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Monday, May 18, 2015

Date Night on a Budget

With Josh still on the job hunt (crossing my fingers for a call soon!), we have to be conscious of how much we spend--constantly. That means saving most of the money that comes in and eating out less. It's very difficult, but can be done. 
 
Date Night

The good news: You can still have a great time together without spending a ton of money! After all, it's all about the quality time.

1. Driving Range.
I'm not a huge golf fan--I'm terrible at goofy golf and consistently take 9+ strokes on a par 3, but Josh loves it. He has his own set of clubs, golf gloves, and goes golfing frequently. Recently, he took me to a driving range where all you do is practice hitting the ball. $10.00 for 100 balls. You go at your own pace and it can take an hour if you're pretty terrible like me--I ended up hitting clumps of grass more than I hit the actual ball, but I think I'm getting better?

2.Netflix/Redbox.
It's a rare treat to actually GO to the movies these days, but that's ok. I much prefer to relax in my PJs and be able to pause the movie to get more wine. Enter Redbox and/or Netflix where there is always something on! If the movie theater is more your scene, there are always matinees--the whole movie experience for not all of the money.

3. Go to the Park.
This is especially useful for doubling as exercise and it's perfect if you have a fur child (or a human one). I dub them "family walks." It's so fun to take a walk around the block or park and chat about anything and everything.
 
4. Community/High School Theater + Concerts.
Josh isn't much into the performing arts, but I am. Our community constantly has high schools putting on musicals and choirs performing. The last one I went to was like $10 to get in--what a steal! And if you're willing to splurge every once in a while, concerts (like Taylor Swift) pop up every once in a while!
 
5. Festivals.
Tis the season for outdoor festivals that are mostly free to the public. The bigger ones like JazzFest will cost you upwards of $80 per person. But the smaller, arts, heritage, food festivals only cost what you are willing to spend on the goods. Walking around and taking in the sights, smells, and sounds is FREE!

6. Order take out and have a fiesta at home. Instead of going out to eat, try making your favorite foods. Not the cook? Me either. Order take out and pop in that Redbox movie you rented earlier. Papa John's has great deals ALWAYS and ordering salsa and queso from your favorite Mexican restaurant will only cost you around $5.00 (Plus, they give you TONS of chips).


Do you have any other suggestions to add to my list?




44 comments:

  1. Great ideas! I always like to take advantage of Groupons for activities and restaurants too to get a good deal!

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  2. Other ideas: play tennis at a local park, have a picnic, go for a long walk in a scenic neighborhood, or go yard sale shopping together. :-)

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    1. Yes! Love these ideas! Josh is an athlete so I'm sure he could teach me a thing or two about tennis--while I could teach him about thrifting :)

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  3. I haven't been to driving range with the man but we do plan to go to the batting cages, mini golf, and go kart racing. Lol

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  4. These ideas are amazing. Even though Atlanta is home to a TON of Festivals, we haven't been to one yet. Thanks for sharing this list, Allison! :)

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  6. #2 is my fav! I also love concerts - although not budget friendly I am going to see T-Swizzle in October!! Great post
    xo Katie | www.sugarspiceandsparkle.com

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    1. We are going to see TSwift on Friday--we got tickets as a Christmas present!!

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  7. Awesome post! One of my (free) dates I like to do is geocaching. We're taking a walk, but it's like a treasure hunt. It's the perfect time to put our phones away (minus the navigating) and talk and work together.

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  8. I like picnicking at the park, walking through a local farmer's market and picking out groceries for the week or doing an art project together at home (:

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  9. Love it! We make the backyard look pretty and invite friends over. It's become a favorite thing to do:)
    ~Aimee
    theburnedhand.com

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  10. These are some great ideas!
    It's always necessary to be ballin' on a budget but yet still enjoying yourself.
    I'll keep some of these in mind.

    xoxo, Jenny || Breakfast at Lillys

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  11. My boyfriend and I love doing date night on a budget. Really, we like doing everything on a budget while we save up for vacations. I love these ideas. Community theaters are the best. We love going to see plays. And free festivals are the best!

