If you're trying to pay off debt or saving for a greater goal right now, it doesn't mean you toss your love life out the window. In fact, financial hardship means you need to fight even harder for your relationship. 

Nothing can turn a relationship more sour than power struggles over money. You need to carve out time for one another. But you don't have to spend every last penny in the bank to make it count. 
Here are fifteen favorite cheap date night ideas to keep love alive and your budget safely intact. 

1. Bake Up Some Love

Who needs high-priced cheesecake? Why not whip up a delicious sweet treat together? Find a recipe online or head to the store and pick out the most decadent mix on the shelves. Then spend some time heating up the kitchen together and enjoying a sweet treat. While the dessert is in the oven, talk about the sweetest thing your spouse has ever done for you. 

2. Recreate the Memory

If you can, take a stroll down memory lane literally. Remember when you were young, in love, and had barely a penny to your name? Return either physically or symbolically to those days and recreate one of your favorite memories together. 

3. Puzzle Up

Problem-solving can strengthen your communication skills and teamwork. Spend the evening working on a crossword or jigsaw puzzle. Crack a puzzle you already own out from the closet to save the most money or hit the game aisle at your local big box retailer to pick a new one out together. 

4. $5 Gifts

While your funds might be limited, you probably can spare $10 on a date night. Each takes a $5 bill and hit the dollar store. Spend 10-20 minutes looking for a special gift for your spouse. Take the gifts home and wrap them (newspaper will work great!) and exchange them, explaining why you bought what you bought. 

5. Opt for Lunch

Dinner prices are almost always more expensive than lunch. If you can, meet your spouse for a lunch date at a favorite restaurant. If your children are in school, you won't have to pay for a sitter and you can take advantage of lower menu prices. Double bonus. 

6. Change Nights

It's time to go on a change scavenger hunt. Dig through the couch cushions, car glove box, and your wallet. Don't forget the bottom of your purse and that jar on your nightstand. Use the money for a night out on the town. You may have enough for a fancy dinner or just enough to rent a Redbox (check Inside Redbox for potential codes to save more money!) or a game of skeeball at the local arcade. Another option might be intentionally collecting change all year long for a special night like your anniversary.

7. Take Out, Stay In

If you're lucky enough to have someone else watching your kids outside of your home (we love you, Grandma!), spend the evening in instead of hitting the town. You could order takeout to share from a favorite restaurant (we love Thai Food) or stick to your meal plan and enjoy a wee bit quieter meal. Don't forget to crack out some candles and create a playlist of songs popular when you fell in love. 

8. Sitter Swap

Can't afford a sitter? You might consider swapping with another couple who have children of similar ages and stages. One week, you watch their kids so they can go out and the next, they return the favor. Again, you could stay in to save a few bucks or you could choose one of the other cheap date night options. 

9. Start a Series

There's nothing like sharing a story together, even if it isn't your own. My husband and I love weekly time together catching up on joint Netflix loves. You could choose a long-running TV show, an epic movie series, or maybe create a list of classic movies together to check out from the library and off your list all year long. 

10. Play a Game

There's nothing like a little healthy competition to get your heart pumping. Whether you hit the court for some one-on­one, play a little tennis, get your video game on, or simply break out a board game you haven't played in forever, playing together can be fun and affordable.

11. Community Crush

From high school musicals to community band concerts, many cities and towns offer free entertainment on a regular basis. Sure, you might not be Broadway babies, but you can still have a great time while spending a whole lot less. Go to your town or city's website. Check local television stations' online community calendars. Look at the Visitor Bureau's free events calendar. You might be surprised how many free or low-cost opportunities you have in your area. 

12. Take a Hike

When the weather cooperates, you can have a great time in the great outdoors. All you need is a good pair of shoes, some snacks, and a bottle of water. Hiking clothes optional U.k. I'm pretty sure that will get you arrested and that will certainly be expensive). You could even pack a backpack with an entire meal. 

13. Cash in Your Rewards

I love rewards programs! From Swagbucks to Shopkicks, from My Coke Rewards to Disney Movie Rewards, I'm always collecting as many points as I can. If you use rewards programs, cash some out for date night. Again, you may have enough for just a cup of coffee, but you might have enough for much more. Check out Rewards Programs You Should Be Using to start collecting your points now! 

14. From the Bookstore to the Library

Channel your inner nerd. Go to the bookstore and browse popular titles. Take screenshots of interesting books, magazines, movies, and music. Then hit your local library to see if you can check them out for free. You'll have a relaxing time together browsing but not actually have to spend extra cash. If your library doesn't currently have the title, check to see if there's a way to request a new title purchase. 

15. Dream Dates

Focus your eyes on what lies ahead. If you don't have much of a date budget, spend your evening dreaming together. Once your debt is gone or your savings goal is met, where would you LOVE to go as a couple for a date night? Do research to find ways to save money on that evening or maybe even the weekend. Center your hearts and minds on what you need to do to reach that goal, together. You might even create a virtual dream board on Pinterest or a physical dream board on a piece of poster board of your shared future. 

Life is never as perfect as it is in the movies. Much to my disappointment, people rarely bust out into song as I kiss my husband passionately. But that doesn't mean we can't have fun. And our still limited resources may not allow a weekly, monthly, or even yearly big date night. But, the creative quiet evenings we have spent together often mean more than any flashy experience. After all, it's the quality of the time that counts, not what you do. 

© Copyright written by Cherie Lowe 

15 Fantastic Budget-Friendly Date Ideas (livingwellspendingless.com)

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