If you are on a budget, paying off debt and trying to save money, it can be really challenging finding room in the budget for dates with your husband.  It doesn’t seem like a priority and expenses for dates can add up really quickly!  The thought of having to plan one year of dates on a budget can seem overwhelming.  But, even in the midst of debt payoff, dates with your husband are super important and should be a priority.  I am going to show you a super easy way to accomplish this!

This is when you need to get a little bit creative about what constitutes a “date,” and be okay branching out a bit from the expensive restaurant, shopping trips, and Friday night movies.  The best way to stick to not spending tons of cash and still make have awesome dates with your husband is to plan one year of dates on a budget!

Stressed out about planning one year of dates on a budget?  Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered with FREE Printable Date cards and a list of 35 super budget-friendly date ideas!

This is something that originally started as an anniversary gift for my husband, but can (and should) be used at any time.

The whole idea behind having one date a month is to give you something to look forward to, create a date you both will enjoy, keep the cost extremely low (or FREE!) and create awesome memories together without the stress or guilt of blowing your budget.  As a bonus, if you sit down and plan out one year of dates on a budget all at one time, the rest of your year will be smooth sailing!

So how does it work?

• Pick out 12 inexpensive dates (one per month = one year of dates on a budget!)
• Figure out what their cost will be to you
• Pick the month they will be best suited for
• Write them out on our cute and FREE 3×5 Printable Cards (you can easily get those by signing up below)
• Seal them in envelopes

Then each month your husband can open the appropriate card for that month, you set aside the amount of money designated for that date and pick the day you want to do it.  Put it on the calendar and have a blast!

Pro tip:  If you receive a bonus or any extra income throughout the year that could be used as date savings, I recommend setting it aside so you have a certain dollar amount to work within for planning your dates for the coming year (I have even used Christmas gift money for this).  I had a bonus that I took some money out of and set aside for our dates for a year. This made it super easy to know what my date budget should be.

If that isn’t an option for you, just think about what a reasonable dollar amount would be every month for a date (and yes, $20 will be sufficient).

Pick out your dates.

This is probably the most fun part of the whole project.  You get to pick out all the activities you would like to do for the year.  To have this be a success think about things that are available in your area, what your natural activity tendencies are, what equipment you have access to, what time of year is best suited for this activity.  Will you enjoy this?  Can you make this fit into something we were already planning on doing (more cost-effective)?

Here are a couple examples of fitting something into an activity you were already doing.

If you were planning on going to pick out pumpkins for the Fall, transform that into a date.  Instead of just buying pumpkins, find a facility with a corn maze (typically entrance is $8/person) and make a day out of it.

The same thing applies when going to get a Christmas Tree.  Instead of just finding a tree, find a tree farm that has hot chocolate, yummy treats, or carriage rides and make a date out of it.

Or,

Another common one, if you know you have a wedding coming up that you need to travel to, make a date out of it!  Focus on the trip out there and find roadside attractions to stop at (FREE!), stay in a cheap hotel as an adventure (it’s character building to do this stuff together and it makes for some interesting memories) focus your money on a nice dinner out or on the world’s best breakfast at a Diner with rave reviews.

All of your dates are really just a matter of perspective and how creative you can get.  If you are both on board for calling it a date, then you can really stop and enjoy the little moments no matter what you are doing or where you are.

Call these places or do research online to make sure you know what is available at certain times of the year, you can also check prices at that time.

Pro-tip:  Pay attention to seasonal or days of the week they have specials on (ie. like $1 bowling night or bring your own popcorn bucket day, etc.)

Based on our list of 35 budget-friendly dates, Google stuff in your area to find out what’s available before you decide what you are doing.

Broaden your perspective on what constitutes a date, and I think you will be surprised at how many cheap options are available.  Some of the most fun we have had has been on our super budget-friendly dates.

Once you have picked out 12 dates for the next year (one per month) that will be appropriate for the intended time of year, then you can fill out the date cards.

How to fill out the date cards.

Our cards are designed to print all 12, one per month.  Then you can write in a description of the date’s activities you had in mind.  If it is something new, write in the address, phone number and/or website so you can reference back to it.  Nine months down the road, you may not remember where you found the world’s greatest pumpkin patch.

There is also a place for you to write down the projected cost of this date.  This includes any travel, the activity itself and any food needed along the way.  Write down the total expenses at the bottom of the card.

Pro-tip:  If you already have the money set aside from a bonus or savings, put the intended amount of cash inside the envelope, with the card.  This makes it super easy to grab the envelope and go! Everything is planned and the money is already there!

If you don’t already have the cash, have your husband open the envelope prior to the beginning of the month and pick the day for the date.  Then pull out the cash needed for the date and keep it with the card until the day arrives. Easy peasy!

How to give the cards to your husband.

You can take a couple approaches to how you give your husband these cards.  They are 3×5 cards, and they are intended to be in individual envelopes. As the new month approaches, the card labeled for that month can be opened.

Then the day for the date is set aside, along with the money for it.  All the information is on the card, so there is no effort involved in making a date for you during the month.

Now, there are two great opportunities to use these cards.

1. As an anniversary gift.  These are a perfect anniversary gift because it is basically saying you are going to focus on your relationship for the entire next year, and he doesn’t have to plan a thing!  It is such a nice gesture, and honestly, it’s a gift for both of you.
2. As a New Year’s gift.  If you are a person who likes  “new beginning,” this may be the route you want to go.  You can start fresh at the beginning of the year and be geared up for the entire next calendar year.  It still sends the same message of focusing on your relationship for an entire year, it just goes more by the calendar if you need that.

My anniversary falls on New Year’s so mine kind of hit both of these points.  Just choose what is best for your family!

Pro-tip:  If you have a husband who can’t stand surprises, you may want to seal the envelopes and not hand them all over to him at once.  My husband was so excited about these dates, he opened all of them in two minutes! He did eventually forget some by the time their month came around, but I had not intended for him to open them all at once.

How to get started.

This is one of the best gifts I have ever given my husband.  He loved it so much he said he wants to do it every year (enter in more creativity!!).  Check out our list of 35 inexpensive date ideas to get started. Research dates that fit into what’s available in your area and check on prices (don’t forget to look for when specials are happening).

Check out our list of 35 inexpensive date ideas to get started.  Download and print our FREE 3×5 cards, fill them out and put them in envelopes.  You will be all set to give this to your husband as an anniversary gift, New Year’s gift, or whatever type of gift you want!

Sign up here to get instant access to our FREE 3×5 Printable One Year of Dates Cards + our 35 Creative, Budget-Friendly Date Ideas.

Here’s to your best year yet!

Do you have any other awesome date ideas?!  I would love to hear them! Comment below to share some of your best ideas.