Why a date night is important:

First, dating helps you keep a deep friendship alive and well. The happiest marriages are those that are based on friendship, and that do not lose that connection or bond. This bond is formed by mutual respect and enjoyment of one another's company. How can you keep this bond alive if you do not spend time in one another's company? This does not mean you can be in the same room, or with a lot of other people. A regular date night helps you to deepen and strengthen your relationship, and allows you to have fun with your spouse without interruption.

Second, dating keeps you well versed about one another. When you date you are given opportunity to be reminded of one another's likes, dislikes, preferences, opinions, morals, values, etc. It offers opportunity for you to reacquaint yourself with one another's personality quirks, and the things that make you tick. It offers the setting for talking about hopes, dreams, and goals. These are important things to know about your spouse, and the more you remind yourself, the more you enjoy one another, and the better suited you will be for one another. When you learn your spouse's likes and dislikes, you can be more considerate of them.

Third, it allows you to stay connected despite busy or conflicting schedules. It allows you to stay in touch in your daily lives, and thus offers more passion and romance then you get from romantic vacations and lavish gifts. Instead of an occasional gesture, it helps you remember the little ways to build a friendship and fuel the flames of your love. Many times people let their daily connections fall apart then try to repair them with an expensive gift, etc. when regular date nights would go a long way at keeping the connections alive so you do not need these big gestures to repair something. The truth is, regular date nights will do a lot more for a relationship than any big gesture.

How to afford date night on a tight budget:

One of the biggest reasons that many couples do not go on dates on a regular basis is because they can't afford to. Or at least they think they can't afford to. Date night offers so many advantages that really you should be thinking that you can't afford not to. Your relationship is something you should invest in, and what better way to do it than date night? Dates are certainly more fun than therapy or counseling sessions. However, it is true that dating can put a stress on an already tight budget, especially if you have children.

Let's look at a typical date for someone with a couple of children at home:

• Dinner $30-$50


• Movie $15-$20


• Babysitter $15-$20

This means that to simply go out for a few hours you would be spending $60-$90. That is pretty steep, especially if you are going to try and do this every week. This would be pretty discouraging, especially if you are a student, or do not have a great job, lots of debt, etc. So, what are some things you can do to be able to afford to go on a date night with your spouse when your budget is tight? Try the following suggestions:

• Trade babysitting. You are not the only person in the world with a tight budget, and the cost of hiring a sitter so you and your spouse can go out can get pricey. So, find another couple, and trade sitting with them so that you can both get out on occasion without high expense. There are a lot of co-op sitting sites, church groups that offer babysitting trades, etc. Just be sure to find someone that you trust so that you are not worried about your child, their safety, health, etc. and can actually enjoy your date.
• Try lunch dates. It is amazing how much less expensive eating out is when you eat a lunch entrée rather than a dinner entrée. Also, movie prices for matinees are usually a third to a half less than the night time prices. The goal of regular dates with your spouse is to spend quality time together; that does not have to be at night. If your kids are in school, you can get out of work, or if you can find a babysitter during the day, you can get a great date in for less.
• Substitute activities. Obviously the above date is not the only kind of date you can go on, so one tip is to choose the date activities you participate in according to your budget. For example, if you have no money left at all, you can go on a date to a park, or a free museum, concert, etc. rather than paying to do something. Go to a book store, and play cards at one of the tables there. Window shop, etc. There are plenty of low cost, or free things you can do with your spouse that would qualify as a date. If you have a little bit of money, but not much, see a dollar theater movie instead of a new movie. Do something free, and follow it up with ice cream cones out. Do not order popcorn or drinks at the movie. Basically, there are several ways to cut costs a little here and a little there, so when times are tight, start cutting back on cost, but not fun.
• Do home dates. Have the kids stay at the grandparents, and make dinner at home, but eat it in candlelight. Turn on the television like you do every night, but as a date make sure that you cuddle up on the couch. Rub each other's feet while you are watching. You can make regular activities, even things like grocery shopping into a great date as long as you focus on your spouse, and make it special.
• Go out during the middle of the week. Movies, bowling, mini-golf, and many other activities are cheaper on weekdays than they are during the week. So, go on a date mid-week. You can often find babysitters more easily as well as long as you do not stay out too late, as they won't usually have plans with their friends.
• Use coupons. You can usually find buy one get one half off coupons for entrees at restaurants, movie tickets, etc. So look for ways to save with online coupons, etc.

Ideas for fun date nights:

Because dating your spouse is such a great way to make your marriage last, and make your friendship better, it is a good idea to have fun dates you can go on. The fact is that sometimes you get too routine, and boring in your dating because you can't think of anything cool or fun to do, so it is the same places, same basic activities. This is great if it is something you both equally enjoy, but if you don't, the following ideas should help you in your quest for fun dates:

• Idea one: Bowling. Bowling is sort of a lost pleasure. Many of your parents or grandparents probably bowled on a regular basis, with a league, and a lot. Bowling is a great way spend a lot of time together for low cost.
• Idea two: Comedy show. Most cities or metropolitan areas will have some sort of stand up comedy available on weekends, and in some cases every night of the week. Occasionally it will be improvisation, other times you will find routines. Either way it is a fun way to spend an evening together.
• Idea three: Foreign food. A fun way to make going to dinner more than just a typical date is to eat at a place that serves foods you have not tried before. Ask for recommendations though so that you do not end up somewhere with bad food.
• Idea four: Professional sports game. Baseball games, basketball games, and football games are all fun dates, even for someone not that interested in sports. The atmosphere is fun, you can eat food, talk, cheer, and have a great time.
• Idea five: Outdoor activities. If the weather is good, try playing tennis, roller blading down a trail or boardwalk, sledding if there is snow, etc. There are a lot of fun ways to enjoy time together in the great outdoors. Hike with a picnic to a waterfall. Hike in snow shoes up a snowy ravine. Go fishing. Go biking. Get outside.