Low to No-Spend date nights

With the new year starting, so many people have started New Year Resolutions, Two of the big ones are always to get healthier physically and save money. Your relationship doesn't have to take a hit to accomplish these goals! Date nights do not always have to cost a ton of money, in my opinion, the most memorable dates aren't the ones that cost a fortune.

We try to do date night ones a week or a "bigger" one once a month. With busy schedules, we know it is important to set aside time for the two of us. I've put together a few fun and financially frugal date nights, many of which don't require a lot of planning.

At-Home Date Nights:

Painting Night: we refer to this as our "Bob Ross" night. I have tons of painting supplies at hand, so cost-wise it's only a few dollars to pick up a canvas. If you don't have painting supplies on hand, just head over to your local craft store or Walmart, pick up some paint (I just use the 50 cent acrylic paints from Walmart), a few canvases, and a package of paintbrushes. Set out an old table cloth in the living room, put Bob Ross on the TV and go to town!

Puzzle Night: this may be our inner old person coming out, but picking a puzzle (you may have some or pick one up from Walmart for a couple of dollars) and putting it together with some snacks and conversation is a great way to spend the night.

Make a Time Capsule: This isn't one we have done yet, but with the start of a new decade, how perfect would this be? Find a few items from around the house, write notes, put a few pictures in, and store it away. The longer you wait to open it, the more fun it will be! 1 year, 5, years, 10 years? You decide

Take an Online Class/Learn a New Hobby: youtube has so many tutorials. I know a little bit of sign language and have always wanted to learn more. Since my husband has become interested in it too, we will probably try to learn that together.

Video Game Night: we don't have a ton of video games, but the good news is that you can rent them from Redbox or a video store. You can choose one you both find interesting, or if your spouse has a favorite one, let them teach you. It can be a fun experience, as long as you don't take it too seriously!

Karaoke Night: get a group of friends together (or just you and your significant other), find some karaoke videos on youtube & just have fun! I suppose you could go to a karaoke bar, but if there aren't any near you, this is a great (free) alternative.

Outdoor Date Nights

Hiking: you don't have to go to a mountain to go hiking. Depending on where you live, you may have to drive a little way to find a nature trail, but most of the time, you can hike for free! This is a great time to talk, admire nature, and be active.

Visit a Tulip Farm/Pumpkin Patch/Christmas Tree farm: obviously the time of year dictates if you can do this or not, but everyone loves a visit to the pumpkin patch in the fall and a Christmas tree farm in the winter. There is always a cost if you purchase a tree, pumpkin, or flowers, but you don't have to purchase anything at many places.

Feed the ducks at a local pond: read the signs to know what to feed them, but corn is usually a pretty safe bet. We like to park ourselves on a bench by the pond and see how many ducks we can get close to us.

Fly Kites: you can get kites from the dollar store, so this could literally be a $2 date. If you have a relatively tree-free backyard you don't even have to go anywhere! Otherwise, you can drive over to a local park, lay a blanket on the ground and watch your kite soar.

Low Cost

Sporting Event: you can go to a local high school game or find cheap tickets for your favorite sports team. A personal favorite for us is when the St. Louis Cardinals have $10 tickets!

Mini-Golf: depending on the town you live in, there may be one near you. We have one in our town and it is only a few dollars a person. This is fun for just two people, but it is also a lot of fun with a group! Drive-In Movies: I have always wanted to go to a drive-in movie, but haven't had the chance. While this may not be an extremely cheap option, it is still less than $10 a person and you can bring your own snacks! You also don't have to worry about someone tall sitting in front of you or someone chatty sitting behind you.

Ice Skating: this may be more of a winter date, but it is always so fun! Dress in layers and just have fun. Plus if you get tired, it's still fun to sit on the sides and people watch for a little bit.

Be a Tourist in Your Own Town: we live in a small tourist town so there is a lot of things we can do (Mark Twain ring a bell?). A lot of times there are popular tourist attractions that if you have lived in the town your whole life you have never seen! Bonus points if you dress like a tourist too

Live Music Concert: I couldn't decide whether or not to put this in the low cost or the outdoor section, but it could really go either way. In our town, we have live music once a week downtown that is free to the public. Some places you may have to pay for tickets, just depending on where you live. This was one of our favorite things about Nashville!

I also wanted to share a few date night outfits! I linked the white top, dress, and navy skirt because they are all less than $10 and can be so versatile!