What a Date Night on a Budget Looks Like

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About that Date Night

When was the last date night you had? Me, it was at least warm enough for us to go for a walk, so it’s been at least a few months. Getting out of the house isn’t easy, so we try to focus on times we can spend at home after the kids go to bed.

One of the easiest things for us to do is game night. It’s easier for us to disconnect from the world of social media and the TV when we clear off the dinner table and play a game. Usually, it’s either Carcassonne or Ticket to Ride. In previous years, we’d order takeout or I’d go and pick up some dinner from one of our favorite restaurants. Now, on a tight budget, our date night-ins are a little more adventurous you might say.

Date Night in "Style"

“How does a peanut butter taco for dinner sound?”

Yes, we have considered specialty dinners that we sometimes will serve our kids when they’re not feeling up for what we’ve made for them. It doesn’t happen all of the time, but if our kids try the dinner and truly don’t want to eat it, we’ll appease the gods and serve them something they know they’ll love. That’s where the peanut butter comes in. They always want peanut butter.

Now, back to the whole date night and our peanut butter taco for dinner. Yes, we’ve done that. No, it’s not as gloriously satisfying as it sounds. Wait, does it sound satisfying or has my sarcasm meter blown through the roof? Anyway, our dinners can sometimes be “exciting” on a fixed budget. Peanut butter tacos, simple Caesar salads, easy baked nachos, or homemade Lunchables are some of our more exotic choices.

Then we come to our beverage choices. Nothing says easy like our Winey Parent recipes. A little vodka, seltzer, and ice makes everything nice for Meghan. Me, my trusty bourbon concoction has stood the test of time despite its difficult recipe that has to be exactly precise to make…just kidding. Bourbon, ice, boom you’re done.

Playing Games (with my Heart)

Okay, so we’ve satisfied our grumblings with our PB tacos. We’ve made our favorite beverages. So, now it’s time for the games. We generally play several rounds of one or both Carcassonne and Ticket to Ride. It can get pretty interesting, especially with a tile building game like Carcassonne. And when I say interesting, I mean how many ways can I get royally outmaneuvered with the placement of a tile early in the game.

You see, Meghan and I have this split the board type of mentality. She takes one side for farming and I’ll take the other side. It made it easier when we started playing this game and it’s kind of stuck. So, from time to time, Meghan will place a road in an attempt to butcher my farming size, while also providing a good laugh. I think this particular move is called, “Screw over your husband,” although we might use a much more vulgar way to phrase it. Needless to say, we both laugh and laugh until one of us (me) cries.

Your Date Night on a Budget

So, what does a date night on a tight budget look like? Well, for us, it’s a PB taco, simple drinks, and tears of sadness. Joy, I mean joy.

Share your spectacular date night on a budget with us too. Don’t forget to head over to Facebook or Twitter to share your thoughts and connect with other winey parents.