We figured out pretty early on that as parents it’s hard to spend time together…. obviously not a revolutionary thought. But that circumstance has encouraged us to get creative about date nights. Spending the evening out and about is fabulous, but sometimes we just can’t work it out, our solution is the “In” date night.
Honestly, we’re both pretty low maintenance and we both love being at home. Put those two things together and you’ve got a simple and affordable night in.
For instance, we often (heck, I’m bedtime nazi, I always have my kids in bed by 
put the kids to bed around 8:00 and then share a really nice dinner to celebrate holidays or anniversaries. I usually pick up our favorite snow crab legs from Sam’s for about $16 add a baked potato and a salad and you’ve got a great meal for $20.
Our current favorite “In” date night includes our favorite television show. Last night we watched this…
And ate these…
Well actually let’s be honest… Pete doesn’t have a sweet tooth. But I still made enough for two servings “just in case” and I couldn’t let chocolate-covered strawberries to go waste… so I ate them all. I rationalize my overindulgence by just focusing on the fruit portion rather than the chocolate.
What’s your favorite cheap date night suggestion?
We love to be near water- so relaxing/romantic.
I think the best, cheap date ( I mean economical date, I’m NOT A CHEAP DATE!) is when we have sat by the pond, or the shore of the lake, on a blanket, and just held each other and talked.
By: sherri on February 5, 2009
at 8:49 am
How romantic to make a dessert that Pete doesn’t like so you can eat them all!
By: Marla Taviano on February 5, 2009
at 9:13 am
usually hubs and I grill a couple of filets(Sam’s club) on the grill and a piece of Sea Bass, mashed potatoes and salad. We watch a movie ON Demand. Sip a little wine.
Sam’s Club has the nicest meats btw.
By: Gina on February 5, 2009
at 9:37 am
Pete doesn’t have a sweet tooth…at all??? I mean…I like real food more than sweets…but still…I’m not so sure about him anymore! : )
By: Bonky's Mama on February 5, 2009
at 9:37 am
About once a month or so Dale and I stay up late, and watch movie trailers on apple.com/trailers. We rate them and tell each other that we want to see it or not…we actually end up seeing very few in the theatre!
By: Linny Best on February 5, 2009
at 9:48 am
i am all about walks together! definitely cheap and its time spent together just getting to know each other more
By: Sarah on February 5, 2009
at 9:50 am
my husband doesn’t have a sweet tooth either.. and absolutely does not like chocolate, unless he has ice cream or lots of milk to go with it. it is SO weird to me. and it stinks because i am quite the amateur baker so i end up throwing out a lot of left over stuff i make or eating way more than i should!
my favorite cheap date with my husband is cooking together (or actually, when i plan a meal that he has to grill so i don’t have to do as much & we don’t have to wash as many dishes!) i love going for rides around town and looking at houses. it’s fun to build your dream home together!
By: Sarah McGalliard on February 5, 2009
at 10:05 am
one of my favorite cheap dates was picking up some Mexican fast food and going to the beach to sit/walk/watch the moon. It was super romantic and under $10!
By: Amanda on February 5, 2009
at 10:08 am
How in the world do you get your children in bed by 8:00? That NEVER happens in my house. We’re lucky to get her in bed by 9:00 and she always says she is starving right after the words, “It’s bedtime” come out of my mouth. But get this… we had neighbors whose children were in bed at 6:30 every night!!
Cheap date with the hubby is similar to yours… Crab boil- crab legs with onion, turkey sausage, corn on the cob and red potatos- spread some newspaper on the kitchen island and have at it!
By: Rebekah on February 5, 2009
at 10:11 am
Right there with ya on being nazi momma when it comes to bed time. Our girls are in bed every night at 8:00 unless a school function or church function is taking place.
Therefore, we get creative and might do a dessert and LOST night, or head to the REDBOX and get a $1 movie that we haven’t seen and watch a movie together, or one of my favorite is a challenge in playing board games. (game night) We are both highly competitive so our game Sequence is quite fun!
By: Kara Prater on February 5, 2009
at 10:15 am
I plan on being VERY diligent about bedtime for our kids- when we have them!
But we still have economical date nights…Rent movies and cook dinner together, have game nights, watch our fav TV shows together, take our puppy for walks…stuff like that 
Right now we can come and go as we please
By: Monica Hunt on February 5, 2009
at 10:19 am
We too put the kids to bed and then cook dinner for just the two of us and eat a meal without the kids talking to us. We also like renting movies from Redbox…$1 a night.
