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Date nights can be hard to do, especially if you are low on money. Here are some ideas. Some from us and some from our readers.
Swap Baby-sitting
It is very difficult to go out on a date with your husband. Time is always and issue but money is even more of one. Once you pay for a babysitter you really have little money left to enjoy a night out with your husband. It can be a great idea to swap baby-sitting with a friend. Some folks have various ways of doing this but an easy way to do that is to just find a Friday or Saturday that both families are free and let the kids play. One family watches on Friday while the mom and dad go out. The other family goes out on Saturday while the first mom and dad go out. Find a friend and give it a try. You will be surprised how easy it is and the kids love it - they feel so fortunate to have friends over.
"Late" Dates at Home - from Amy, one of our readers.
Several years ago, my husband and I came up with our own version of "date night" Almost every single Saturday night, we fix dinner for all the kids, a little earlier than usual, then watch a movie with them or play board games. Get them all to bed at a truly decent time, then we crack open a bottle of wine, and either grill out or cook together. It is so much fun, and it gives us a chance to talk and catch up....sometimes we'll watch a "grown up" movie. We love it because any time we want we can run up the stairs and check on the kids, plus the food is always so wonderful, (at a fraction of what it would cost at a really nice restaurant!) and we just cherish that one on one time with each other.
My children all know about "date night" and it's really cute now when they ask us, "Is it date night tonight?" and I think that is really great for them to know that we both want that time together too.....we think it is really good for them.
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