If you want an evening at home all to yourself as a couple, and you are on a limited budget and have children, you can try a wonderful invention. It’s called a parent co-op. No money is exchanged. You swap evenings of child care or receive credit hours for taking each other’s kids. Here’s an example of how it works for four couples I know, who have limited incomes and a total of seven kids between them. Each couple has all seven kids at their home on one Friday night a month. That means all the couples have three free Friday date nights every month.
The Washingtons try out different restaurants, especially unique, ethnic ones. They set a $20 limit for themselves and enjoy whatever fits within those parameters. Thus far, they’ve enjoyed Indian, Mexican, Chinese, Polish, Italian, and Vietnamese. Next on their list is Thai food. But their favorite part of the evening is the romantic, hand-holding walk afterward to work off the food. Seeing the stars overhead and getting fresh air catapults their sexual energy into overdrive. “We’re usually running toward the car,” Jim reports with a grin.
The Pendletons take a different night class together from a local college every semester. Over the past two years, they’ve done mamba dancing, ceramics, Chinese cooking, and social networking (so they could be on the same page as their technologically savvy kids). This semester they’re taking a gourmet desserts class. Three of the four nights are covered with their babysitting co-op. The other Friday night the kids are with Grandma and Grandpa, who take them once a month for the weekend.
“The mamba dancing especially paid off,” Rhonda says.
“Yeah,” Jason adds, “now we’ve got some new moves for the bedroom.” He winks at his wife.
The Ashtons specialize in “under five bucks” date nights. They set aside a $5 bill and think of fun ways to spend it. Often they don’t even spend it at all. Here are some of their ideas:
The Andersons are on a very tight budget with Mark’s company in transition, Kim just beginning a part-time job, and six-year-old twins who have special needs. But Kim and Mark are also very inventive. On the night they have all four couples’ children, they make pizza dough from scratch, and each of the kids gets to make their own mini pizza. The ingredients are inexpensive since the Andersons shop at a discount store, the kids have a blast making their food, and every child enjoys eating their own handiwork. All seven kids look forward to that pizza evening once a month, and the twins love having other kids to play with.
On Kim and Mark’s date nights, they pull out their brainstorm list. Here are a few of the free things they’ve enjoyed that have drawn them closer as a couple:
Why not come up with your own romance-on-a-budget list?