55 Free or Cheap Date Night Ideas at Home

Once upon a time, a man and a woman made reservations, got dressed up, went out on the town together, and had romantic date nights.  Then this same couple got married, advanced their careers, or had children and date night was forever changed.  So here we are searching for cheap date night ideas at home!

Why Do We Need Date Night Ideas At Home?

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8 NIV)

Bud and I have been together for nearly 20 years.  Over the course of nearly two decades, we have both changed so much.  We’ve practically grown up together and with all of that change, we could easily drift apart.  

It is important to date your spouse – to never stop dating your spouse- to keep things fresh and fun so you don’t grow apart! 

With age and maturity come pressure and responsibilities that make it difficult to get time away together, however.  

I’ve met couples who have no problem with going out alone together, some who even go on vacations alone together, but that has never worked for us.  

So we keep a pile of cheap date night ideas at home to keep us going.

Cheap date ideas, because we live on one income, but still they have to be creative date night ideas or we get nothing out of them.

Reasons Couples Can’t Always Get Away Together

In the beginning, Bud and I went to great lengths to go out on dates.  With job pressures and different schedules, it was tough but we made it happen.

Then we had kids.  

Money got tighter. 

Time disappeared.  I’m serious, how do children somehow control the space-time continuum?  Our oldest is 10 and I swear it happened when I blinked!

Still, after our first, we still tried to get out of the house at least once a month alone together.  It was tough to line up our schedules.  It was tougher to find the money to pay a sitter and go on the date.  

Then we had our second child.  

Money was tighter. 

Time was harder to manage. 

Special needs made it tough to find a sitter who would sit with her.  

Still, we tried to make it happen but it went from monthly to quarterly…  

Consequences Of Not Dating Your Spouse

With money tight and time tough to manage both Bud and I were up to our ears in stress.  

Stressed and growing apart are the consequences of not dating your spouse.  

When all you have together is stress there is no room for love to thrive.  You shift to survival mode and that is no place to stay if you want a successful marriage.  

About 3 years ago Bud and I gave up on the idea of regular date nights but refused to give up on our marriage.

We didn’t want to divorce.  We didn’t want to grow apart or allow stress to push us apart!

What do you do when stress is driving you apart?  You find ways to have fun together anyway!  So we started having a date night at home every month.  

Stay At Home Date Ideas For Couples

“Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun; for this is your reward in life and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 9:9 NASB)

I remember the first few months we crashed and burned trying to do at home dates.  So we did what most couples do… we took our questions to Google!  Whew, we found so many odd answers that we had to just go with trial and error.  Here’s where we landed while trying to work through stay at home date ideas for couples.

We keep a pile of cheap date night ideas at home to keep us going. Here is our list of 55+ to help you start your own journey. Share on X

What Can Couples Do For Fun At Home?

What do you like to do? 

Do you like to watch movies?  Stream a movie, get some popcorn, turn the lights down and enjoy.

Are you into art?  Find an online painting class or art appreciation class and enjoy it together.

Is cooking your style?  There are so many food delivery services these days with all the food packaged and cooking directions in the box!  Enjoy learning to make a new recipe together!

The sky is the limit as long as you know what you both enjoy.

What Can You Do For A Cheap Date Night?

My criteria for a good date night at home are as follow:

• Fun
• No children
• No stressful conversation
• Budget-friendly

When you see budget-friendly read “cheap”.  There may come a day when we have funds to be extravagant, but that hasn’t happened yet, so we need cheap date ideas. 

What can you do for a cheap date night at home?  Anything if you are creative!  All you need is an idea and flexibility. 

If you enjoy theme dates, be willing to use what you have and dim the lights so your imagination takes over.  

Can you wait to make the idea reality?  If you plan it out, price things, then save a little of that price each month, you could have an extravagant date every few months.  

All you need are patience and creativity to make a creative date night idea into a cheap date idea!

