also practice a few yoga poses, deep breathing exercises or meditation together in the comfort of your own home. {This would never happen in a million years. My husband doesn’t even own a pair of sweatpants, and probably never will.}
Take a Dip: Find a lake or a safe flowing river and cool off with a swim! Make a day of it with some lawn chairs, floaties, and some great reading material. Don’t forget sunscreen, snacks and water! {Nope. My husband doesn’t even own a pair of shorts. Baaahahaa.}
Attend an Outdoor Concert: Summer is a great time to catch an amazing concert. If you are willing to wait until the last minute, you can often find super cheap leftover tickets for shows the day of. If you score some dirt cheap tickets, head on out with you spouse and sway the night away to some amazing tunes! {Now this is something we have totally done and would love to do again.}
Truck it Up: Find a food truck in your area that has a reputation for amazing food. Maybe there’s food truck rally or a food truck festival to hit up. Regardless, you can grab a cheap meal at a local food truck that’s every bit as delicious as a full blown restaurant. Then you can sit and eat or walk and chat! {Personally, food trucks give me the heebie-jeebies. I mean really, the sinks are small, and even if the people are using gloves, they are touching everything from food to money to keeping the floor clean.}
Catch a Movie in the Park: Many communities offer a free movie in the park on the weekends. Research a bit and see if there’s on near you. They are a great way to have a fun date night with your spouse without dropping a dime! {I’d rather watch a movie at home and be able to hit the pause button.}
Watch the Sunrise or Sunset Together. Take time for indulgences that normal days don’t allow. Hop in the car if the view from your house doesn’t allow you to appreciate the full beauty of the sun. It’s so enjoyable to watch the earth show off a bit, especially when you’re with the one you love. Sometimes I get goosebumps watching an amazing sunset! {Yes. Although I don’t think I’ve ever watched the sun set on purpose in my entire life. How is that possible?}
Try Your Hand at Geocashing: If you’ve never been or have no idea what I’m talking about, geocaching is basically the ultimate scavenger hunt. Using a smartphone and GPS coordinates, you get to search for hidden objects. Plus, it’s free! Just sign up for a geocaching account and download the app. Then pick a geocache near you and get to huntin’! {This is a great idea if you are a “fun couple” but my husband would rather clean out the gutters. If finding candy was part of the deal, I would probably go along with it.}
Head to the Drive-in. When is the last time you went to the drive-in? Drive-ins are the best! If you have one near you, pile a mattress in the back of a truck, gather some snacks, and go watch a movie in the most magical way! {Maybe. But probably not. I wouldn’t be into random strangers staring at me as they walk buy my vehicle to buy a corn dog and a soda.}
Spend a Night Under the Stars: Lay a blanket out under the stars and stargaze together. Grab a telescope and look for some constellations. Of course, some s’mores should be involved! {If you live in New England, where there are ticks and black flies, you may want to pass on this one. Unless it’s winter. Then that might be a good time to go stargazing}.
There are just a few to get you started {and maybe even less if you are a curmudgeon}! Now go grab your sweetheart and start checking them off the list!
Date on,
~Mavis
Mim says
Or go to Simon Pearce in Quechee, Vermont? Did I get it right?
Mavis Butterfield says
No, but WOW…. that place is on my list now. Thanks Mim!
Lisa L says
Hi Mavis! this is one of the funniest things you’ve ever posted! Thanks for making me giggle! Another suggestion that your husband won’t go for, local poetry readings at libraries or coffee shops! This tends to be big in Maine (where I used to live).
Mavis Butterfield says
Ha! He wouldn’t mind getting coffee, if those darn coffee shops would just stop playing their hipster music. Makes him nuts. 😉
Jennifer says
I must be more of a curmudgeon because none of these sound enticing to me. I am not an outdoorsy person, so that takes care of several alone. I know this will sound crazy, but dh and I like to people watch – WM is the ideal place. We will get a soda from the Subway inside WalMart, then grab a seat there or one of the benches in front of the registers and watch the parade!! This may be a Southern thing, but it’s fun. It’s not the same if you go to Target or Costco either. 🙂
Carrie says
My hubby and I like to people watch too! We usually go out for frozen yogurt and sit outside to watch people in the shopping center. Also in the south. 😉
E in Upstate NY says
When my hubby was working, he wore dress pants ALL the time, except when he was coaching soccer, then it was ok to wear sports shorts. When that ended, back to full time dress pants. Finally I got him to wear a few Docker style pants [retirement]. Now that he is disabled and primarily in a wheel chair, those fuzzy pants that once he absolutely refused to even consider, are what he wears! Go figure!
Like other commenters, don’t think could do any of your listed items, as most are not wheelchair possible and hubby still has opinions on what is proper to do. Oh well.
Linda says
Haha, you’re hilarious
Robin says
This post is awesome! Love and identify with your comments in red.
Julia says
So so funny! My son loves geocaching. It’s a sneaky way to get him to hike with me! I love all your ideas! My hubby is kind enough to go along with most of my crazy ideas for date night.
