How to Have an Obama Date Night on a Budget

Disagree with his politics as you will, but President Obama has done one thing right in the example he and his wife have set for married couples in America. The Obama date night is fast becoming one of the hallmarks of his time as President. If the leader of the free world can find time to reconnect with his wife and work to keep his marriage strong, then we really don't have an excuse, do we?

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Set aside some time. This may be the hardest step of all. If you have kids involved in sports of other activities, a full time job and a home to take care of, finding time for a date night may seem impossible. However, marriages need to be nurtured and protected and a date night is an important part of this process. Find some time to dedicate to keeping your marriage strong. You can be creative about this. A date night doesn't actually have to be at night. It can be on a Saturday afternoon or a Sunday morning. The important thing is that it is time that is just for you and your spouse.

2. Be alone. That means no kids! Getting a baby sitter is one way to make date night happen. You can find one by getting to know the teenage girls in your neighborhood until you find one that you trust. An even better idea is to trade with one or two other couples. They watch your kids on your date night and you do the same for their date night. This eliminates what is often one of the most expensive parts of date night. If all else fails, you can even have a date night at home after the kids go to bed.

3. Plan your night. Many times, the President and his wife go to see a play or other performance as part of their date night. This has the advantage of taking you out of your regular routine and forcing your to get dressed up the way you did when you were still dating. Of course, flying to New York to see a Broadway Play, isn't exactly budget friendly, plus you don't have Air force One at your disposal either. If you would like to follow their example and see a play, check out your local colleges and high schools to see what they are performing. If you have a University nearby, you might be supposed at the number of free concerts, dance shows and other forms of entertainment you can find for little to no money.
   
   Sometimes an Obama date night just consists of a long dinner and a walk around the White House grounds. This can be easily replicated by you and your spouse even on a budget. Restaurants.com or the Entertainment Book offer dozens of coupons for buy one get one free meals. Or you could eat dinner at home and just go out for a decadent dessert. Afterwards, go for a walk in a nearby entertainment district, at a park, on the beach or around a lake. This is a great time to just talk to each other and reconnect after a long week of running around in different directions.

4. If you absolutely can't find a sitter, have a date night after the kids go to bed. As soon as they are safely tucked away, bring out a mouth watering dessert that you hid from them earlier, play a board or card game or watch a movie, It doesn't matter exactly what you do, just make sure that you are doing it together.

5. Don't give up. Even when it seems like life is constantly trying to get in the way of date night, keep finding time for you and your spouse. It is certain that there are many things that some would say are more important for the President to occupy his time with than a date night. However, a strong marriage is worth nurturing and protecting and will only make him stronger in his duties as President. It is the same with you and your spouse.

Resources

• How to Save Money on Eating Out
• Entertainment Savings Book
• Restaurant.com (discount gift certificates)

[cb4me]

on 6/16/2009 Creative title and keywords, and I love the suggestions :)