Today’s article is written by Jennifer from A Heart for the Home

We all know that after any length of time in marriage, things come up.   Work.  Kids.  Church.  Family.  Chores.  Sickness.  Life.

If we are not careful, we will lose focus on keeping our marriage relationship a priority.  It happens to everyone from time to time, but keeping “dating” a real thing can be challenging.  It’s something we gotta carve some time out for and just make it happen.

“Dating” our husbands helps to keep things fresh and it helps us focus on just them for awhile.

Not the kids, not our girlfriends, not church groups, not Bible study, JUST HIM.  Now there is nothing wrong with all these other things, but we need to take time out of our week or month and just set aside time with just your husband.

Here are a few suggestions for “Date Night” that are easy and affordable for anyone’s budget.

8 Ways to Date Your Husband

• Taking a walk.   

This something that costs no money but finding a local park, the beach, or even around your neighborhood, it can be some quiet alone time to walk and connect together.  

It’s always a added bonus to get some exercise while you are taking time for each other.

• Going shopping together.   

Now this isn’t always the best ideal date, but when things are busy going on a shopping trip together allows time for just the two of you to talk and get something done at the same time.

• Having coffee.  

Now a days, there are so many coffee houses around.  Even in bookstores they have little coffee places where it’s quiet and you can enjoy a cup of coffee or tea with a pastry and share your thoughts with one another.

• Movie Night at the house.  

The challenging part of this is either getting a baby sitter or taking the kids to a friends or grandma’s house for a few hours.

It’s a lot cheaper than going out to the movies, you can rent a movie from the library or the new $1 Redbox they have at almost every gas station or drugstore.

• Using a gift certificate.   

Most of us have an unused gift card to a restaurant sitting around the house.   You can cash one in and take your husband out for a dinner or even lunch when it’s cheaper.

• Fast Food lunch get-together.  

There are a lot of nice fast food joints that you can meet at and have a quick lunch together that doesn’t cost a bunch of money.  Most of the time, you can use coupons or buy one get one deals and enjoy a nice quiet lunch alone.

• Barter with your friends.

If you have another family your friends with that also have kids, take a turn with them and watch their kids one time and then have them return the favor.

This is something they benefit from and then you get a night out without having to pay for a babysitter.

• Read a couple’s Devotional together.  After the kids go to bed, find a couple’s devotional and take time to read a few pages together, pray together and challenge each other spiritually.

The whole point is to set aside a regular time for just the two of you.

Whether you don’t spend money or just a few dollars, it’s time to connect, talk, and share a laugh or two with one another.

Making our relationship with our husband a priority helps other things fall into place.

 Taking time to “date” on a regular basis strengthens the marriage, shows our the children we care about one another, & helps us to cultivate a deeper love for one another.

Start by blocking out a day once a month and just make it a habit of that being “our” day or evening together.  After a few months of making it a habit, you’ll start seeing the benefits the come with it.

How do you “Date” your husband? We’d love for you to share your tips for keeping the fire burning in your marriage. By doing so, you are helping other women who read this blog strengthen their marriage.