Laura says
I think my husband and yours are related. They have similar reactions to our ideas. Although, my husband is more willing to go along if he thinks he might get lucky! Lol.
One of our favorite dates is to pack a picnic and walk along the beach, find a park bench to eat dinner, and then stay to watch the sun set. Basically free, outdoors, and so romantic!
Deborah says
There is only one drive in that I k os of that is within driving distance of us. No truck though. LOL Hubby and I watch movies at home together. We have an extensive DVD collection. We have our snacks and can leave the lights on, or turn them off. Fun fun. We also take turns cooking. It’s good to share the cooking. Although, I do the kitchen cleaning.
Marybeth says
Great advice Mavis. You do need to spend some alone time with your spouse. We also try to get away at least once a year just the 2 of us, even if it is only one night. Thankfully I have family that would watch my kids overnight when they were younger. It really helps to keep you connected and remember to put each other first sometimes.
My kids would revolt if we went berry picking without them. It is a family favorite. Hubby and I like to go for walks on the local beach boardwalk. They have live music. We usually go in the evening when the beach crowd is gone. We also enjoy hitting local farm stands and farmers markets. This way if we do spend money its not that much.
Brenda Landru says
Hi I have a quick question can you put a list of all the new things that you have tried at Aldi?
Mavis Butterfield says
Not to sound cheeky but…. I am new to shopping at ALDI’s so everything is kind of new to me. There have a been a few things I’ve tried that I wouldn’t buy again though. Their meatballs {but probably because they contain too much pork} a packaged pasta salad, and two of their cheeses {out of the 12 or so we’ve bought, only 2 have been stinkers}. Everything else we have liked.
Lolly says
Bwahahaha, you are killing me with your comments!!!! And pretty much, my comments about dh would be similar!! Our dates are usually food centered….we try to find a good restaurant! They usually involve coffee afterwards. Maybe a book store, too. We used to try to go to the movies, but once we had kids….neither one of us wanted to be out in public that late at night! lol! Netflix and our couch is cheaper and more relaxing! And we can get into jammies…and we can crawl into bed at our mom and dad times of 930 (or earlier, lol!).
Our last date was at lunch, to an amazing restaurant, then a doc appt for him, and an eye appt for me. We really live it up!!! We finished it up with coffee and him buying me a pretty pottery mug that I oohed over (even though he complains that I have waaaay too m any mugs and too much pottery, lol!), and then we grabbed chinese food for the kids for dinner, so I wouldn’t have to cook! I had like 5+ hours ALONE with my honey…every bit of it was wonderful! I don’t care WHAT we do….just being together is my idea of perfect!
Lolly says
Not dates, but we do alot of camping at state parks, and dh loves going hiking and/or wandering by the rivers/creeks/waterfalls. State parks are usually under $30 night for an rv, and cheaper for tent camping. We adore traveling, and this is our el cheapo way to do so, lol! The nice thing when we camp is that the kids ride bikes or scooters or go wandering…so dh and I get to sit and talk a whole lot around the fire pit. It’s so relaxing and lovely for us.
Now that our kids are old enough to stay at home alone for a bit, we sometimes run local errands together. Just us. Makes my heart happy.
It’s been awhile, but we sometimes do a bonfire in our yard, and we’ll go and sit for a bit after the kids have gone to bed. Though we still keep mom and dad bedtimes….so it’s never for very long before we get tired.
Lol, we were married for almost 8 yrs before we had kids….and we were the ultimate night owls!!!! Those kids ruined us for good! 😉
Jenny says
Our local convention center has a lot of events that are pretty cheap. Some of our date nights have been to a boat and rv convention, a log cabin convention, a dock dogs competition and a model train show. Most events are 5 dollars or less to get in
I like to see different stuff.
Lissa says
curious: why no shorts?
Funny post.
Mavis Butterfield says
It’s a mystery. I have no idea.
Linda says
Truck it Up: —hm when I was in Air Force, we had a name for those trucks- The Roach Coach. The was bad, not make you sick bad but not good for you bad and bad tasting. Here they have a Mexican Food truck- I would sort like to try, still I wonder. My dh doesn’t own short either- lol some men just don’t like them. With an empty nest I am alway looking for something for us to do that doesn’t involve grocery shopping.
Gee says
“{Personally, food trucks give me the heebie-jeebies. I mean really, the sinks are small, and even if the people are using gloves, they are touching everything from food to money to keeping the floor clean.}”
You obviously have never seen what goes on in the kitchen of those oh-so-nice restaurants. I have when I waited tables one winter. If you did, you might never eat out again.
Mel says
Our favorite summer “date” is to fry doughnuts on the deck. It’s really a two person job to begin with, and it goes well with a summer evening at home but doesn’t dirty the kitchen. It’s kind of low-key, but the last time we did this, a family of raccoons stopped by to see what smelled so good, so it’s not without its excitement. And it’s still time together.