This year it was my turn to plan (we take turns planning Valentines Day and our anniversary so we both get to plan things and neither of us get stuck doing it all the time). So lately money has been tight for us--for most everyone I'm sure! In the past we've gone to a B&B or something like that, but this year I was determined to do it all for
When we started packing up to move I found SOOOO many coupons/gift cards! I was so excited and decided it was time they got used! People gave us these wonderful gifts and I didn't want them to go to waste! I'm sure you all have some extra coupons/gift cards lying around-- Don't just save them up! Use them and enjoy them!
Hopefully some of my dates will give you all ideas for your own cheap/free date nights! Or you can find hundreds of ideas on Pintrest like I did-- follow me on Pintrest for more ideas!
Monday (Date #1)
- We started our date night off at the gym with our trainer. It wasn't the most exciting thing but it's so good to exercise! We love our trainer and we definitely feel the sore muscles later! We have fun just hanging out and being together and the health benefits help too! (If you don't have a gym membership you could go for a walk/bike ride around the neighbor hood or up the canyon!) COST: $0
- After the gym we had a little pool party for two. While he got some post workout snacks made for us I got his swimming suit, towel, beach ball, and invitation all laid out on our bed for him! (I got the invitation from the Dating Divas website--I love all their ideas! Click Here for the link to the invitation.) Luckily we have a pool at our town home complex so we didn't have to go very far for it! Trevor loves the pool so much and I am trying to love it more! I am learning how to be a better swimmer and diver so it's starting to be more fun--I just hate what my hair feels like after! (If you don't have a pool of your own, find a friend that does and do a group party!) COST: $0
- Gift: Groupon's to Sub Zero Ice cream! We stopped by there a few weeks ago after dinner for a small treat and we had no idea what it was! He loved it so much so I thought it would be fun and with a groupon you get it all for 1/2 the price! We are going to use one on a date later in the week so i subtracted the cost for one and will put it when we use it! (Groupons are always fun if you can find one to a place you both love! You get the food cheaper and you know it won't go to waste!) Cost: $8
- TOTAL COST $8
Tuesday (Date #2) OUR ANNIVERSARY!
- We started our date off with dinner at Texas Roadhouse. Who doesn't love those big buttery rolls with their yummy cinnamon butter?! I could fill up on just that! But we are trying to eat healthier--so we limited ourselves to 2 rolls! (That's a very big deal for me!) Trevor wanted a appetizer of fried pickles and then we split a 8oz. sirloin with a side of chili for him and the house salad for me. We started sharing at restaurants because the portions are always so big! If we share it is cheaper and then we don't over eat! (we all hate that bloated feeling you get after you've stuffed yourself at a restaurant! You always promise to eat less next time, but it doesn't usually work!) We liked having leftovers but half of the time they went bad before we ate it! We already have plenty of food at our house so we don't really need them, and we weren't going right home afterwards and didn't want them to spoil in the car! We also almost always get water at a restaurant. Since soda isn't healthy we are trying to cut back and water is FREE! We normally don't get appetizers because the portions are big enough you don't need extra, and we had plenty so we ended up leaving 1/2 of the pickles! Normally the meal would have been about $15 but we had a coupon for a free appetizer, and we had a $15 gift card (Thanks mom for giving us those!) (Find a gift card or coupon to any restaurant you have lying around and use it! Before it expires and you are out of luck!) COST: $0
- After dinner we went to the South Jordan Temple. I can't think of a better way to celebrate our anniversary then to go to the Temple! Even though we didn't go to the temple we were sealed in (the Salt Lake Temple) it was still so wonderful to be in the house of the Lord! We got there later then I planed so we only had time to do a session and did inititories instead. It's been a while since I've done those and it was so great to hear all the blessings and help those who've passed on. The sweet lady that was helping me said "You can go home now knowing you're an angel who's helped these 5 ladies who've been waiting a long time!" How sweet she was and how sweet the feeling is in the Temple! All the love and peace that's there! It was just what I needed! I feel so blessed to have so many of them close to me! (Go to the temple, go to temple square and walk around, or just go for a beautiful nature walk! Whatever helps you feel closer to God!) COST: $0
- GIFT: I gave him a book of coupons for doing his chores, breakfast in bed, camping trip, weekend get-a-way, homemade dinner of choice, and I think his favorite of "1 hour alone in the office". He likes to play games on his computer with his brother and I am always in there crafting away! I have the TV on watching a show on Netflix so he is always trying to talk in him mic over the TV and I am always turning up the volume on the TV over him! I'm sure he will redeem those very quickly! (Making come coupons your sweetie will love is easy! Make as many as you'd like! Just make sure you are willing to do their chores!)COST: $0
- TOTAL COST: $0 This is how Trev wrapped my present! ;)
Wednesday (Date #3)
- We watched a movie while having homemade pizza, popcorn and treats! I made a yummy sauce-less Basil Tomato pizza and then we watched a movie about Ip Man 2 (watched the 1st earlier). Thanks to Netflix it was on demand and FREE! It's a great movie about a Chinese martial arts master during the Sino-Japanese war. He has such honor and integrity you are cheering him on the whole time! Down side is that it has subtitles the whole time! But it was a great movie! Ip Man actually becomes the master to Bruce Lee (though these movies are before that)! It's a great movie, even though it say's it's rated "R", it doesn't have any language (the 2nd movie only had 1 curse word), no sex, or drug, and no gory violence. We really enjoyed it and loved that it was based on a true story! (Netflix and dinner always makes an easy, cheap date! If you don't have Netflix you can always rent a movie from Redbox for $1 or from your local library for FREE!) COST: $0