By: Makila on February 5, 2009
at 10:24 am
We kind of fancy the “In” date night, too. That’s because we have moved a couple of times which means no babysitters. So we thought about it and started to date at home.
I think we should get back to that because we don’t get out much again having moved to England this past May. We do have one babysitter, but being at home sometimes is just what we like and prefer.
By: Carol on February 5, 2009
at 10:32 am
We trade date nights with another family. The wife comes over to our house after we’ve put the kids to bed. She can relax and read. We go out on a date.
The next week, I’ll go over the their house after their daughter has gone to bed. I’ll relax and read while they go out on a date.
It’s wonderful because I have a nice peaceful evening each week (We don’t actually get to do it EVERY week).
The last cheap date Jimmy and I had, we got some yummy snacks, rented a $1 movie and went to the Baylor campus and watched it on the laptop in one of the cozy little living rooms in the Student Union Building.
We even got in trouble with one of student workers because we closed the door…apparently a no-no.
By: Kat on February 5, 2009
at 11:12 am
We actually do a lot on “In” Date Nights. Just had one ourselves last night too. For years we have had picnics indoors. Sometimes we include our kids. Other times, like last night it’s just the two of us.
We lay a blanket out, light some candles and have a spread of some of our favorite foods. Cheeses, crackers, crab, meat balls, fruit…you get the picture. A fantastic way to unwind. I usually make a surprise dessert. I’ve learn more about my children during these times than when we have one on one conversations.
Side note- we did finish up just in time to watch LOST as well.
By: Marylea on February 5, 2009
at 11:41 am
We love to have steak, baked sweet potatoes, sweet tea and bread pudding after the girls go to bed. Somehow “Friends” is always in the DVD. We just love to snuggle and laugh together!
By: Krystal on February 5, 2009
at 12:00 pm
Watching episodes of the office with a bottle of wine. Nothing like a good laugh with the one you love!
By: holly on February 5, 2009
at 12:13 pm
ooh…LOST and chocolate covered strawberries, my two faves!
My husband and I like to have little date nights at home, too. We just cuddle on the couch and watch movies. We rather stay home and have a nice dinner together than go out somewhere.
Oh, and I put my boys to bed at around 8:00, too, but all they do is talk and giggle since they’re in the same room together.
It takes them FOREVER to fall asleep.
By: Alison on February 5, 2009
at 12:25 pm
we get a bottle of wine and play rockband on the WII….so romantic! we love it
P.S. our rockband name is “deathdouspart”
By: anna on February 5, 2009
at 12:36 pm
Anybody notice that only ladies have responded so far?
By: amyc on February 5, 2009
at 1:27 pm
The hubby and I go out together without the kids on Thursday nights, 2-3 times a month. But we love Friday nights. We have our family day from naptime to bedtime. Put the kids to bed at 7:30 and then we get our snacks and watch a movie. We love movie nights….especially with the new $1 RedBox movies:-) Friday night is our domain to do whatever we want while the kids are sound asleep!
By: Tiffany on February 5, 2009
at 1:41 pm
That is a great idea!
By: kaitlyn on February 5, 2009
at 1:43 pm
My FAVORITE date nights are a motorcycle ride on a hot summer evening. Riding around on the back roads near our home, and then riding down and around the beach area and watching the sunset. Sometimes dinner might consist of stopping at an icecream shoppe at the beach (yeah I know…not very healthy, but hey it’s dairy), or grilling something yummy when we get home and then just “chill” for the rest of the night
By: Dawn on February 5, 2009
at 1:47 pm
No “In” dates around here…somebody is always busy with phone, computer or TV so we go to look at the stars! We took the girls out Friday night and made it a family night.
My hubs loves to eat out so if we are going to be sans children, I know better than to cook!
Glad you and Pete could share some time together! That is probably the most important part of marriage, time minus children! When my girls complain about our ‘going out’, I remind them that all too soon, it will be just the two of us and I want to know who I am going to be spending the rest of my life with!
By: Pamela on February 5, 2009
at 2:02 pm
Ok, I’m not commenting on the date night part since I have no date, but seriously… how good is Lost?!? I can’t believe how much has happened already.
By: gitz on February 5, 2009
at 3:06 pm
very fun! love the chocolate covered strawberries! we haven’t had an “in” date night since we moved here. bummer!
but at home in Florida we would put Andon to bed around 8:00 also and then throw some steaks and baked potatoes on the grill and relax on the patio together. i sure do miss that warm weather!! 
