Frugal Ways to Show Your Love

Cheap Date Nights

When on a budget, taking your significant other out to a Broadway show and romantic dinner afterwards is often out of the picture. But you can still indulge yourself in cheap date nights with a little creativity.

Dinner and a Movie

Dinner and a movie is a classic date for many couples. Keep it cheap by looking for restaurant coupons and skipping snacks at the theater, where you see a discounted matinée. Better yet, find a dinner recipe the two of you can make at home and watch a rental you purchased with a Blockbuster coupon.

Cultural Events

Cultural events make great date ideas. A shared interest in music or the arts gives you the chance to reconnect as a couple. Local museums and art galleries might offer discount rates during the off-tourist season or on weekends. Free or cheap art exhibits, dance troupes and musical performances can often be found at a local university.

Volunteering

Help foster your romance by doing good deeds within the community. Spend a day volunteering for a shared concern. Whether you help out at a local food bank, animal shelter or by cleaning up the park, you will not only save money on a date but give something back, as well.

Seasonal Dates

The spring and summer months offer plenty of fun date ideas that do not cost a lot of money. Summer concert series featuring local bands are often held at parks in cities of all sizes. Farmers’ markets can be fun to browse, and be sure to check out the county fair. Picnics in the park or on the beach with supplies purchased using grocery coupons are a great date, too. Take along a couple of board games and enjoy spending time together.

In the fall and winter, you will find plenty of cheap dates, too. Ride bikes down a path to view fall foliage. Go pumpkin or apple picking at a farm where admission is free. As winter draws near, look for free holiday concerts at churches and schools. Take a walking tour of Christmas lights in your neighborhood. And of course, roast marshmallows over your fireplace with a shared bottle of wine.

Little Romantic Gestures

Not every frugal way to show your love has to involve going out on a date. Take the time to show your significant other how you feel by doing small daily things that mean a lot. Ideas include:

• Leaving a love note in a briefcase
• Writing “I Love You” on the bathroom mirror so it shows up in the steam
• Giving your honey a call during your lunch hour “just because”
• Sending a free e-card for fun
• Taking care of all household chores and giving your spouse the night off
• Sending cheap flowers to your wife or girlfriend when she is having a bad day
• Finally finishing that project your partner has been bugging you about

Hugs and kisses, snuggling, and communication are important to continuing a good romantic partnership. Remember that no gift can ever replace a meaningful look or gesture.

Frugal Ways to Show Your Love Challenge

Incorporate some fun into your relationship by creating a dating challenge. Each week, one of you will come up with a fun date night idea. Start with a reasonable amount of money that can be spent. Every week, decrease the amount by $10 until you are down to nothing at all.

Put the $10 decreases into a “date night fund” jar. The week after your zero-dollar-date, treat yourselves to a frugal but somewhat more expensive evening out. Not only will you enjoy and appreciate your “extravagant” evening more than you would have before, but you will have grown closer to your partner through your money saving efforts.

Continue the frugal ways to show your love challenge as long as you are on a tight budget. When your situation improves, remember that you still have a household budget for entertainment, even if it is bigger than before. You can continue to use the saved date night money for a bigger night on the town, or put it towards debt, vacation savings or a retirement account.