The Budget Diet

Budget Cupid is here to help put a little romance in your life for less this Valentine’s Day with 10 cheap date ideas!

 
 
 
 
 
Enjoy Chocolate Dipped Strawberries and Champagne by the Fireplace
How romantic, just like a scene out of the movies! Take it one step further and make the chocolate dipped strawberries together:

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 Revisit Your Wedding Album
Cozy up by the fireplace and rekindle the flame as you look though your wedding album! How’s that for a FREE DATE NIGHT!
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Dine In, Not Out
Cook a nice dinner together and don’t forget the candlelight! Try a some new recipes or recreate a meal you saw on Food Network.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Scenic Drive
My all time favorite date with my husband was when we took a scenic drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Hiking, picnics and sunsets…how romantic is that?
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Walk on the Beach
If you live in a warm climate, and you’re near the beach – take a walk, hold hands, collect shells and enjoy a glass of wine.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Wine Tasting at Home
Ask your local wine store to recommend a few cheap wines then cover the bottles in brown paper bags, taste and rate. You just might discover a new favorite cheap wine! Don’t forget to pick up a nice loaf of French bread from the bakery and a couple of deli cheeses.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Couples Massage
If you’re looking for a cheap date, the $200 couples massage at the local spa is most likely out of the question, but a massage at home can be much more romantic! Check out an instructional book or watch an instructional You Tube video together, take turns giving each other a massage and RELAX!
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Half & Half
If you can’t decide what to do for Valentine’s Day, each of you should plan an activity. Maybe you plan dinner and your spouse picks a movie? Celebrate the entire weekend, and you can each be in charge of a day. Add to the romance by surprising each other with your plans.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Movie Night
There’s nothing better than curling up together on the couch with a warm snuggly blanket and watching a romantic movie! My personal favorite? Love Actually!
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 Celebrate Early
If you have a Bank of America credit card, check card or ATM card, you can enjoy FREE ADMISSION to more than 150 museums, zoos and botanical gardens the first weekend of every month. Cupid really won’t know if you celebrate on February 5th or 6th, and Budget Cupid will be thrilled because it’s a FREE DATE NIGHT!
 

So, there it is – 10 Cheap Date ideas for Valentine’s Day, but if you’re just a traditional flowers and dinner kind of gal…please let your husband know about discounted gift cards at PlasticJungle.com. He’ll save up to 30% on restaurants, flowers and gifts!

Please leave a comment to share your favorite cheap date ideas and Valentine’s date ideas with Budget Cupid!

~~~~~~~

Image courtesy of: jscreationzs / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of: Pixomar / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of: luigi diamanti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of: photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of: photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of: photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of: Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of: M – Pics / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of: Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of: Master isolated images / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of: Carlos Porto / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Tickets for a family of four to the circus $200.

Tickets for a family of four to a baseball game $100 – plus parking, plus concessions!

Fun on a budget?

Priceless!

15 Ways to Have Fun for Less

1. Groupon.com is a great source for huge savings on fun things to do in your area like 62% off admission at the Houston Museum of Natural Science!
2. Try a high school football game or theatre performance for a cheap evening out.
3. How about breakfast and a movie? AMC theatres offer $6 movies before noon.
4. Watch your old wedding video and family videos.
5. Pull out your wedding album on your anniversary.
6. Have a wine tasting night at home and discover your favorite cheap wine. Simply cover a few bottles with brown paper, taste and rate!
7. Host a cooking school for your kids – it’s time to stop watching the Food Channel and start cooking!
8. Game night is a great family tradition to start! For a fun twist, add silly bets like loser does the dishes!
9. Create your own Wii Family Olympics by playing a different sport each night – ideal for winter break.
10. Check out FactoryToursUSA.com for a state by state listing of free tours.
11. Pizza Taste Test – buy assorted frozen pizzas, taste, rate and choose your new favorite.
12. Start a family tradition of having ice cream sundaes on Saturday!
13. Try Minute to Win It challenges at home, click here for a list of challenge ideas.
14. Bring back home birthday parties! You really don’t need to spend $300+ for an ice skating party or Build-A-Bear party. The Budget Diet’s party index has ideas for all ages.
15. Enjoy the outdoors – take a hike, go for a bike ride, watch the sunset! Mother Nature has a lot of free fun to offer.

 
How do you have fun for less?

~~~~~~~

Image courtesy of: photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Did you know that our National Parks offer FREE admission days?

The last free admission days of 2011 are coming up November 11 – 13. Go out and enjoy the autumn colors!

Don’t miss a moment of free fun or a cheap date!

Visit nps.gov to find a park near you!

Discounted Gift Cards are the no-brainer way to save money, and right now Plastic Jungle has discounted gift cards perfect for saving money on date night!

Remember, discounted gift cards take about 1 week to arrive, so order today and enjoy a cheap date night next weekend!

Buy discounted 1-800-FLOWERS gift cards at Plastic Jungle! You can buy a $25 gift card for just $20 (20% instant savings).

Buy discounted Cheesecake Factory gift cards at Plastic Jungle! Cheesecake Factory $50 gift cards for $45.50 (9% instant savings).

Buy discounted gift cards for Fandango at Plastic Jungle! Get a $25 gift card, and enjoy the movie for only $21.75 (13% instant savings).

P.S. – Your date will never know how much you paid!