What Can You Do For A Cheap Date Night? My criteria for a good date night at home are as follow: Fun No children No stressful conversation Budget-friendly Share on X

How can I make a romantic date night at home?

Here’s the big question, can a date night at home be romantic?  Absolutely!  

For a romantic date, you need to set the mood, adjust the lighting, and ensure privacy.  Most of us can handle the first two without problems but privacy is tough once you have kids.  

Oh, and yes, you can still have a romantic date that comes from a list of cheap date ideas!

At Home Date Night With Kids

If you have the energy to wait until the kids go to bed – or if you are crafty enough to send the kids to be early – you can just keep the lights and noise level down to enjoy romance.  

If you have a relative who will keep the kids for a couple of hours – or if they have a friend in the neighborhood who’s house they can go play – it’s easier.  

In our current situation – 2020 is the year we are all at home together – Bud and I opt to take the kids on long walks or play hard outside so they fall asleep early and sleep long. 

You can have romance on a date night at home!

What do you wear on a date night at home?

This might sound like a silly question, but it matters.  You have to treat a date night at home like a date night on the town to get the full effect.  Maybe not every time – but sometimes!  

I take a shower, fix my hair, and put on something I feel sexy wearing.  He takes a shower and puts on something nice as well!  When you are dressed nicely it feels nice.  

Related: What is Date Night for Married Couples and How to Do It Right

Date Night Ideas for Married Couples

Once we figured out the how to’s of having date night at home, we started making a list of things to do at home!  To be honest, early on we stuck to dinner and a movie, but that gets old fast – which is why we needed ideas to pull from!  

Free or Cheap Date Night Ideas At Home

Free or cheap date night ideas at home are the best ideas.  I am a stay at home mom which means we live on basically one income!  Cheap is the king of our lifestyle right now!  Most of these are free but when done without the kids, dressed well and with the mood set they are great ways to connect.  

1. Dinner and a Movie.

   • We keep a list of movies we want to watch without the kids and just pick the next one on the list.

2. Books and discussion plus any favorite treat foods.

   • I love to read and chat.  He hates to read but enjoys audiobooks.  this is fun even for us.
     • Learn how books lead to limitless date night topics for couples.

3. Podcasts and discussion plus any favorite treat foods.

   • We don’t listen to the podcast together, but we talk about the podcasts we listen to and that’s fun.

4. A devotional for couples plus any favorite treat foods.

   • You can do free devotionals through the Bible App or you could buy a good couple devotional and enjoy some spiritual conversation.
     • The Love Dare is our favorite devotional for couples!

5. Take turns giving a massage and don’t fall asleep after.

   • You can find a good website or youtube tutorial on massage for free.  You could also pick up a good book with tips so you are not distracted with notifications.  The point here is to take turns and see where it leads.  

6. Watch the sunset together and talk about fun things.

   • Fun things is the key here.  Date night should be a time to enjoy each other, laugh together, and forget about the stress of life for a while.  Don’t bring up fights or bills or the kids – unless it’s to laugh about something they did.
     
     • Related: 3 Big Mistakes Most Wives Make on Date Night

7. Stargaze by the firepit and talk about fun things.

   • To do this, Bud dug a pit in our yard.  I can’t swear it’s up to code, but it was free and there is something romantic about sitting by a fire to talk.  

8. Enjoy old favorite music and remember when you first listened to it.

   • Music is therapeutic.  This is not the time to judge or go deep, but to listen to his favorites from the past and share yours.  Talking about memories tied to favorite music will make you smile and laugh together!
     • Old school Third Day are one of our favorite bands from the past

9. Take a trip down memory lane with a dessert.

   • We have pictures from long ago that I enjoy looking through.  If we pair pictures with dessert we can enjoy an evening laughing at our past.  Laughter is good for the soul and the relationship!

10. Play a game together where the winner picks his/her prize.

    • We have sexy games, but for this to be the most fun for both of us it’s easier if we play Uno or Guess Who.  Something silly and fun ensures he will play and I won’t feel uncomfortable.  It’s fun to play together and it’s fun to see what the other wants as a prize!  Sometimes it’s sexual, sometimes it’s just funny.  

