[Music] well hey you guys do you ever feel like the relationships in your life are getting really expensive really fast I mean it costs to be social doesn't it people have holiday parties or they want to go on Bachelorette trips or little kid birthday parties like whatever your community looks like it's important to invest in those relationships and still have boundaries around your money and I would argue that sometimes this is even more difficult when it comes to the Romantic relationships in your life which is hopefully just one so whether you're dating engaged or married Whenever two people are deciding to be a team on how they spend money can be kind of tricky but listen you can come together and actually agree on this because what if I told you that you can have fun date nights that don't have to end up breaking the bank but you can actually do it when you're saving money so today I'm sharing five creative date nights that are budget friendly and legitimately fun and number five involves not one but two ways to get a free babysitter so stay tuned the first cheap date night requires a little bit of paperwork but trust me this isn't a boring task that you're doing for your boss's boss right this is paperwork that will actually benefit you in the long run and idea number one is to plan for a future vacation if you have a significant other then set time aside and just dream about what trip you would take make a list of everything you'd want to do when you get to that destination you know get some links on a good Google doc and make a Pinterest board add up some costs you know look at your syncing fund and say okay how much do we need to save and just kind of planning it together actually can be really fun and when you do these tasks there is something in the relationship that just gets sparked again where it's like oh We're Dreaming dreaming about the future and at the end you actually end up having a game plan that you're going to work towards so it's actually a pretty fun day night all right the second cheap fun Monday night idea is to go to the dollar store and buy a DVD to watch together okay I can already feel the hostility from the comment section so if you don't have a DVD player or a laptop with a DVD slot don't worry stay tuned but if you do again going into the dollar store you can get cheap candy you can look at some of the movies that are on sale and once you're home again you can rent one of those on a streaming service if you want to but the idea is that you have a limited selection when it comes to the DVDs okay because if you're like me you can just scroll and scroll and scroll through hundreds of options of what to watch but this way you're getting out of the house you're getting some sweet treats and you might see some DVDs that you're like oh my gosh we'll buy some of these cuz they're really cheap or we're going to pick one out and then we're going to go home and rent it but either way you're limiting your options you're not sitting there and scrolling which is helpful number three might make you a little bit emotional you know I'm picturing some laughter some tears some embarrassment you know all the things but being being nostalgic I think is one of the best ways in life to just enjoy the moment cuz when you look back you're like we are creating new memories here in the present but looking back is always fun so the third cheap day night idea is to take a trip down memory lane and go back and look through your old pictures together now obviously you could do this on your smartphone but I think it's actually fun when you dig up old photo albums and you actually look at real pictures and the conversations that come because you see yourself you know 15 years ago and it's hilarious so fun it's so great so if you find any really fun pictures post them on social media tag me because I think like going back again 5 10 15 20 years it's just so funny to see each other then the fourth cheap date night is to go to a bookstore or the book section of Target and pick out a series of books for each other now hear me out don't bail on this if you hate to read because this actually isn't you reading books okay so just hold tight but here's where this list comes in go in with a few prompts for each other like choose a book cover that matches at my vibe the best choose a book with a title that could go in my Instagram bio choose a book that if you saw you were like oh I bet money that they've already read this and I'm telling you it cost 0 but you walk away with a solid conversation a few inside jokes or two and it is so fun okay as promised my fifth cheap date night idea consists of two ways to score free babysitting and I'm all about Fair pay but babysitter rates these days you know I mean they've doubled is what it feels like and you just spend so much on a babysitter and then going out so these next two options is again to help you especially if your budget is tight the first hack is to ask help from your community so if you have in-laws in town or if your kids have an aunt or Uncle nearby they just love or even if you have to choose friends who have offered to watch your kids because they don't have any of their own right now lean on people in your circle who are willing to help you out now obviously make sure to be self-aware and just don't expect people to drop everything to pick up your parent responsibilities but for the most part if there are people out there who know that you're being really money conscious and you need a breather just ask them if they'd be willing to help all right trick number two is to do a swap date night so if you have friends whose priorities are similar to yours then you can say hey would y'all want to swap date nights one night you can come over and watch their kids the next night they can return the favor and it's all about communicating your needs and leaning on your people I think it's such a good idea and if you have little kids who like to play with other kids sometimes it's a treat for the kids too they want to be with other kids and it's so fun now I have to be honest there are so many more ideas that you can add to the list and so you just have to be creative and if you have ideas put them in the comments below going with your spouse and knowing hey if you're going through a tight season when it comes to money and you're saying we're really going to double down you still don't have to hate your life you can still enjoy some date nights out just get creative but if you need some direction and guidance for you and your spouse to work together make sure to go to ramsy solutions.com and click on the baby steps and you guys together can be working a plan towards Financial Freedom so I'll leave that link and a few other resources below because I'm telling you this whole process has been a game Cher for me and my husband when it comes to money and I want you guys to have those tools as well so remember to take control of your money and create a life you love