or many married couples, the days of spending an evening out on the town with their spouses seem long gone; busy work schedules, spending time with kids and social engagements now take precedence over date nights with the one they love. Dating seems a thing of the past for them, chalked up to just the process by which couples first get to know each other. However, the Bible tells us that spending quality time with our mates is essential to a happy marriage: “May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. … may you ever be captivated by her love.” (Proverbs 5:18-19) Dating your spouse helps maintain that special bond you share and helps keep the fun and enjoyment in marriage.

However, dating your spouse may be especially challenging now due to an ever-worsening economy. You may plan to have a night without kids, but you may not have the assurance of knowing that going out to a nice dinner will not be a strain on your checking account. Yet, there are plenty of ways you can still rejoice in marriage with your spouse if you can learn how to plan, budget and be creative. Here are a few helpful hints to making dating in marriage pleasurable and easy on the budget.

Stay-at-home dates. You don’t have to leave your house to have a good time with your husband or wife. Staying at home is probably one of the cheapest dates you can have and, although you may find this a less exciting way to share intimate moments your spouse, it can be one of the easiest dates to have after a long week of work and other engagements. Just kicking back on the sofa with your husband or wife can be refreshing – but remember not to talk about work or kids. Some ideas for at-home dates include:

• Movies at home. Going to the movies is probably the most common date. It can also turn into one of the most expensive, with buckets of popcorn and large sodas enticing you, especially if you don’t eat dinner beforehand. Stay home and watch an old favorite, or take advantage of something you’re already paying for, like Dish Network or Netflix. Some pay-per-view events are half the cost of going out to a movie.
• Cook a meal together. Try fun and new recipes and cook them together. This takes the pressure off one spouse trying to create an ambiance, and it can also be fun to try new dishes. Check the website of your favorite restaurant, and see if it has any recipes you can try at home. And hey, if you both mess it up, not one spouse feels bad about it and there’s always a delivery pizza place nearby.
• Play board games. This is an easy and fun way to reconnect with one another. Playing board games with one another helps you and your mate re-learn things with one another or discover things you never knew. For example, do you remember how word savvy your husband truly is while playing Scrabble or how sharp your wife is while playing Clue?

Create a budget and plan your dates. Planning ahead is one of the best ways to save money on a date. If you have kids, plan to have a grandparent watch them if possible. If not, go to your local church couples; offer to rotate babysitting services so you and the couples with kids in the church can have date nights. Search online to find cheap eats and events in your city. Many cities offer free events to the public, such as poetry readings and concerts from local bands.

Eat cheap. When going out to a restaurant, share one large entrée. Or, if you don’t want the same thing, ask for a take-out box before you start eating and put half of your meal in the box to reheat the next day for lunch. Also, many restaurants offer specials and coupons on their company websites. Some restaurants also have “clubs” where you can sign up to receive coupons through e-mail. Some of them also will send coupons on your birthday.

Other ideas. Other budget date ideas include:

• Go to an unused playground and play. Take a picnic basket, a Frisbee and act like kids again
• Go for a walk or bike ride together
• Drive to the area of your first date, if possible
• Go window-shopping
• Play a sport together. If it’s too cold to go outside, don’t forget that Wii you got the kids for Christmas
• Go to a local high school sporting event
• Go to the local bookstore to enjoy coffee and possibly free music

The possibilities for inexpensive or even free dates are endless; it’s all about creating a budget and planning. Realizing that you both want to spend time with each other without going over budget allows you to compromise and be creative. Most important, it’s a way to let each other know you want to spend time with the other. As the wise ruler says in Ecclesiastes 9:9, “Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun… .”