Wed 3 Feb 2010
Desperate Workingwife: Valentine’s Day Tips for Keeping the Romance Alive Without the Spending the Fortune You Don’t Have (Right Now)
Posted by Tripping on the Ladder under Desperate Workingwife, In Transition, Resources & Helpful Hints, Spouses & Loved Ones
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By Diva Nikki
(c) February 3, 2010
A few weeks ago I wrote about the importance of keeping the romance going while you’re experiencing career transition in your household. Of course, it can be challenging to be romantic when you’re watching your pennies.
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I thought I’d give you some more ideas for keeping the spark alive, even
on a budget.
Have a cocktails and karaoke night – in your own living room.
(Or kitchen, as it happened to be in our case.) Make some cocktails, plug the iPod into some speakers, and sing away to all your favorite songs.
Support the local performing arts.
Attend community theater, community choir, high school or college performances. Tickets tend to be fairly inexpensive, and you might be surprised at the quality of entertainment.
Write letters to each other.
On paper. Reminisce about past dates, anniversaries, vacations or fond memories. Leave the letters as a surprise for each other in random places around the house.
Go to the movies – on a budget.
Attend matinees for new releases you can’t wait for. If your community has one, wait a few weeks, then catch the flick for ½ the price at the local budget theater. (The one where I live also serves affordable pizza!)
Invite other couples over for a shared meal with a theme.
Ask each person to bring a dish (thus saving costs for you) to fit the evening’s theme. Themes could be anything from a country to a certain color or letter.
Be tourists in your own town.
Check out your city’s tourism or chamber of commerce website to find local attractions or events with free admission. You might be amazed at the local treasures you find, like museums, parks, gardens, lectures or outdoor concerts.
Relive great memories.
On a quiet evening, pull out your wedding photos, honeymoon photos and other scrapbooks, cards or letters you’ve kept over the years. Cuddle up together and enjoy reliving the events that have made you who you are as a couple.
Learn something new.
Check your local city recreation, YMCA or community college schedules for available classes coming up. Classes through those organizations tend to be quite affordable. Pick a new skill you’d like to learn together like painting, ballroom dancing or woodworking and enjoy time together during class each week. Who knows – that new skill might even come in handy for your spouse’s new career.
Begin a fitness routine.
Maybe it’s just taking a walk each day – or maybe you want to train together for a 5K next summer. Become each others’ fitness partners. You’ll not only get to spend time together, but you’ll also be able to keep each other motivated to reach your goals.
Volunteer and help others.
Usher at church, do yard clean-up for an elderly neighbor, read books at a nursing home, serve food at the local emergency shelter, walk dogs at the local animal shelter – there are any number of volunteer activities you can do together. And while your hearts are warmed by being together, you’ll also warm the hearts of others through your service to them.
We’d love to hear from you: How do you and your spouse keep love alive on a budget?
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