Free or cheap date night ideas at home are the best ideas. I am a stay at home mom which means we live on basically one income! Cheap is the king of our lifestyle right now! Share on X

Date Night Games For Couples

Okay, it seems only right to give you some ideas of games to play on since it was listed in our free or cheap date night ideas at home.  The point here is not that the game has to be X rated, it just has to be something you will both enjoy.  

Now, I love games and he does not so for games to be fun for date night there has to be a prize he wants.  Something sexual usually features – and something that doesn’t happen often is a must.  So any game can be a good game if you twist it the right way for your spouse!  

1. Uno – Or Classic Card Games You Both Enjoy

   • Thing simple, easy rules and a short playtime.  You could do best 2 out of 3 or each round has it’s own prize.  Just make it fun.  

2. Guess Who – Or Classic Board Games You Both Enjoy

   • This uses the same principle as Uno but works if one of you doesn’t like card games.

3. Connect Four – Or Other Hands-On Games

   • I like this one because you could play standard or you could get an adult version.  If you win the adult version you pick one of the chips you won with as your prize.  This motivates my hubby and we took out all the options we were not okay with.  

4. The Date Night Game

   • After kids, we realized we were not doing anything romantic.  Anything.  And a friend recommended this game because it retrains you on romance.  You do have to shop ahead to have certain things on hand but it’s fun.  

5. Trivia Games

   • Trivia games are fun on many levels.  On one level you can pad in a reward for the winner.  Trivia games also give you a chance to talk about things that rarely come up in day to day conversation.  This is a fun way to spark a conversation!
     • We enjoy movie trivia games.

6. Conversation Starter Games

   • If you are working on improving communication and you find yourself stuck in a rut you could consider a conversation starter game or book.  The date would be focused around dinner and conversation this way and feel free to add in the romantic touches from later on in the post.
     • We enjoy Our Moments Couples version.

7. Karaoke Game

   • Singing can be a lot of fun!  You could pull up online karaoke games or use one from your kids.  If you enjoy music this can be loads of fun!

8. Dancing Game

   • Our family enjoys Just Dance and while it’s fun with the kids it can be more fun without the kids.  Dancing can lead to lots of other activities and just be a great time together.  

9. The Sex Deck

   • One problem Bud and I ran into after the kids were born was routine in our sex life.  Now don’t get me wrong, I am all for some level of routine.  Schedule sexual intimacy to be sure it happens for starters.  Then when it’s time to be together we are rushed, tired and not so in the mood.  We found this deck of sex cards was fun to look through and talk about to make plans for the next time.  It can easily make a fun date night game!
     • We like The Position of The Day.

10. Create Together

    • If we had limitless resources, time, and space we would create things together.  I enjoy painting.  He enjoys crafts.  But we rarely have time, finances, or space to do those things in this season of life.  Why not create as part of our date night at home?  It just takes some planning which I’ll cover in the next section!

Creative Inexpensive Date Night Ideas

Earlier I said you could do anything during your date night at home, I meant anything.  These are all indoor date ideas for couples, but when you can get away there are even more options!  They are cheap or inexpensive while also being creative date night ideas, a win-win!

Get creative!  What do you enjoy doing?  Make a list and find a way to do it at home if you can’t get out!  For these, you will want to budget and plan ahead, but they can cheap indoor date ideas.

1. Painting date night at home

   • Many of the same studios that offer painting classes offer online versions.  Find one and check out the supply list and cost of classes.  

2. A cooking class

   • There are so many cooking classes online.  Some are even free!  All you need to do is buy the ingredients to cook and you are set.

3. A wine tasting class

   • Isn’t our modern age so convenient?  You can join a wine tasting class and they will send you samples to try at home!

4. Recreate your first date

   • This takes some work, but you can find the same food, decorations, and music from your first date and recreate it at home on any budget!

