Since having a baby, my husband and I have fallen into that trap of spending less and less time alone together. It’s awfully easy when you’ve got a kiddo that you both want to spend time with, and when you’re both tired at the end of the day. It doesn’t make things any easier that I often spend evenings working after our girl goes to sleep.
But we’re on a pretty tight budget. Our “entertainment” budget each month is pretty meager, and paying for a babysitter would leave us with very little left for the actual date!
A couple of months ago, we decided to try at home date nights every Friday. This is not as easy as it sounds. When you don’t have a restaurant reservation or a movie showtime to make, it’s really easy to find excuses not to have date night. Somebody gets sick. Somebody has to work late. We’re both too tired to watch a movie. We didn’t plan anything… The list goes on and on!
So, I decided to come up with a list of date night ideas for us to choose from. We’ll alternate being the one who chooses and plans the date—and, of course, we can choose something not on the list! The only rules are that it has to be inexpensive, and it has to be something that can be done while the baby is asleep upstairs—so cheap dates like walking around the block or running out to the ice cream parlor are off the table. (If you’ve got a baby monitor, you can pretty safely head for the yard or the garage, I figure.)
Remember: You can get movies from the library for free, and the internet has tons of great resources for things like game ideas you can play, videos to teach you a new skill, even karaoke at home. I’ve included links below where appropriate.
Got any other brilliant ideas? I would LOVE to hear them—and add them to the list!
- Fondu & a Swiss movie
- star gazing in the back yard
- “drive-in” movie in the garage with your laptop or tablet (don’t turn on the car!!!)
- bubble bath
- pizza, chianti, gelato and “The Godfather” or “The Italian Job”
- karaoke party at home
- Twister
- dine al fresco
- have a picnic indoors
- set up a tent and sleeping bags and go camping indoors
- beer tasting with homemade pretzels and different mustards
- wine and chocolate tasting
- do a crossword puzzle together
- make the biggest, craziest ice cream sundae ever and eat it together
- play penny ante (or strip) poker
- decorate coffee mugs for each other with porcelain pens
- look up horoscopes online or in library books
- take online personality tests together
- give each other back rubs or foot massages
- give each other DIY facials
- get beer and wings or hot dogs and watch a game or sports movie
- get crafty with the kids’ art supplies
- recreate a previous great date at home (ie: picnic under the Eiffel Tower in Paris; movie you saw together, etc.)
- play board games
- watch videos on YouTube to learn how to dance in your own living room
- read a book out loud
- look at your photo albums
- watch a bunch of episodes of your favorite TV show in a row
- take turns coming up with movie theme nights: food and attire should match the movie
- write your bucket lists
- get travel books from the library and plan your next big vacation (even if it’s many years away); or, set a budget and see how far you could get for a weekend getaway (with or without the kids)
- roast marshmallows over your fire pit — or your stove if you don’t know how to build a fire pit!
- play the first word game: write words on slips of paper; take turns drawing a word and talking about the first thing that comes to mind when you see it.
- take turns picking books for a mini book club; don’t forget the wine
- bake and decorate cookies together
- do a puzzle or play board games
- clean out and organize your photos together (can be great for walking down memory lane)
- wrap gifts while you watch a holiday movie
- play video games
- watch or edit home movies together
- make a video, scrapbook, or journal for your children
- make a blanket fort (really)
- recreate a memorable restaurant meal you had together
- make mix tapes… er, playlists for each other while watching “High Fidelity”
- stage and take artsy portraits of each other
- sit down and actually learn how to use a gadget or piece of software—learn all the settings on your camera, figure out how to program your DVR, find the best apps for your phone or iPad, etc.
- learn a new game like mahjong
- play frisbee golf in the back yard with laundry baskets as the “holes”
- watch the first movie you saw together
- sushi and an anime movie
- eat dinner or dessert in bed
- do a home improvement project together
- take a virtual tour of a museum online: Louvre, Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, National Gallery of Art
- buy or check out a big stack of magazines for each of you and enjoy a “bookstore” date at home with fancy hot drinks and desserts
- research your family histories together online; make a family tree for your kids
- watch a video of a concert together
- watch a documentary together
- run through the sprinklers or soak in the kiddie pool—without the kids
- play HORSE with a small ball and trash can
- have a water gun, water balloon, or pillow fight
- try a new exercise together like yoga or Zumba; you can find instructional videos on YouTube
- learn a new card game for two players
- paint together: get a large canvas and three colors of paint and start painting; rotate the canvas every 10 minutes or so and finish each other’s work
- Chinese take out and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”
- make chocolate-dipped EVERYTHING (there is no bad here)
- comb through home decor magazines or websites and redecorate your house through imagination
- costume contest: pick a favorite movie and each of you come to the date dressed as one of the characters; whoever has the best costume picks the next date
- find a list of top movies or books and plan to see or read all of them together
- draw or paint portraits of each other
- spoil each other: each person picks one indulgent luxury they know the other will love to surprise them with
{Want a printable version of this list? Click here!}
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Thanks Lacy! We are in a date night rut and I’ll for sure be trying a few of these :] Thanks friend!!
My pleasure! Hope you have fun!
Thank you for your honesty! We all strive for the perfection found in the media, but it can’t always be perfect! We had a $7 Papa Murphy’s heart pizza for Valentine’s and it was perfect for us!
Great suggestions! I’ll definitely try some out. 🙂 It’s very difficult to find the time to do date nights especially if you’re a busy mom. I also came across a new subscription box that sends you a monthly date night you can do at home. It may be worth a try, especially if you’re in a dating rut like us. Check out http://www.datelivery.com
Thanks for the ideas! They are great!
My pleasure!
Thanks for the ideas! They are great!
Thanks for the ideas! They are great!
My pleasure!
My pleasure!
Outstanding ideas! 🙂 I am pleased to know we’re not the only ones who struggle to find time and cash for a date night. We can absolutely do more of that at home, though.
Just wanted you to know that you were featured in our ULTIMATE Date Idea Round-up today! http://www.thedatingdivas.com/romantic-rendezvous/101-date-idea-round-ups-the-ultimate-date-night-list/ Thanks for sharing your date ideas! XOXO, The Dating Divas
Thanks!!
LOVED the drive in theater ID. I borrowed a projector from our IT department at work. While my wife was out I ran out and got a movie from Redbox and popcorn from the theater. When I came home I backed the car into the garage and set the projector on the roof. Hooked up my laptop and popped the movie in. I moved my stereo to the back seat of my car and hooked that up to the projector. we had so much fun
Pic – http://goo.gl/NuXxOg
Love this list! With a two year old at home and low funds this week, this is so needed. Thanks for posting it!
Fabulous ideas thank you!
These are awesome ideas! My husband would love the at-home karaoke one but I’d rather craft something together.
https://missmillmag.com/relationships/8-cheap-date-ideas-your-boo-will-love/
Great ideas!
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