Date nights after marriage are really important because they help keep the marriage fresh, like when you were dating before marriage. Keeping the romance alive is all about making time for each other a priority. In the beginning of my marriage, we both had good jobs and went out on a lot of date nights.  After the kids came and I quit my job to stay at home with them, date nights became few and far in-between.   I had to sit down and really think about things we could do that did not cost a lot.  The other problem was child care cost.  This would make going on any date seem impossible.  I came to realize though that after you have kids is the time you really need a date night.  Just being able to talk to your spouse without being interrupted is so nice.  You get to focus on each other and not worry about the kids.  Since child care expenses are always a problem, we seem to do a lot of date nights at home after the kids have gone to bed.   I really think that when you spend less on a date night for some reason they seem to be more meaningful and the ones I remember most. Here are a few ideas we have used for frugal date nights at home.

Movie Night

After the kids go to bed, we like to watch a movie together.  We get the movies from the library or the Redbox, along with pop and popcorn made with our air popper.  Sometimes we even pick out some $1 candy from The Dollar Tree.  Make sure you pick a movie you both will enjoy.  This never costs us a lot of money and we have a nice quiet evening together. You could also watch a show on television together.  My husband and I really enjoy watching American Idol together. So pick something to watch and spend some time together.

Do a Project Together

The other day, I had a lot of dishes to do.   My husband said he would do them with me.  We put a movie on for the kids to watch and told them we would be busy.  We got the dishes done but also spent some time talking together.  It was nice uninterrupted time, which we do not get to have very much.  My husband later told me that it was a lot of fun and maybe we should wash dishes together more often.  I think it was one of the more memorable times we have spent together and we also got a project done in our home that really needed to be done.  So, take a look around your house, is there something you need to get done that you can do together?  I don’t think doing the dishes all by myself would have been that much fun.  So, make getting a project done fun and time to spend together at the same time.

Game Night

After the kids go to bed is a great time to play games.  My husband and I have played cards together and it’s always fun.  You could also play board games or even video games.  We have a Wii and I like to challenge my husband to some of those games.  Sometimes, though, two people are not enough to play a game, so you could invite another couple over and have a group date.

These are just a few ideas to stay at home and have a frugal date night.  Do you have an idea to share?  Please leave it in the comments.  Just because you have kids or no money does not mean you can’t plan a fun, frugal date at home.