5. Take a craft class

   • We’ve found sewing classes, pottery classes, carving classes, and more all online.  

6. Visit a museum online or through books

   • Thanks to the wacky 2020 year we are part of many museums that have begun giving online tours.  You can also find an artist you enjoy and find their work online to view and discuss.

7. Dream together and plan a vacation

   • Dreaming of your future or planning a vacation can be loads of fun.  Get a notebook, scour the internet, order chamber of commerce brochures for areas you are interested in and start planning together.

8. Take the Love Language Test and Learn about each other

   • Do you know your spouse’s love language?  Learn them together and talk about ways to show love more intentionally.
     • Take the test here and check out the book – The 5 Love Languages here!

9. Create a spa experience

   • I bet you have most of the things to do this already in the house so this is definitely a cheap date night idea for at home!  It’s just a matter of gathering them and finding ways to pamper each other.
     • This is a set that I enjoy!

10. Order a date night box for more ideas

    • Maybe you have a small budget for date nights, but struggle to come up with ideas.  A date night subscription box could be the way to go!  They come with everything you need and are delivered monthly so you always have something to try.

Date Night at Home Subscription Box Ideas

There are many date night subscription boxes available.  I’ve not tried them yet but I am making a list to sample.  As I do I’ll share my reviews and link back here!  What I love about the idea here is that you can have so many cheap date night ideas at home sent right to you to take out the guesswork and planning.

1. Monthly theme subscription box
2. Love note subscription box*
3. Adventure subscription box
4. Romantic date ideas subscription box
5. Experience date subscription boxy*
6. Faith Dates

Romantic Evening Ideas for Married Couples At Home

Not all of these ideas have been specifically romantic, so let me give some ideas for romance.  They are classic and timeless but will require a bit of prep work and some budgeting to pull them off.  

Just as a side note, romantic for me equals relaxing.  Relaxing date night ideas are ones that take the work away from one or both of you.  These are just ideas of ways to turn any date night idea into a romatic date night.  You could use all ten at once or you could combine one of these with one from the lists above and see where the evening leads.

1. Candlelight 
2. Soft music
3. Catered dinner 
4. No real dishes
5. Flowers in the house
6. Start with a clean house
7. No technology allowed
8. Sit closer than usual
9. Touch a lot
10. Talk softly

Romantic Date Night Ideas At Home For Him

I don’t know if my husband is rare or not but he is not romantic.  He doesn’t care about romance.  In fact, if I didn’t mention my need for some romance it would never cross his mind.  

So forgive me, if you are a husband reading this looking for romantic ideas for him.  My husband’s idea of romance is an evening that ends in sex… and so I can only speak from my experience.  

Some ideas to be sure your husband enjoys the romantic night – that also qualify as cheap date night ideas at home:

1. No clean up until the next day. 
2. Be complimentary of his efforts – no criticism allowed on date nights.
3. Smile and have fun.
4. Don’t bring up anything stressful
5. Don’t make him feel bad for wanting to enjoy your body.
6. Include sex on the date night.
7. Wear nice or sexy lingerie.
8. Plan something physical that he wants.
9. Touch more than usual.
10. Include some role play if he enjoys that

Which Free or Cheap Date Night Ideas At Home Will You Try?

There are so many options for cheap date night ideas at home!  So many.  We have a list and I highly encourage you to make a list as well.  When life gets stressful it’s easy to focus on the hard things, but what you really need is to have fun together.  

• Free or Cheap Date Night Ideas At Home
• Date Night Games For Couples
• Creative Inexpensive Date Night Ideas
• date night at home box
• Romantic Evening Ideas for Married Couples At Home
• Romantic date night ideas at home for him

Pick a category.  Make a list of things you enjoy.  Set the date on your calendar.  Plan ahead.  Make a date night at home happen!

in HIM,

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• How to Fix Communication Problems in Marriage and Why It Matters
• 3 Big Mistakes Most Wives Make on Date Night
• How To Let Date Night Reclaim Joy in Marriage