By: Jen Mirabile on February 5, 2009
at 3:21 pm
We have 5 children and when they were little we frequently put them to bed……put on some music…Went out for pick-up…..lite a candle and enjoyed each other. Now that our children are older we have the chance to get out alone. Many times without any money…:) So we pack a picnic or grab something cheap and sit in the car and talk! I love it. A date isn’t about the food or the place but the time together!
By: Michele Helms on February 5, 2009
at 4:38 pm
yeah, we like “IN” dates too.
and i’m a bedtime nazi like you.
in the summer, we go out in the back yard and sit in our hammock chairs and have coffee and talk. If the weather is nice, its heaven.
By: Sarah Markley on February 5, 2009
at 4:57 pm
While the kids are at school, we will go out for lunch. The prices are cheaper and there aren’t any loud kids in the restaurants. We may even head home for a little “dessert.” Wink, wink!
By: Cassie J. on February 5, 2009
at 5:14 pm
in the winter time, its harder to pull off… but we like a pizza, a sweet bottle of wine and a night at the drive in’s… kids are normally included on the movie part, but its just tooo much fun all around…
By: missy on February 5, 2009
at 7:11 pm
We order pizza or just cook the frozen kind, rent a movie and eat pizza in the bed while we watch our movie. Yeah, it’s probably a little unsanitary, but hey, I do wash the sheets…….once or twice a year
By: Rachel on February 5, 2009
at 8:14 pm
BTW……chocolate covered strawberries are one of my most favorite things to eat. ANd those are lookin’ YUMMMMMMO! Thanks for inducing the craving
By: Rachel on February 5, 2009
at 8:16 pm
I agree that i am a bit of a bedtime nazi, esp when it is a date night(or a free night for myself). I love to rent a movie or just play cards. Our latest favorite is Canasta caliente, and it has 2 person rules and is a hoot. It has been our monday routine the past few weeks. In the summer, we like to just sit out on the balcony and watch people and talk! Good times!
By: mandy on February 6, 2009
at 1:51 am
This is so wise! When The Husband & I got married I had 3 little ones under 4! We HAD to have a date night since we never got alone time. We would do family night on Fridays and date night on Saturdays. Most of the time they were at home…
Once I spread out a big quilt in front of the fireplace and packed a picnic basket with yumalicious goodies. Just the little something different, made it fun and we talked for a couple of hours while nibbling on fun stuff!
I’m a cheap date!
By: Robin on February 6, 2009
at 7:48 am
I cannot believe you used the term “bedtime nazi” and not because I think it is inappropriate but because my husband calls me the same thing!!! I am a stickler for a promp bedtime and after hugs, kisses and little boys being tucked into bed I REFUSE to pamper them anymore, lol! (Where my husband will go and lay down with them once-in-awhile). I figure that’s ok since he only sees them a few hours a day while I have them ALL day;)
I am on South Beach (diet not location) right now and I cannot wait until phase 2 when I can have some strawberries and chocolate!!!
By: Andrea on February 6, 2009
at 3:42 pm
Brandi,
And we made time for each other after the kids went to bed. Date night, in or out of the house are important. Jen from Cali
Thanks for the idea. My hubby and I ate chocolate covered strawberries (that I made) last night.
By: Jen on February 6, 2009
at 7:52 pm
Amen to the bedtime nazis! We love to get the kids to bed and cook a late dinner and catch up on episodes of House on the DVR or rent a movie from the TV. We also sometimes have dobuble movie nights…the kids get a movie, snacks etc. in thier jammies in our bed…we get the same, but in the living room!
By: Amanda on February 7, 2009
at 10:05 pm
I’m adding the “in-date” idea to the top of our low-budget seminary student date-night ideas…
By: mandythompson on February 9, 2009
at 3:52 pm
Redbox for sure!!!
By: Mandie on February 20, 2009
at 12:14 pm
These are great ideas. We haven’t recovered from our fourth and final baby to the point where we can stay awake long enough for a conversation!! We fall asleep on each other if we try to watch a movie together, but it’s been really nice lately that when we do fall asleep like that we sometimes wake up WIDE awake somewhere between 3 and 5 am and have the best conversations then. It HAS been hard because my husband is a morning person and I’m a night person to begin with so once you add in the four energetic boys it can feel almost impossible to find a time to meet when we’re both conscious!
These ideas make me want to give some renewed effort to getting back to some more organized “dates IN” now that our littlest little man is sleeping through the night and is almost 12 weeks old! 
Thanks!
By: Christie on March 7, 2009
at 7:57 pm