- GIFT: I saw this idea on Pintrest for a local restaurant passport and thought it would be so much fun to make! We always have such a hard time deciding on where to go for dinner and now the decision is made! I put how expensive the restaurant is according to Google and Yelp.com $-least expensive - $$$$-most expensive, just so we don't show up expecting a cheap meal and get a bill for $50! We can even rate it 1-10 so we remember which ones are our favorite! I put down a few places I have always seen around and wanted to try but never got around to yet! I also found a few of the local places from this website, the rest I got from friends on Facebook, or looked up groupons were available for local places to eat! (Hopefully they will still have a groupon when we decided to try it!) (All this takes is paper and time! You can even print it off in black and white or hand write some restaurants on any kind of paper you have lying around!) COST:$0
- TOTAL COST: $0
Thursday
- I didn't have to work since it was the 24th of July (a Utah Pioneer holiday) so I spend the day making the rest of his gifts for the week! I spent all day/night (time flies when you're crafting!) so by the time I was done I was too tired and it was too late to do anything! :(
- GIFT: I made this cute sign that says "I love you because...." then we get to fill it in with different reasons we love each other! I saw the idea on Pintrest and thought it would be great to put up in our new place! It's always great to know you're loved and what it is that your spouse loves about you! Hopefully this will encourage us to keep doing the little things that mean so much to one another! I found the frame lying around in my endless pile of crafting supplies, the paper and decorations are some Stampin' Up! supplies I had on hand! (If you don't have a frame and crafting supplies lying around you can buy some at a local DI or always use an old whiteboard. Little handwritten paper notes to each other works too!) COST:$0
- TOTAL COST: $0
Friday (Date #4)
- BOONDOCKS! (This is where we spend the majority of our budget) It was so much fun! Trevor's wonderful sister & brother-in-law gave us a gift card to Boondocks for Christmas the first year we were married. I was so excited to go but I just stored the card away with all our other ones and forgot about it! :( At last we used it though and we had a blast! The "Unlimited Fun" package is normally $25.95 per person, but I found coupons at Wendy's for $5 off, and we had a $25 gift card! But then we bought additional tokens and food while there...so the discounts kind of equaled out! (I found out they have $12 Tuesday's but i'm not sure if that is for an Unlimited pass or not. You can also register on their website and get a FREE unlimited pass on your birthday!) After Boondocks we babysat my nieces so my sister and brother-in-law could go on a date night! (If you don't have a Boondocks close by you can go to a theme park or fair!) COST: $21 for entrance $29 for tokens/food= $50
- GIFT: Trevor loves to grill and he makes delicious Samoan chicken! So I decided to make him an apron to wear while doing it! I went to Michael's (craft store) and got the apron and of course used my 40% coupon! (If you shop at Michael's and don't have their app download it right now! Then you will always have the coupon with you when you go to the store! I never remember to print mine off before I go!) My mom had these great fabric paints and let me use them for this project! (To make your own you can upcycle an old apron/towel, buy an apron cheap, or make one with extra fabric you have lying around! You can also use Sharpies to decorate--they may bleed and wash out though!) COST: $3
- TOTAL COST: $53
Saturday (Date #5)
- My plan was to go to lunch and then get massages--but we decided to get some things done around our house first! We finally got our queen bed set up! (Can't believe we've been sleeping on a full for so long! There is so much more space now!) My sister was nice enough to give us a queen box spring she wasn't using in exchange for watching her kids the night before! So we picked it up and dropped our full bed off at my parent's to be stored in the guest bedroom. After a busy day of errands his sister and her family came over and we all went swimming! It was so much fun to spend time with them (and she is giving me swimming lessons! Yay!) (Just spending time together can be a date! Get your to do list out and cross some of the items off together!) COST: $0
- GIFT: To go with his "Grill Master" apron I had to get him a grill! I found a brand new small one (that we can take camping too!) on KSL and my sister-in-law was nice enough to pick it up for me! All that day while doing our errands he kept seeing grills and wanted to buy one! I just wanted to tell him to stop looking at them! I didn't want to ruin the surprise though and tell him I already bought him one, so I just kept telling him we'd get one later! (Search KSL/craigslist or local thrift shops! You know never know when you'll find a great gift for cheap!) COST: $10
- TOTAL COST: $10
Monday (Date #6)
- After work I had to have an MRI on my knee -possibly tore my right medial meniscus :(. But afterwards we had our "Game of Love" date night. I got this idea from Pintrest as well (can you tell I'm kind of addicted to Pintrest?!) I've been wanting to make if for a long time but finally decided it was time to do it! Here is the link to "The Game of Love". I used sharpies and made the template out of cardboard, the link elaborates and explains everything so I won't! (Mom and mom-in-law DON'T read this!) (You can always use a sheet you already have lying around!)COST:$12
- GIFT: I made this on Thursday (it took up most of the time!) so it doubled as the gift and the date especially since it took so much time! So I'm putting the cost under the date part and my time under the gift! COST: $0
- TOTAL COST:12
My total cost was $83 + $20 for my gift from Trevor puts our ANNIVERSARY TOTAL: $103!
Not bad for 6 date nights and 8 gifts! :D The most important thing is all the time we spent together!
(And reminding ourselves we don't have to spend a lot of money to have fun and go on dates!)
I hope you are all motivated to use your coupons and gift cards that you have lying around!
Go enjoy them!
~Michelle
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