Why you should NEVER budget for date nights
Hey friends!
Valentine’s day is quickly approaching and I’ve been thinking a lot about the subject of date night. In my opinion (and I’m a bit of a romantic), date nights should happen without the forced celebration of a holiday. But more so, date nights should happen so regularly that they become a routine in your week. And they shouldn’t come with a budget.
Now before you start filling the comments with your very welcomed perspectives, let me clarify. I am not telling you that you should have no spending limit for your date night. I’m not a big fan of the YOLO complex where you throw caution to the wind and just roll with it. It’s just not my cup of cocoa.
You’re probably thinking, “Gina, you must be out of your mind saying that we shouldn’t budget our date nights, I can’t afford not to budget!”
I’m with you, I’m obsessed with budgeting and this blog talks about saving money constantly. It’s what I’m about. But, date night is different.
Why, you ask? Because if I allocate a dollar amount to my night, then it limits my mindset into thinking that I have to SPEND money to enjoy my time in the first place.
If you’re thinking about all of the blog posts that talk about 7500 free date night ideas and you’re like, Gina, what you’re saying is not new news? Yes, I know. But, I want to share with you how I’ve benefited from having budget-free date nights and what I’ve learned in the process. Although I need to plan more of them, haha.
We often forget that it’s not the money that brings us joy, it’s the company. And with that principle in mind, money can take a day off because I’m all about enjoying my time with my company, completely free.
Not budgeting for your date night can benefit you so much.
Here are just some of the benefits I enjoyed when I didn’t budget my date night.
Benefit #1: You’re creative with your choice of free activities
Taking money out of the equation made me more thoughtful. I came up with so many free outings with Mr. FC. Here are some, to name a few.
-Leisurely stroll in the park
-Slow walk on the beach
-Going to the pier
-Outdoor concerts that your city hosts
-Staying in and enjoying quiet romance in front of the fireplace with some good music and candlelight (Ooh la la)
-Watching your favorite old time movie in bed
-Sitting on the porch with a cup of coffee or tea (or wine, if you’d much rather enjoy some adult beverages)
-Reading the bible and attempting to put it in perspective, together (If you’re not religious, just skip this one)
-Playing cards or a board game
-Cooking together
The possibilities are truly endless.
Benefit #2: It will make you look forward to the date night even more
There is no added pressure that you must have the “perfect” outing because you spent X amount of dollars on it. You don’t have to pretend to like something because you feel bad that the hubs spent all that money. You’re free to just simply enjoy….the simpler things….like a tuna sandwich at the park next to your love.
Benefit #3: You’ll have more date nights
Remember how I mentioned above that date nights should be such a regular thing that’s embedded into your life’s routine? Yup, this is exactly what I mean. If your date nights are free, then you can have a ton more of them, without any of the guilt.
Benefit #4: You’ll save so much money
Think back at the last time you had a date night. How fun was it? Pretty fun, I bet. How much did you spend? $10, $20, $50? Well, if you follow my notion of having date nights more frequently (which you should because they are awesome), then you’ll surely go broke with that kind of spending on a regular basis. Just doing the math on the $20 scenario, if you did that 4 times a month, you’re spending $80. That’s a whopping $960 in one year, that’s not some chump change we’re talking about here.
Benefit #5: You’ll create tons of amazing memories together
There is something amazing that happens when you put in the effort to spend more time with your significant other. I realize that there is something called “too much time”, but I’m simply talking about unwinding once a week in each other’s company. You get to know one another better and it makes you naturally stronger. You’ll even be more confident in your relationship when you spend the time nurturing it and making it grow. That investment is free of charge, but can make your lifetime much more enjoyable with your partner.
Conclusion
There are so many benefits that we take for granted with date night. And we use the excuse that we can’t afford date night on a regular basis, so we opt to make it an occasional occurrence. I’m here to encourage to make it a regular occurrence in your life. One that you look forward to in your routine and one that you can make happen at no cost to you or your partner. The only thing you need is your time and attention.
While I realize cutting out time could also be a challenge, I truly believe that when you take money out of the equation, the time issue becomes a little easier to handle, since you aren’t confined to specific paid-for events.
Try it and let me know how much it benefited you. Leave a comment below with your date night tips!
3 Responses
Such a great post. I totally agree and also need to schedule more!
Thanks! Yeah many of us take it for granted that there are wonderfully free things to do all around us! ?