Date Ideas for Couples on a Budget

It is easy for couples to lose themselves in the midst of all the busyness of work, kids, errands and responsibilities. Slowly, without realizing it, date night can quickly be forgotten. No matter how long a couple has been together there is never a time not to date. The challenge comes when the budget doesn’t allow for the big extravagant dates that happened before marriage. With a little creativity, there are ways to find date ideas for couples on a budget.

God desires for our marriages to be healthy and built on love. Any activity, even the simplest and most inexpensive, can keep a marriage inspired toward the kind of love that God describes.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. – 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, ESV

Why does dating matter after marriage?

Once a couple is married, they tend to stop dating because there is so much going on in their lives as they build a life together. Dating as a couple goes beyond connecting as husband and wife. It also helps cement the family, including the children. It creates a sense of belonging and growth as a unit. Each person needs to be able to communicate thoughts and ideas about the future. Having a weekly date night is the perfect time for this connection.

Date night can strengthen the friendship of the couple and enhance communication. Dating builds excitement and cultivates desire and a deeper intimacy with one another. Sharing dreams, ideas, burdens, and concerns knits the couple together and reinforces that each is there for the other. This will gird a couple up for hard times and trials. In a society where divorce is common, investment in the marriage relationship is key for staying committed to one another.

Most importantly, date night will keep the spark of intimacy ignited. When intimacy stays intact, infidelity is less likely. Spending time together outside the home brings back the emotions of why the couple fell in love in the first place.

What makes a date night productive?

Trying to create the perfect date can be overwhelming. Once a couple is married, date ideas can become an even trickier challenge. However, going out for an evening or spending intentional time together is worth the investment in a marriage!

There are a few important ingredients that help make a date productive and one that will impact the relationship. These will offer the best chances for quality time spent together.

• A commitment to setting aside time and honoring it
• Making sure all details are covered (sitter, reservations, factoring in weather)
• Engaging with your spouse in meaningful ways
• Putting away the phones
• Leaving work at work
• Thinking through your date ahead of time and planning thoughtfully
• Varying the activities that you do and including interests of each spouse.

It also might be fun to grab a little memento from your evening. Even if that is just the napkin from the restaurant you visited or a small note you wrote for your spouse for the date.

Ten budget-friendly date ideas for couples

Certainly, there are more than ten ways to experience a budget-friendly date night, but here are a few suggestions to get you started. Taking time to find date ideas that fit your budget will be well worth your time and will help you to connect deeply with your spouse.

Picnic under the stars:

Pack your favorite finger foods and drinks to enjoy on a blanket under the night sky. After dinner, stargaze and reminisce about how you started your relationship.

Volunteer together:

Choose a worthy cause that means something to each of you and take time to serve as volunteers. You could serve lunch to the homeless, assist with cuddling at a local hospital, or pick a street to clean up in your area of town.

Enjoy a walk through a flea market:

Have a simple brunch and find a local flea market to stroll through while you talk about the ideas you have for the things you see.

Have a game night:

Order pizza in and pick a game to play.

Create a scavenger hunt at a department store:

Pick a local store and write a list of items for each other. The one who finds the most wins their favorite snack.

Watch the sunset:

Grab a sharable snack and head out to a quiet place to enjoy the sunset and quiet conversation about love and life.

Go for a drive and ice cream:

Take a drive through the country and search for an ice cream store that sells your favorite ice cream!

Make a candlelit dinner at home:

Pick your favorite meal and cook together for a quiet candlelit dinner. You can even dress up elegantly once dinner is ready to be served.

Paint a picture:

Pick up a set of inexpensive paints and a canvas after and create a painting while you enjoy conversation and music together.

Have coffee in the park after dinner:

Grab your favorite latte and head to the park to enjoy the scenery and outside air while you connect after a week of working.

Next steps

When it comes to keeping a marriage healthy, it takes intentional planning, but not a fistful of cash! Making time for each other helps keep the connection growing while enhancing the passion you have for your spouse. Planning ways to date is an important part of cultivating marriage. Finding date ideas for couples on a budget can help you maintain this connection.

If your marriage feels like it is in a rut, don’t be discouraged. If you have tried a few dates and the hopes you had for re-invigorating your marriage are not being realized, take heart! Keep trying! Sometimes it takes time. Also, feel free to reach out to the counselors at our office that are ready and willing to help support you in your journey back to one another!