Not spending time with your spouse happens for many reasons including the kids, work schedules or just everyday life. As responsibilities start to increase, the time spent with your spouse decreases. The best way to fix these statistics and get some time with your honey is to make that time a priority, and an appointment. You would not miss a doctor's appointment, so do not miss a spouse time appointment. Schedule at least one chunk of time each week to spend with your spouse, and just your spouse. It is good to get family time in, but you can't forget that in addition to being a parent, and an employee, you are also a husband or wife. Make sure that role does not become secondary to the other roles you play.

Spending time with one another is going to improve your marriage in ways that other things cannot. It will help you to communicate better, as you will know what is going on in one another's lives, and what you need from one another. It will help you develop stronger connections and ties, and improve your marital friendship. It gives you a chance to work on the romance in your marriage, and to increase the love. Spending time together, more of it, and quality time is something that has nothing but positive results. You are forced to face your issues, not ignore problems, and you are able to learn to enjoy one another's company again so that you want to spend time with just each other.

Often times couples cut down on time spent together because of money. They either work more, or they go out less because money is tight. However, it is very possible to spend quality time with your spouse without spending a ton of money. The following are some ideas for ways you can make your marriage work better by spending time having fun with your spouse. Many of these ideas work well for those on a budget, or with children.

• Idea one: Have a night in. When money is tight, the thought of paying for a babysitter, a movie theater ticket, and a dinner out can be overwhelming, but instead of just sitting at home watching television, or doing things separately, make a date night in. If possible, find a way to get the kids out of the house, or schedule your date night for after they are in bed asleep. If possible, have the kids stay at a relatives, or with a friend (trading babysitting is often the best way to get a night out without spending money). Now, rent a movie, or plan to watch one you already have, or your favorite television show etc. You can go to a video store, Red Box, or rent one off Pay-Per-View on your cable box. Then cook dinner together, or order out if you have the funds. Eat dinner together with the television off in order to give you some talk time. Then cuddle up and watch the movie. This gives you physical connection time, talk time, and the opportunity to do something fun together to help boost and rejuvenate your marital relationship.
• Idea two: Spend time together talking, even if it is just when you are driving somewhere. Often times a trip out to the grocery store together can be as fun as a date, as long as you talk and enjoy yourself. Most spouses that find a lack of time being spent together, miss talking together. However, if you neglect talking together for too long, it can be hard to get a topic started. So, get better at just talking with your spouse by playing 20 questions about your day. Or if you have already talked about the day, then play 20 questions about your dream vacation or fantasies. This is a fun way to reconnect, and pass time with each other.
• Idea three: Go out to dinner. This is not anything original, but it is a great way to spend time with your spouse. In addition to that, you can determine where you go out to eat based on your budget and time. If you can only have a sitter for an hour, you can hit up some place close. If you have a limited budget, you can eat somewhere less expensive. It gives you plenty of time to spend together, and it allows you to enjoy yourselves, no clean up afterwards. Often times, a night out to dinner does wonders for refreshing ties that were fading etc. If you want to make it more fun, you can get appetizers at one place, entrees at another, and dessert at another. This extends the evening and adds a little element of fun to the night as well. If night does not work, meet up on your lunch break for a quick sit down meal and time together-kid free!
• Idea four: See a movie together. This is again, not original, but it really is a good way to spend time with your spouse. Many people scoff at movies for spending quality time because there is not a lot of opportunity to talk, however, if it is something you both enjoy doing, it is a great way to spend time with your spouse. You can talk in the car on the way to and from. You get to hold hands, or cuddle up during the movie, and it provides you with a topic of conversation in case you are struggling in that area. Plus it is fun. Doing fun things together is essential for a healthy relationship.
• Idea five: Grocery shop together. One of the biggest excuses for not spending time with your spouse is that of not having time to spend together. Well, you have to grocery shop, so why not make it a weekly ritual to go do that together? This is a great time to talk and enjoy one another's company, and while you are at the store you could pick up a little something special just for the two of you, such as your favorite dessert, a romantic movie, a special meal item like seafood, or steak, etc. Believe it or not, walking the aisles of your local grocery store is a great opportunity for reconnecting, touching base, and even having fun together. It is also a cheap way to get a little date in.
• Idea six: Go to the park. If the weather permits it, a fun way to spend time with your spouse is to go for a walk, or visit a local park. Take a Frisbee along to give you something to do. Swing on the swings, and play. How long has it been since you actually played with your spouse? Roll down a grassy hill, skip rocks on a pond, or just walk hand in hand down a scenic pathway. If you are athletic and have the equipment, go rollerblading, skateboarding, biking, etc. together. The outdoors provides plenty of free or inexpensive ways to spend time with your spouse, and it can be a great way to get fit as well.
• Idea seven: Go to the gym together. This is a way to kill two birds with one stone, as long as you can exercise with each other. So, jog laps around the indoor track while you chat, ride the stationary bikes by each other, or do stair steppers near one another. Spot each other while you lift weights, or share a lane in the pool. This is a fun way to spend time together while also meeting your New Year's resolutions. In addition to that, most gyms and recreation centers provide a day care for a fairly low cost, so you can take your kids with you, and spend an hour together each morning, with your kids close by just in case.
• Idea eight: Listen to a book on tape or CD. This is a really fun thing to do that is low cost, and will give you something to look forward to. You can plan meals together and listen while you eat, you can listen while you drive together, and you can discuss the book after and during.

There are all sorts of ways to spend time with your spouse, and really, it does not have to cost money, but it does take time and effort. The more time you spend with one another, the better your relationship is going to be, so make it a priority.