One of the biggest reasons that couples note for not going out on dates together more often is their budget. We have young kids and understand how difficult it can be to find room in the budget to hire a babysitter and have money left to enjoy your time while you're out. Date night is a great way for couples to connect and make their relationship a priority throughout every stage of life so we hope to provide great ideas for date night that are less expensive and still just as fun.
1. Grab appetizers or dessert instead of a full meal. A lot of restaurants have happy hour when appetizers and drinks are discounted. You can even make a meal of some things on the appetizer menu and share those for less than the cost of a full entree. Dessert only eateries are a great options as well.
2. Look for deals on local activities. Trampoline parks, bowling alleys and other activity centers often have deals for date night. You can also find deals on websites like Groupon or in local coupon mailers.
3. Bring the escape room experience home. Escape rooms are a really popular activity right now, but they can be pricey. We discovered a local company, Lockbox Mysteries, whose crate rental is equivalent to one person's entry to a regular escape room. We love to get a group of two or three couples together and split the cost. The mysteries are really well thought out and we love to take on the challenge of solving them in an hour, but appreciate that by doing it at home, we can still continue on and solve the mystery, even if we don't hit our goal.
4. Enjoy free outdoor adventures together. Hiking is a great date night activity and an awesome way to explore new areas around you. The Wild Rose Trail in North Salt Lake is an easier trail and perfect for hiking to watch the sunset during warmer months. We also love geocaching because it keeps us active and is a scavenger hunt that we can enjoy together. There are great apps you can download to help you find caches in your area.
5. Catch a matinee or discount movie. For couples who love movie dates, going to matinees or taking advantage of discount days can dramatically decrease the cost of date night. We love to go to Cinemark theaters on Tuesday when tickets are just $5 all day. They also have recliners in all of their theaters so that's a bonus!
Whatever you choose to do for date night, I hope you find a way to make date night more of a priority in your relationship, regardless of what your budget looks like!
