Moms and Dads: How often do you and your husband/wife go out or spend time alone?

We've been married 5 years and have a 3 1/2 year old, and a 2 month old. We don't always have money to go out and do things alone, just the two of us. What kinds of things do you do together and how often without having to spend lots of money every time?Moms and Dads: How often do you and your husband/wife go out or spend time alone?
Ooo, I have some of ideas.


Free:


Go for a walk (depending on where you live, and the weather--but bundle those little ones up, they enjoy the outdoors. Just make sure their heads and ears are covered and they're fully dressed warm if it's chilly out)


Go window shopping without buying anything (some don't like this, what's the point if you're not buying anything? but some do)


Take your supper to go for a picnic


Have a special dinner each week, put a movie in the for the 3.5 year old, and have your dinner together at the table with candles, alternate cooking the meal for each other


Have a niece, nephew, family friend, come over for awhile while you go to the store together (even if it's just grocery shopping, it's still time alone, make it fun--plan your meal together, try on funny sunglasses and hats, pick out hideous clothes for the other person to try on, make it fun and flirty)


Go to kid friendly places, i.e. the park, where your 3.5 year old can play around while you two enjoy a nice chat together.


Bedtime is the best time!! Put your three year old to bed early, and spend the rest of the night doing something together fun at home...a nice evening snack, a good movie cuddling on the couch, a fun boardgame, or card game, looking at old pictures, taking ridiculous quizzes online together, anything...just leave the housework for another night, and spend that time just the two of you...


Get dressed up. Even for a movie night in. Husbands cherish when their wife takes the time to look nice for him. Wives cherish the attention they get, and a handsome man to come home to. Take some time, get ready for your ';date'; night, and throw on that makeup you have a hard time finding time to care about lately.


Be creative. Fall festivals, area natural sites you can just go see, a different route to the park, a different park across town, look up sites to see in your area and go see them (how often do we ever take advantage of what's closest to us? I know I don't!)





Costs Money:


Going out to eat is an obvious one, but pick a cheaper place and make it fun.


Go pick up food and take it to a romantic setting


Go to a museum or zoo


Hire a babysitter and go out and do whatever comes to mind


Go to a movie





I'd recommend trying to do some sort of ';date'; night, or scheduled time just you two once a week. Plan a time together, something you can both look forward to, and plan for. Make sure you schedule it, or it will easily be forgotten in the daily responsibilities of being a parent. Take time for each other, and make it a priority. Your children have your attention all other 160 hours in the week, designate at least 4 to each other.


Have fun!Moms and Dads: How often do you and your husband/wife go out or spend time alone?
We both have our weekly thing, Hubby does golf on Weds and Sat mornings and then I take our daughter to my mothers for a few hours in the am while he is golfing and I go run errands, even though I am running erransds its time alone and i enjoy it. If we go out together and we do twice a month we take her to my parents and she stays over night we go to dinner and just talk and eat have a few cocktails. We dont have tons of extra money but we do find it in our budget bc it is good for us. We also do projects around the house and since its just us we go get some cocktails and just hang out and be with each other.
Once in a while we take the kids with us to a restaurant.


You have to take them to train them how to behave there.


The 2mn old won't give you much trouble if you play it around a nap time.


And buy a cheap new toy from CVS to have in reserve to entertain the 3yo once they grow tired of their crayons.





We have an arrangement with my sister were we alternate every other Saturday watching each other's kids.


Before she passed away, my wife's mother would watch the kids for a few hours on Saturday and we would go out to dinner or to a movie.





About one night a week we go out with friends and the other spouse puts the kids to bed. I tend to go out Friday night as most of my friends have the 9-5 deal, whereas my wife tends to go out during the week with her sister or brother as they have irregular schedules and their days-off vary (butcher %26amp; grocery-store-manager).





When the kids were a a little younger and we didn't have nearly as much disposal cash (we just paid off two auto loans!) we mostly stayed in and watched TV shows on the TiVo or played video games and I'd order Outback take-away on Fridays when we could afford it.
We had $50 a month in our budget for a date night once a month, but took that out when we decided to go full force on our home savings.





I'm guessing you have someone to watch the kids for free, as otherwise, ';free'; quality time wouldn't mean much.





How about riding bikes together or just a traditional blanket picnic? I would love it if my husband took me for a drive and surprised me with a blanket and a secret liaison at the lake. ;-)
My wife and I have a 1 yr old. My mother usually babysits. We have a monthly card game we both play, so that's a good way to get out. Something that you can schedule for the same day, line up a sitter in advance, and look forward to. We spend $40 in total for the game and $10 for food/drinks at the host's house. And we have a shot to win some cash too! We also take turns, I will agree to stay home with the baby one night for a few hours, feed her, bathe her, put her to bed, and my wife will go out to get her nails done and hit the mall for some shopping. Another good thing to do is a day trip, take a drive to a local winery for a tour and tasting, that's usually cheap, or just go out to a park, pack a picnic lunch and have an hour or two in peace.


The hard part is getting someone to watch the kids for a while, if you can arrange that, especially if a grandparent is willing to do it for free, you can be free to do anything.
We've actually stopped eating out and going to movies in an attempt to save money instead we cook meals at home and have invested in netflix which is way cheaper then seeing a movie or even renting movies from the video store once a week. Bowling I know is cheap and this may sound lame but you can try board games/card games with friends.
Just cuddle up and watch a movie, its hard with little ones to find that time but if you can just go for a walk, Find some common shows you enjoy, Play some cards or board games after the kids go to bed. Cuddle even if you don't want to. As they get older a date night once a month also helps.
Try taking a walk in the park or along a lake or river.





Just spending time together can be a lot more fun than dinner out in a loud crowded restaurant.





Drop the children at Grandmas and pick them up 2 hours later after your walk and then go out as a family. That can make the family time even better.
I have been married 4.5 years with a 1 year old and a 3 year old, we wait until the kids go to bed and watch a movie together on the couch. Cheep and don't have to worry about a baby sitter.
have your parents or his parents take the kids for the weekend so you can Honey moon all over around your house camping isn't expensive or bowling or make a romantic weekend at home with him
In NYC, we spend $45 just for parking...... but we actually go out with other couples.. Then you shoulden't go to expensive places.. I guess go to the Moo and Brew and then to the bar for some pool.
we go out every sunday.. just dinner and a movie or bowling.. just time to get away. dont have to be anything expsensive just time to give you a break*
A movie during naptime always worked for us.
dont have to spend money, just be together