5 Affordable Date Night Ideas to Keep the Romance Alive

5 Affordable Date Night Ideas to Keep the Romance Alive

It happens to the best of us: life gets busy and we forget how important it is to carve out time in our schedules for romance. We never want it to feel like a chore, but it’s important to regularly have a date night with your loved one. He or she can start to feel neglected if you don’t spend time together, and that can cause silent tension in your relationship.

Show your partner how important they are to you by setting up a date night. You don’t have to shell out tons of money to do it, either. Here are some affordable date night ideas that will help you keep the romance alive in your relationship.

Netflix and Chill – Really

Movie theaters are expensive and sometimes crowded and irritating thanks to disrespectful audience members. But these days, you have tons of options for a stay-in movie night. Choose something on your subscription networks like Netflix or Hulu, or browse a title to rent on Amazon. Even YouTube has movies you can buy.

Make the night special by turning out the lights, snuggling under a cozy blanket and wrapping up in each other’s arms. Just being physically close for an hour or two with no real expectation helps the two of you get closer emotionally. And if you start to want a little more, you can let your partner know without even saying a word.

Walk Hand in Hand

Go for a walk while holding hands. Lazily stroll through a park while taking in beautiful scenery. Bring a picnic. Take a pair of binoculars for some casual bird watching. Or walk downtown and look at the architecture and do some window shopping in the eclectic stores. Spending this time together gives you both a chance to talk about whatever happens to pop into your mind, and that is important for emotional intimacy. It helps remind you both what you have in common and why you love each other.

Play Together

“Play” can take on so many different meanings, so find out what you and your partner like to do to let loose and be playful. You can play board games or card games, play sports like frisbee or baseball, play musical instruments together, dance, etc. You might even enjoy playing together in the bedroom with adult toys, including vibrators or mini sex dolls, depending on your preferences.

Cook Together

You don’t have to be great in the kitchen to enjoy cooking a meal with your partner. In fact, it’s a decent exercise in cooperation and communication. Choose a meal to make together, shop for the ingredients together, and then cook it together. Try to make sure it’s truly a shared effort. Welcome your partner to help, even if he or she chops the vegetables differently than you or cooks the noodles a smidge too long. Set the table in a special way, like you do for grand holidays, and savor the meal you created together.

Dream Together

One of the great delights of being in a long-term relationship is knowing that you and your partner get to share the future together. If you don’t slow down and share your dreams, set aside some time to do so. Cuddle together on the couch or on a porch swing as you watch the sunset. Let some soft music play in the background.

Share your dreams with each other. It could include children, a dream home, career goals, etc. Let your partner know that you support him or her and are excited to spend the future together. This validation and commitment is incredibly meaningful.