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  12. Love the idea of festivals! Especially for being in New Orleans. There are so many free things to do!

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  13. I absolutely love these ideas! They're all great. Thanks so much for sharing!

    xoxo
    Lauren Ashley
    www.thefashionistasdiary.com

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  14. I love that it's summer because it makes date night on the cheap so much easier!

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  15. I love fun date ideas! Having a picnic is one of my favorites or finding a scenic location and bringing a blanket and a bottle of wine at sunset! There are so many fun ideas that cost next to nothing!

    XOXO
    Marie H.
    Progression By Design

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    Replies
    1. There really are--just to have to research!

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  16. #1 is a really fun idea!! I'm always looking for fun things to do that sneak a little bit of exercise in, so definitely agree on the park visits as well. Hiking has been one of our favorites! Even just driving to parks 20-30 mins outside of town to mix it up is good. And you get exercise and beautiful views for free!

    abbyflynn.com

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  17. I am SO into the idea of community/college shows! They are normally cheaper but just as good! I also love the driving range, I used to go all the time with my dad when I was younger. I sort of miss it! In Houston I plan to go to shooting ranges a lot, I'm not 100% sure how much it costs, since I used to just target shoot in the woods behind my house haha!

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  18. Excellent ideas! Fun doesn't need to be expensive but it does need to happen to keep the spark alive :)
    http://morethana-mom.blogspot.ca/

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  19. I love playing board games together. Or any games. It makes for a fun evening. I also try to go on walks with him, but his schedule lately is brutal, he doesn't get home before 10pm.. But I love your ideas! (Minus the golfing..hahah we do the mini-golfing and as hilarious as it is I'm awful at it!)

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  20. I love the community theater idea! We like to attempt to cook something new together (it's typically very entertaining), board or card games, or head to a state park for the day.

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  21. These are such great ideas! When my boyfriend moved to the town where I live, we were strapped for cash. There was a free concert downtown on Thursdays and Fridays, so we always planned our week around going downtown for that!

    XX, SS || A Little Seersucker Sass

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  22. These are all such good ideas! They're pretty much all stuff that could be done with friends as well, for a fun girls night!

    Anchors and Pearls

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  23. I absolutely love this blog & all the ideas you've given. This year we'll be going from Japan to Colorado right before our anniversary & his birthday, so this is so enlightening to know I'm not the only one looking for "cheap" date night options! So glad I found you on the blog hop! ❤️

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    1. Thank you :) How exciting! Don't worry, you're definitely not the only one haha

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  24. I love the summer for cheap dates too. There's so much more to do.

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  25. This is a great list! And it reminds me that the BF and I are overdue for a date night!

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    1. Haha this is my "not so subtle" hint to him that we need a date night!

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  26. This are great ideas! My tip for you is to look for the local museums in your area that offer free nights! The art museum where I'm from has free admission ever Friday night after 5 or 6 pm (until closing at 9!). I know there are other museums that do similar programs like this too. :-) Always fun to go out for dessert or something like that afterwards!

    xoxo A
    www.southernbelleintraining.com

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  27. We don't have many date nights, but Netflix is a common occurrence!

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  28. awe I need to have more date nights.. love these ideas!

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  29. These are such great date night ideas! Love the idea of hitting balls at the golf course - Dave would love that too!

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  30. Great ideas to find some fun for the two of you.

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  31. These sound so fun! Definitely going to have to keep these in mind when I'm post grad!

    xx. Brittany
    Southern Soul

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  32. Awesome ideas, Allison!!! I'd add $2 date jars. I made one for J for Christmas after seeing it on Pinterest (naturally)...you literally think of any free/$2 or less thing that can turn into a date, roll it up, and stick it in a jar. When date night comes around, pick out a paper with a date idea and do it! It can be anything from stargazing on a blanket on the roof to grabbing $1 cones at McDonald's, to feeding ducks at the park. When it's basically a game, it's even more fun!

    cominguprosestheblog.com

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