Comments on: Frugal Dates

By: Monique

Monique — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:06:14 +0000

I’m so glad to see so many other people share this same opinion. We get out about once a year as well, and we don’t feel deprived at all. We spend evenings talking to each other, and weekends working together on projects around the house. We can’t even imagine leaving our 5 children with others for days at a time to take a trip together. As long as our time together is quality time, it doesn’t have to be away at a restaurant eating food that isn’t even as good as I can cook at home or watching a movie we can watch on tv in a few months.

By: Condo Blues

Condo Blues — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 17:29:41 +0000

I think the concept of Date Night works for people because with two income households, kids in activities, etc. calling the time you spend with your spouse Date Night and scheduling it, works for busy couples. My husband and I regularly do Date Nights but we really don’t call it that. We don’t always spend money. But to make sure that one of us doesn’t start a project or something when the other wants to go “play”, we DO makes plans to do something together ahead of time. Sometimes it’s a Saturday at the Dog Park, going to our monthly Gallery Hop, yesterday we browsed at a bookstore and came home and watched a DVD we had.

By: CatHerder

CatHerder — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 16:16:26 +0000

AGREED! I wont lie to you, i REALLY enjoy our trips to florida and our free rooms we get comped at AC, but, …the best times we have ARE free. I get up with hubby every morning at 5 so we can have coffee together..and although i work i make sure the house stuff is taken care of so that when he walks through the door, he has my attention..we will snuggle on the couch after dinner and do crossword puzzles online in the winter months..or go for a walk or sit in the yard by the firepit when its nice out….been together 29 years, and spending quality time together is what keeps a marriage together..not spending money

By: Shawna

Shawna — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 01:55:58 +0000

Thanks for this post. My husband and I are newlyweds and we can’t afford to go out on dates. Our schedules keep us so busy that we don’t get to spend much quality time together. Maybe we should start getting up a little earlier!

By: Kimberly

Kimberly — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 22:20:03 +0000

Thanks for sharing. You make good points! We are brain washed into thinking we are somehow missing out if we don’t do certain things. I don’t want to be afraid to think differently. Fight the entitlement mentality!

I just got back from eating with my husband at Ruby Tuesday, haha! We had a buy one entree, get one free though, does that help?!

By: Carolyn

Carolyn — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 03:26:54 +0000

Great point! This is really important to remember. Some of our best dates have been in our own backyard or in the car on our way to my parents or my in-laws.

By: Heather @ Marine Corps Nomads

Heather @ Marine Corps Nomads — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 22:19:38 +0000

A “date” for us is just spending time together, period. Sometimes that means that I’m out in the driveway helping hubby as he works on his truck, and other times it means were just getting groceries.

When I hear the word “date”, I don’t think of going out, so I admit to, at first, being perplexed when you said married couples don’t need dates. lol!

By: Lola

Lola — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:50:22 +0000

Excellent points! My kids go to bed at 9 every night…leaving my husband and I two hours to chat, daily. Sometimes we just watch tv, sometimes we play a board game…sometimes we just go to bed early. I don’t need a restaurant or a movie to connect with my loving husband, and I’ve had this conversation numerous times with our friends. But they don’t get it…apparently time with your spouse doesn’t count if an expensive restaurant isn’t involved!

By: Tracy @ Hall of Fame Moms

Tracy @ Hall of Fame Moms — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:54:30 +0000

Very good post. Its always a good reminder to ask ourselves “why” we think the way we do…our perspectives lead us to act…just like you said, you don’t Have to spend $$ to spend time with each other!

By: kari

kari — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:53:41 +0000

Excellent post! Many of the couples we know insist their marriages wouldn’t survive if they didn’t have their weekly dates.

I don’t bother to tell them that the Hubster and I have been happily married for almost 11 years now and RARELY go on a date.

When we have babies our dates might involve driving until the little one falls asleep and then parking in front of the lake to talk for a half hour or 45 minutes.

We’ll often spend an hour or so in bed after the girls fall asleep (we practice the family bed so we’re all together) and talk and catch up on things.

What always make sure to have some time to talk, dream, and plan together. We work and play together. We’re a team.

Do I like to be courted every once in a while? Sure I do! We try at least once a year (more if it’s a really good year financially) to have a “proper date” but it’s not necessary for the life of our marriage – it’s just fun.