If you have been married for a few years now and are living on a budget, then your wedding anniversaries probably come and go without you or your spouse making a huge deal of it. After all it’s very expensive to do something grand for your wedding anniversary such as taking a trip. It’s even expensive to go out for dinner to a nice restaurant. Between the entrees, drinks and tip you’ll likely walk out of the restaurant nearly $100 poorer, if not more. However, wedding anniversaries are special and you should do something to celebrate. There are many ways you can make your anniversary special with spending little to no money; here are 5 ideas to get you started:

Relive Your First Date
Most first dates are relatively done on the cheap since you’re just getting to know someone. If you had an affordable first date, it would be fun and special to recreate the night as something to do on your wedding anniversary. If you live far away from where you had your first date, just do something similar in the area you now live.

Surprise Your Spouse And Cook Up Your Wedding Day Menu
Go to the grocery store and get the ingredients you need to cook up the entrée that was served on your wedding day. Go the extra mile and serve the same drinks and get a small white cake or cupcake for desert with the memory of your own wedding cake in mind.

Write A Love Letter
Here’s an idea that’s totally free. Take a couple of hours to sit down and really think about where you are in life with your spouse and what your married life has been like up to this anniversary. Then put all that thought and emotion down on paper and give it to your spouse. This makes a wonderful gift straight from the heart that your spouse will cherish for years to come.

Post It Notes
Most likely your anniversary will fall on a busy weekday, when normal daily hectic life ensues as usual. A fun way to surprise your spouse is to place post it notes around the house with cute, lovey messages that he or she will see throughout the day. For instance, you could put a note on your spouse’s toothbrush that reads “I adore your smile.” This makes for a break in routine and shows your spouse how much you appreciate the little things about them.

Watch Your Wedding Video
If all else fails, snuggle up on the couch together in the evening and watch your wedding video. It’s a great, free, romantic way to remember and relive the day.

~~~~~~~

written by: Jessica Drew

Jessica Drew is a freelance writer and editor who blogs about a variety of money making and frugal living topics such as credit cards.

~~~~~~~

Image courtesy of: Dynamite Imagery / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

written by: CupidsPulse.com

It’s that time of year where snow becomes rain and budding connections can turn into blooming romances. But if the stormy weather—not to mention tax season—is putting a damper on your potential plans, just dust off the DVD player, pop some popcorn and make a cheap date with that special someone. It’s the rainy day you’ve been saving up for, and here are 10 suggestions of all movie types to get you started:
 
 

1. Singin’ In The Rain: This gallivanting Gene Kelly musical is guaranteed to lift your spirits and put you in the mood for dancing and romancing. Feel free to let loose and do what the title says—just don’t forget your umbrella.

2. Sleepless in Seattle: It may be cold and wet for most of the year in Seattle, but this tale of fated love will bring warmth into your home no matter where you live.

3. The Shawshank Redemption: This 1994 prison drama is an epic tale of ingenuity, determination, friendship, and especially hope—all things a successful relationship needs. It also features Tim Robbins as the happiest man to be out in a driving rainstorm since Gene Kelly.

4. Remember the Titans: This inspirational gridiron drama not only shows how people of any background or race can come together, but it also features “Fire and Rain” by James Taylor and “A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall” by Leon Russell, two of the best tunes ever penned about precipitation.

5. Spiderman: You know exactly why this 2002 superhero flick is on this list, and if you don’t, you’re missing out. Try doing some upside-down kissing of your own—it’s harder than it looks.

6. Breakfast at Tiffany’s: Long before Spidey and Mary Jane’s romantic rain scene, Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard had one of their own, which captured the hearts of millions of moviegoers in the early sixties and might just capture yours.

7. The Day After Tomorrow: If you or your significant other is the type of person that can’t stand the rain, this apocalyptic thriller is for you. Scenes of CGI-devastation will make you both thankful it’s only a rainstorm outside and not a new Ice Age.

8. The Birds: Close your eyes while watching this Hitchcock creep-fest and the raindrops hitting the roof might begin to sound like flapping wings. Good for couples that love to cling together during the scary parts.

9. Rain Man: So there’s not a lot of actual rain in the movie, but this Oscar-winning comedy-drama starring Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman can teach you and your partner about how differences between two people can bring them closer together.

10. BloodRayne: Last on this list for a good reason, German director Uwe Boll’s anemic vampire-video game disasterpiece is only recommended for couples that can appreciate how much fun bonding over a truly bad movie can be.

Written by Andrew Pryor for CupidsPulse.com.

Image: savit keawtavee / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I have 3 teen-age children, and the going rate for a babysitter is $7 – $10 an hour…YIKES, that will put a damper on date night!

Keep your date nights alive by organizing a Parents Night Out group with your friends. Parents Night Out is simply a cheap date night out for mom & dad because your friends will be the babysitter for your children while you go out on a date, and you’ll be the babysitter for their children when they go out on a date…no babysitting cost involved!

Here’s how it works…

1. Start with a group of neighborhood friends or a playgroup.

 

2. Have an organizational meeting to determine which families are interested in Parents Night Out.

 

3. Choose set dates for Parents Night Out…you might consider every other Saturday night from 6:00 – 9:00.

 

4. When Parents Night Out rolls around, half of your members will enjoy a date night, and the other half of your members will be babysitting in their homes. If you have Parents Night Out twice a month, each couple will enjoy 1 date night in exchange for 1 babysitting night.

 

5. Set a few simple rules like…children should or should not eat dinner before Parents Night Out, all parents must fill out an informational sheet on their child including contact numbers, allergies, etc., how to handle last minute cancellations due to sickness, etc.

Now, go get your Parents Night Out group organized and enjoy date night for less!