10 Free Dates Your Wife Will Love

1. Take your camera and go out on a photo shoot (free)

Grab your digital camera and drive around town together. Stop at scenic locations and take pictures of each other. Be creative. Think like an artist. Don’t just take the same old posed pictures. Capture the moment. Take 100 or 200 pictures, then go home, download some free photo-editing software such as Picasa and have fun looking at, editing and sharing your photos.

2. Home movie marathon (free-$5)

Your local library is a source for an extensive selection of DVDs. Pick out a few of your old favorites then swing by the grocery store and pick up your favorite snacks. Turn off the lights, grab a blanket and cozy up for a night in the great indoors.

3. Go house shopping (free if you don’t buy a house)

Even if you aren’t in the market for a new house, just go browse anyway. There is just something fun about the home-browsing process. Pick a developing area and check out a few of the display homes. Make a list together of the things you like and don’t. This is also a great way to get some design ideas and to find layouts that you may want in the future.

4. Play a sport together (free)

Play basketball, tennis, soccer, catch, ride bikes together, rollerblade, or anything else. It is fun, you get to breathe some fresh air, and most of them are great exercise as well. How is that for multi-tasking?

5. Plan a vacation (free)

You could almost argue that the anticipation up to a vacation provides as much enjoyment as the vacation itself. So why not start planning one? If you cannot afford a vacation today, planning one down the road creates anticipation and discipline as you weigh the options and save. There are many vacation-related websites to give you ideas. Surf the web together. Once you settle on a destination. Start planning and start budgeting.

6. Dinner and dancing at home (free)

Make a playlist of your favorite slow songs and let them start playing. You can then cook your favorite meal together, put out some candles, the fine china, and have a relaxing and romantic dinner together. Once dinner is over, leave the dishes until the next day! Slow dance and think about each other like you did when you were dating.

7. Go on a picnic (free-$20)

I can still remember the first picnic I went on with my wife and it was so fun. I made her favorite type of sandwich, got her favorite chips and drinks, packed a basket up with food and a blanket and we headed to our favorite park. We found a great secluded location right next to a stream and threw our blanket down. We ate, relaxed, and talked for a while. We then wandered around the park and I played her a couple songs on my guitar. Guys, you may laugh, but girls love it!

8. Play a game together (free)

Find an old board game in the closet. Scrabble, checkers, chess, Yahtzee, Monopoly, or anything else you both enjoy. If you don’t have the boards themselves find a game you can play online.

9. Go camping (free-$50)

One of the reasons I love camping is because you can leave all the distraction behind. You can sit under the stars next to warm campfire and just talk to each other for hours. It is just a great cheap way to break out of the monotony of the daily grind. If you don’t have a tent, you can get one for as cheap as $25 at Walmart or borrow one from a friend. Sleeping bags can be purchased for as low as $10. Pack a cooler and hit the road.

10. Go for a moonlight walk (free)

If you live near a beach, you should go there often. If you are an inlander like the rest of us, you just need to find another place. But even a subdivision sidewalk will do. There is something very romantic about walking around at night, especially under the moonlight. Tell your spouse all the things you love about her and walk slowly.