10 Date Night Ideas Under $40

Happy Friday! With the weather cooling down and our schedules filling up fast, I thought it would be nice to share some fun date night ideas with you, all of which can be done for under $40. Because when you’re married, you need to be able to have a stress-free, relaxing date without all the hassle of trying to make it expensive or perfect.

So here are some of my favorite ways to spend time with my man without breaking our budget…

Olive Garden Pasta + Wine::

This one is by far my favorite! Especially as it gets colder outside, I love me some warm pasta at home watching a movie. I’m definitely a take-out girl :) We do this every so often. We’ll order a “create your own pasta” from Olive Garden, get the salad (it comes with two breadsticks) and we’ll get an order of 4 breadsticks with a side of Alfredo sauce (Jeff really likes it). Then we’ll stop at the liquor store on the way home and pick up a bottle of wine. I’m really loving pink moscato right now!

Split between us, it’s super filling without being too heavy and really doesn’t cost much. It’s a winner every time!

Movie Night with AMC::

We just recently signed up for the Stubs program at AMC, which allows us to go see up to three movies each week! If we only go see two movies in a month, it more than pays for itself. If there are some movies you know you’ll want to see coming up, then I highly recommend it. We pick up Chick-fil-a and sneak it in, while purchasing a soda and popcorn in the theatre (They don’t suspect you if you buy their stuff).

You can always do it for a few months to see the movies you want and then cancel it. It’s a great way to get out of the house in the winter!

Pei Wei Take-Out::

I told you, I LOVE take-out nights! Another thing we’re loving lately is ordering the chicken lettuce wraps and the Dan Dan Noodle Bowl with Chicken and splitting both. It’s really affordable and the Pei Wei app is always sending me coupons for free entrees.

Mini Golf::

I’m not really all that into mini golfing. But we found the most amazing place in Colorado that has an incredible course. You feel like you’ve stepped into another world! Look around your area for some fun, outdoor places and you’ll be surprised by how much you get in touch with your inner child.

Coffee + American Furniture Warehouse::

We did this a lot when we were engaged and newly married. We’d go pick up some Starbucks coffee and drink it while we walked around our local American Furniture Warehouse store. Ikea would be fun, too! It’s fun to walk around and dream of what you may want to buy, get inspired for new ideas or just have a relaxing night. The people there are super helpful but if you don’t want it, they’ll politely leave you alone. We’ve definitely had a few impulse buys there, too!

Explore an Area in Your City You Haven’t Yet::

Here in Colorado Springs, we’ve got Manitou Springs, Old Colorado City, the Penny Arcade, The Rabbit Hole (an underground bar/restaurant). There’s usually a lot to explore in your area that you have no idea existed and when you find them together, they make for really special memories.

Do some exploring and see what you think. You may just find your new favorite spot.

Recreate Your First Date (or Another Significant Date)::

Jeff recreated our first date on the night he proposed. Even though the activities weren’t a surprise, because they were from our first date, it was so exciting to recreate it. It almost felt like a mini thrill (of course I had no idea he was about to propose! You can watch him surprise me with it HERE).

Whether it was your first date, the date he proposed or the first time you said “I love you,” recreating a significant moment in your life is not only fun, but can bring up old feelings and emotions that you haven’t felt in a long time. It’s important to take yourself back there every once in a while.

Make Homemade Pizzas::

I’ve really been loving this! I buy pizza dough from King Sooper’s (you can freeze it and it keeps for a while) and get whatever toppings we feel like that night. Or, we’ll each get our own toppings and make our own pizza, trying each other’s out, too. It’s a different way to do dinner, while also spending some time together (as opposed to you in the kitchen and him in his office). You might just learn a thing or two about the guy :)

Try a new Hole-in-the-Wall Restaurant::

This is kind of similar to exploring your area, but maybe there’s a restaurant that you’ve always seen but never been to. Try something new and even if it doesn’t turn out to be amazing, you’ll have a memory that you two will share together.

Make a Holiday Traditions Night::

With the holidays quickly approaching, it’s the perfect time to plan some fun new traditions for you. Making gingerbread houses, baking Christmas cookies, hosting a Friendsgiving, the possibilities are endless and they are entirely up to you.

Every year, we always take a group of our fiends and go visit a local pumpkin patch and corn maze. It’s creepy and festive and we look forward to it every year. My family always put’s up the Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving and now I do that with my husband, while listening to Christmas music and munching on peanut brittle.

Having these special moments will stick with you forever and give you a sense that you’re spending quality time with each other, even if your schedules are super busy this season.

Those are just some of my thought on some date night ideas. Pick one and try it out soon. Dates aren’t always about making everything perfect. It’s about intentionally spending some time together and valuing time with that person. If he likes to go out and do things, try mini golfing. If you like staying home, try take-out and a movie. Mix it up so each person feels like they are getting the kind of quality time that matters to them.

What are some date night ideas you’ve enjoyed? I’d love to hear your thoughts below!