It’s Friday night! Woo-hoo! Hubby is off for the next two days. Time for some relaxation, sleeping in, breakfast in bed, and lazy Saturday mornings. Sounds pretty great, huh?
There’s only one dilemma we have been faced with lately: What to do for date nights? Specifically for some Friday night fun. We used to go out, spend time with friends, eat at any restaurant we wanted, and splurged for any and every activity. Now that we’re trying to save as much money as we can for travel we are trying being forced to think of cheaper ways to spend time together.
For two weeks (yes, it only lasted two weeks) we have been trying to spend more evenings in but there’s only so much Netflix you can watch (or is there?) before wanting a night out.
Quality time is my love language and there’s nothing I love more than getting all dressed up and going out for a fancy meal then to a movie or perhaps to a classy lounge for a glass of wine. Yeah it sounds great but there is one problem with that…it costs a lot of money.
Spending an extra $100 a week on a night out adds up quickly. Get this, if if we spent every Friday night in rather than going out we would save $5,200 by the end of the year. That’s enough money for two plane tickets and a hotel for a week in Germany! Once we figured that out, I knew we had to cut back. 
Just A Few Of Our Frugal Date Night Ideas:
- One of our favorite night outing involves grabbing some WaWa coffee (or make your own to save even more $$$) and head to one of our beloved parks. (The pictures you see in this post were taken in the park Kevin proposed. Reason #28 why it’s one of our favorite parks.) Sometimes we’ll take our pups with us! It’s a great way to get some exercise in. Typically we’ll get into deep conversations and before you know it, we have walked two or three miles without even knowing!
- As I mentioned before, I like to have a glass of wine here and there, and Kevin fancies a cigar once in a while. Well we figured since going to a wine or cigar lounge will cost us around $50-60 we needed to find something else. Sam’s Club, Walmart, and Aldi have cheap wine so when we have a hankering for some bubbly, we’ll pick up a bottle and sit on our porch, light our fire pit, turn on some sweet jazz, and catch up on our day. Sometimes Kevin will dance with me and it makes for a romantic night right in the comfort of our own home. AND it only cost us $8 instead of $50!
- I always keep an eye out for any specials going on in our local restaurants. One of our favorites is Chili’s. (Pssst…if you sit in the bar, they’ll give you free chips!) They have a special called 2 for $20. You get two main entrees for $20 and on top of the chips you get a free appetizer. Talk about a sweet deal and we always have enough for leftovers. SCORE!
- Orlando Magic games. We love basketball games. We make sure to park someplace free (even if that means walking a few miles), we eat dinner before we go (so all the nachos, pretzels, and hot dogs don’t tempt us), and we always purchase nose bleed seats which are typically $15 a piece. Yes, it costs a little more, but it’s considered a treat for us. Plus it’s still less than $100!
- Consider zoo’s or aquariums. Check Groupon for steals and deals! You never know what you might find.
- Go to the mall! (As long as window shopping doesn’t tempt you.) Kevin likes to get a pretzel or ice cream, and we’ll stroll around the mall, chit chat, and look at the things we want but can’t have. Trust me, it’s fun!
- Kevin and I LOVE swimming during the summer. We have a community pool but if you check your local rec center, you’ll find that it’s typically pretty cheap to go for a dip.
- Check for local events. Every now and then one will pop up that Kevin and I actually want to attend. Usually they’re free. Sometimes they’ll charge an entrance fee, but it’s never more a few bucks.
- We like to walk around Disney Springs (parking is free) or Universal’s City Walk (check their website to see their schedule of free parking). It’s fun to people watch and experience all the hype that Orlando has to offer.
Just remember that it’s okay to splurge. It’s okay to get dressed up once in awhile and go someplace nice, but replacing every Friday night with something a little cheaper than the norm could end up saving you not hundreds, but thousands! Plus, everything I mentioned is great for a little one on one time together. We have both learned that spending time together is essential for a happy marriage. Just remember to leave the phones at home, and you’ll be guaranteed for a lovely night filled with some good ol’ quality time that will leave your wallets full.
What about you? Have any cheap date night ideas that you and your husband adore? Let me know!
