We started establishing a regular date night when our second child was born. It helped our marriage substantially because it gave us a chance to escape the household chaos for an evening.
One of the most important things to do when figuring out what really fills your cup is to think about what actually matters most to you. What do you enjoy most about going out? Does the time of day matter? Do you need a full meal, or do you just need a temporary place to escape?
What we’ve found over the years is that we don’t really care that much about the food. We just like to hang out and have a drink or two. We also can’t leave right away in the evenings because things are too chaotic with dinner, homework, and bedtime routines. Getting back in time for bedtime is also a priority for us.
With that in mind, here are our five favorite tips for having a more affordable date night:
#1 – Hit Up Happy Hours
This is something we almost always do. It’s usually half-priced drinks and discounted pizzas or appetizers depending on where we go.
Most happy hours run from 4–6 PM, but if there are places you like, it’s worth calling ahead to see what deals they offer.
#2 – Eat Beforehand
Food usually isn’t the priority for us, so we try to eat dinner beforehand and just go out for a drink or two.
I also feel awkward taking up a table without ordering a full meal, so we’ll typically sit at the bar. There’s usually less waiting, and I don’t feel the same pressure to spend more.
#3 – Use Gift Cards and Coupons
We often get gift cards throughout the year for birthdays or Christmas, and I try to save those specifically for date nights.
Around the holidays, you’ll also see BOGO deals on gift certificates or similar promotions. We take advantage of those for our favorite spots since we know we’ll go there eventually.
I also keep an eye on mailers and set aside coupons for places we like. And every once in a while, I’ll check Groupon to see if there are discounted activities—we recently did indoor golf for a great price.
#4 – Go to Free Places or Run Errands
This might sound simple, but people are always surprised when they run into us on a date night and we’re just walking a trail or grocery shopping.
It might not be for everyone, but I genuinely love being with my husband when it’s just the two of us—it doesn’t really matter where we are. We can have just as much fun at Aldi as we do at a nice restaurant.
Sometimes I actually prefer date nights where we get something done. I also follow local Facebook groups for ideas—there are usually free community events going on that are fun to check out.
#5 – Shift to a Splurge
There are definitely nights when we don’t want to think about the cost or sit at the bar—and for those (usually birthdays or anniversaries), we plan ahead and intentionally splurge.
We balance it out by keeping our regular date nights more budget-friendly. It actually makes those bigger nights feel more special than if we were doing it all the time.
I hope these tips help! Date nights are definitely something we added more consistently after becoming debt-free, but we used many of these same principles even when we were paying off debt and going out less often.
And if going out just isn’t in the budget, staying in can be just as fun. Sometimes we recreate our favorite restaurant meals, or we’ll browse a local bottle shop, pick up a beer, and find a movie to watch (don’t overlook the library!).
Lately, one of our favorite things has been playing a few rounds of Overcooked together—it always has us laughing.