Cheap Date Ideas

Parenting Advice

8 Couples Share Their Favorite Cheap Date Ideas

Written by Katie Hintz-Zambrano

Feb 12, 2024

Showing a little love on February 14th is one thing. But making time to connect with your partner year-round is another level of commitment. Especially for busy parents, carving out dedicated moments to date your partner can pay off in big ways. Below, we asked 8 couples from around the country to not only weigh in on the importance of spending one-on-one time together, but also to fill us in on their favorite cheap date ideas. From coffee meetups when the kids are at school to themed movie nights and dressing up for walks around the block—feel free to get inspired for your own sweet and simple day dates and date nights ahead.

: "Most of our dates are cheap dates. I don’t really care for anything fancy, to be honest. I love supporting local mom and pop restaurants and making sure my money is going towards helping the community. An ideal date for me can literally be anything. Some dates we go thrifting or get boba tea, other dates we go get something to eat and find the best spot to view the city. But one of the things I love doing is trying different cultural foods—I love trying anything at least once. Our first ever date was at a fast food restaurant, just us being kids and we ordered from the dollar menu—12 years later we still at it."

"I believe dating your partner is super important. It keeps the communication and connection alive. Don’t stop loving on your partner just because you have them already. That time together doesn’t have to be extravagant—just get that one-on-one time. If you are skipping on dating your partner, then you fail to know them, because every now and then we change. It’s important to keep that connection going and loving every rebirth your partner has in this lifetime."

Keep following along with Shay & Fran on Instagram at @playfulmodernkids. And read their MOTHER Stories feature here!

: "Kris and I have been really into just being in nature. Being smack in the middle of a huge city is possibly why we always have the urge, but also a lot has to do with the healing we’ve been doing individually and together as a family over the last couple of years. Whether it’s hiking or just sitting barefoot on a rock in the middle of a creek, we value pausing and just being with each other."

"We noticed that we would make excuses as to why we wouldn’t prioritize dates. Going out on weekly dates would always come with a hefty price tag. Saving money seemed more important at the time. Our relationship got rocky and that’s what it took for us to realize how important quality alone time was. We have to maintain our relationship as lovers and partners. Now we look forward to Mondays. We call them our 'healing days'—we go to couples therapy then head out to Eaton Canyon for some intentional one-on-one time while the kiddos are at school."

Keep following along with Natalie & Kris on Instagram at @nataliegochez.

: "We’ve been married for 18 years and parents for over 12! It's hard to believe how quickly the time goes. Life is hectic and often we feel like ships in the night juggling work, chauffeuring kids, and trying to take care of ourselves. One standing date we have is our weekly morning yoga class—it’s a routine to meet there, practice, and then grab a quick snack afterwards. That mid-week treat leaves us both feeling more centered, energized, and aligned."

"Lunch dates are another way we love connecting. Just last week we met at one of our favorite sushi spots and not only is the restaurant less crowded during the day, but it’s also a bit less expensive. Day dates are the best because we tend to have more enthusiasm for conversation midday than in the evenings (hello, tired parents!) and you don’t have to think about childcare. This works well for us because we’re fortunate enough to be entrepreneurs and can be flexible with weekday scheduling."

"Dating your partner takes some planning and prioritizing, but it’s important for us to have time together without children demanding attention and interrupting. It’s also good for the kids to know that we love being with each other and we hope to be modeling a healthy, balanced relationship."

Keep following along with Lauren & Josh on Instagram at @laurenpodoll and @chopwood.co.

"We love checking out new coffee shops and exploring the surrounding neighborhood via coffee walks. Our most recent stop was Kijitora East in East Williamsburg. Also, themed movie nights at home. I will bring our comforter into the living room to make the space extra cozy. We have an ongoing list of movies we want to watch—this has saved us so much time. And then we pick a theme for the month! The theme for January is Boston. So, we're watching movies either based in Boston or with actors from Boston!"

'Most of our days are pretty chaotic. I run a photo team and studio space in Brooklyn and my husband works in the city managing a hotel. We're usually exhausted by the time we get home. That said, our quality time is after Saya goes to bed and we have a small window where it's just the two of us."

"As much as we want to just veg out and scroll on the couch, we try our best to schedule a 'date night in' at least once a week. I think the key to this is to plan ahead and get creative. The activity can be as simple as the themed movie night or even surprise takeout. But the idea is that we are carving out time to do something fun together—with phones and laptops away for the night."

Keep following along with Yumi & Eric on Instagram at @yumimatsuostudio.

"Since we work together, we love a day date while the kids are at school. Whether it's going to the local floral shop and picking out flowers, or going vintage shopping and walking around, it's all about just spending time together and not thinking about work!"

"I feel like our entire life is focused on our kids. Our schedules and routines are based off of what they have to do, so when the kids are at school is our only time to be together and give eachother the undivided attention that we both deserve and need. It is so important for us to connect and still date each other, even though we have 50/11 things going on."

Keep following along with Shay & Ahmad on Instagram at @shaymone and @sweenshotsstudios.

"Our first date was getting to know each other over coffee, and we have carried on this tradition of reconnecting over a cappuccino ever since, be it in bed before our son wakes up or when we can meet at Marigold during the work day."

"When we’re able to make it out to dinner, it’s usually at the last minute. We love sitting at the bar for a martini and shared entree, which is perfect because we can usually find a seat at our favorite restaurants without a reservation."

"It’s important to us to support and spend time with the people and places we care about. We love spending time together and sitting close to one another in a public space enjoying the food and drinks our community has to offer."

Keep following along with Gena & Andrés on Instagram at @genawinter and @marigold_sf.

"We love to get dressed up in fancy clothes or clothes that we used to wear pre-kids and just walk around the neighborhood. Sometimes if we’re hungry we’ll stop by a restaurant and check the menu out, but the walk is the main date for us."

"It’s so easy to forget who you were before you were mom and dad. As parents, especially to little kids, we don’t dress in our nicest clothes for fear of them getting ruined. So, we like to put the kids to bed, hire a sitter, and get dressed up like we’re really going out (or dress like we did when we first began dating) and walk around and enjoy eachother's company."

"I love getting dressed up for this because it reminds us that we’re just as attractive as when we first met and 'clean up nicely.' It’s important to spend quality time together and remind one another why you were attracted to one another in the first place."

Keep following along with Ara & Balfour on Instagram at @aratakyiesq.

"A weekend morning trip to a local coffee shop followed by a bookstore or library is our favorite. We also try to find time during the week to meet for lunch or coffee. For weekend nights, bowling and video game arcades are such a fun way to connect, let loose, and have fun. We also love skate dates when it’s sunny, where we skateboard to a park or restaurant for a quick bite or drink. Carving out at least an hour each weeknight for 'dates' with snacks and a show is also a must."

"Dating your partner is so important, especially when kids are in the picture. My partner doesn’t have kids, but when my kids are around, so much of my focus and energy goes to them. We both also work more than full-time, so there’s not a lot of room left to tap into the other parts of our identities, so we capitalize on the little moments we do get throughout the week—lunch times, before the kids wake up in the morning, and after they go to bed."

"As parents of small children, it’s easy to let that consume our identity. But parents are so much more than just parents. We are whole humans and it is vital to recognize and honor all parts of our identities."

Keep following along with Rachael & Colby on Instagram at @rachael.lucille.