10 ways to ‘date’ your spouse

By “date,” I mean anything you can do alone for a couple hours with your spouse or significant other. If you have kids, you might just have to bite the bullet and pay a sitter for a couple of hours, but at least the date itself can be free!

I have found that creativity is often the source of the most fun, and it doesn’t cost a thing! Plus, you can often spend a lot of money doing the same old thing — and not have any fun. These are a few ideas that have worked for me and my wife.

Have a Photo Shoot
Grab your digital camera and drive around town together, stop at scenic locations, and start taking pictures of each other. Be goofy. Be creative — think like an artist, and don’t just take the same old fake smile-centered pictures. Get out of the box and take some weird pictures!

Take 100-200 pictures, then go home, download Picasa (or use your favorite photo software), pick your favorites, and stretch your creative muscles even more by adding various effects to each picture.

Have a Movie Marathon
Of course the library is great for books, but most libraries now have an extensive selection of DVDs as well. Go pick out a few of your old favorites, then swing by the grocery store and pick up your favorite snacks. (Or, if “free” is really crucial, raid your pantry.) Turn off the lights, grab a blanket, and cozy up for a night in the great indoors.

Go House Shopping
Even if you aren’t in the market for a new house, go browse anyway. There is just something fun about the home-browsing process. Pick a developing area and check out a few of the display homes. Make a list together of the things you like and don’t. This is also a great way to get some design ideas and to find layouts that you may want in the future.

Go Play a Sport Together
Play basketball, tennis, soccer, catch, ride bikes together, rollerblade, or anything else that involves breaking a sweat. It is fun, you get to breathe some fresh air, and you get great exercise as well. How is that for multitasking?

Plan a Vacation
As I write this, I am counting the days to my next vacation. You could almost argue that the anticipation up to a vacation provides as much enjoyment as the vacation itself. So why not start planning one? Even if it will be two years away, a vacation is still something to look forward to and will get here sooner than you know it.

There are a million vacation websites to get your brain churning and help you find ideas. Once you figure out where and when, start budgeting for it!

Dinner and Dancing at Home
Make a playlist of your favorite slow songs and let them start playing. You can then cook your favorite meal together, put out some candles and fine china, and have a relaxing and romantic dinner together. Once dinner is over, leave the dishes until the next day! Slow dance and think about each other like you did when you were dating.

Go On a Picnic
I can still remember the first picnic I went on with my wife (girlfriend at the time), and it was so fun. I made her favorite type of sandwich, got her favorite chips and drinks, packed a basket up with the food and a blanket, and we headed to our favorite park. We found a great secluded location right next to a stream, and threw our blanket down. We ate, relaxed, and talked for a while. We then wandered around the park and I played her a couple songs on my guitar. Sounds cheesy, maybe, but we loved it!

Play a Game Together
Find an old board game in the closet: Scrabble, Checkers, Chess, Yahtzee, Monopoly, or anything else you both enjoy. If you don’t have the boards themselves, you can play many of these games online: Scrabble, Checkers, Chess, Yahtzee, and Monopoly. What better way to spend time together than to have a little friendly competition?

Go Camping
One of the reasons I love camping is because all the distractions are (or should be) left behind. You can sit under the stars next to a warm campfire and just talk to each other for hours. It is just a great, cheap way to break out of the monotony of the daily grind. If you don’t have a tent, you can get one for as cheap as $25 at Walmart. Sleeping bags can be as cheap as $10. Then just pack a cooler and hit the road!

Go for a Moonlit Walk
If you have a beach near you, I am a little bit jealous, and you should go there often! If you are an inlander like the rest of us, you just need to find another place. But even a subdivision sidewalk will do. There is something very romantic about walking around at night, especially under the moonlight. Tell your spouse all the things you love about them, and walk slowly–this is a walk you’ll want to remember.

Bob Lotich is the founder of ChristianPF.com, a website devoted to helping Christians improve their financial lives by helping them make more money, save more, invest wisely, and increase their giving.

Article courtesy of Beliefnet.com. Beliefnet offers daily inspiration with news articles on faith, religion, politics, health, family entertainment, sustainable living and more.