The following post is by MPFJ staff writer, Catherine Alford. Cat is a freelance personal finance writer who blogs at www.BudgetBlonde.com.
If you want a way to pep up your marriage but don’t have a lot of extra cash at the moment, here are some ideas for getting back on track without breaking the bank.
Learn Something New Together
We often get bogged down in a routine, and I find the older people get, the less inclined they are to learn something completely different and new. Sometimes we get stuck in our ways or stick to what we know, but the truth is, there are so many things out there that you can do with your spouse that will enhance your own life and each others. For example, maybe you can learn a language together. Practice together and quiz each other. Then you can promise each other that if you get really good at it, perhaps plan a trip to France or Spain or Costa Rica and try out whatever language you learned.
You could also learn to play tennis or golf or scuba dive. When my husband and I learned to scuba dive, I was absolutely terrified. He went down in the water first and I just couldn’t do it. I started crying with the instructor on the surface of the water. The instructor then went down to get my husband to ask him to come back up and help me. He calmed me down, told me it would be okay, and then held my hand so we could go down in the water together. Sometimes overcoming fears together is a great way to reemphasize the trust and compassion you feel for each other.
Watch Your Wedding Video
The last time we watched our wedding video, it was so sweet and romantic. I want to start a tradition where we watch our video every year on our anniversary with our kids. I think it would be fun to have our kids see us so young. It’s only been a few years, but I feel like both my husband and I look so different. Anyway, there’s just something sweet about watching the moment when you got married again. I’m so glad I got the video. It’s actually one of the best things we purchased in all of our wedding expenses.
Take a Long Walk
Fall is the perfect time to get outdoors. It’s hard for my husband and I to go anywhere because it literally looks like we’re packing for a three day trip with the amount of things we have to bring for our infant twins. Still, we always feel good when we get out the house and get some fresh air. It’s a great way to work out arguments or have tough conversations because usually when you’re outdoors, you tend to remain more level in your conversation, and you feel a little better being surrounded by nature.
Try to Date
Dates are still expensive when you’re married! I see a lot of couples trying to commit to a date night, and while that seems really nice to me, it also seems really out of my budget. So, one way to still have date night without the expense is just to have it at home. You can plan an entire date with a movie and a certain dinner that you can make for your spouse or together. If you have kids, you can do all of this after they go to sleep. It takes a little bit of thought, but it’s something they will really appreciate. There are even entire websites devoted to thinking of fun date ideas you can do at home with your spouse. I love anything that means re-energizing a relationship without having to pay a huge expense.
Talk It Out With Friends
I think sometimes we often think our frustrations or issues with relationships are unique to us. Just the other day, my husband and I were hanging out with friends, and we realized that the men and women had a lot of the same issues. We were joking and teasing each other about it, and it was a fun, relaxed conversation about how my friend and I always want to talk to our husbands the second they get home because we both work from home all day. However our husbands, after long days of talking to patients at the hospital, kind of want downtime and want to be left alone. So, by talking it out with friends in a way that was fun and joking, we were able to get past a small hurdle. I find a lot of times it’s good to bounce ideas off of friends when you need an unbiased opinion about something!
Ultimately, there are tons of ways to re-energize your marriage than just the tips listed above. It just takes a little bit of thought, a little bit of advanced planning, and a lot of initiative and motivation to add a positive change to your life. However, once you do, I think you’ll start reaping the rewards right away.
How about you all? Do you have any other ideas on ways to improve or re-energize a marriage while on a budget?
Share your experiences by commenting below!
***Photo courtesy of https://www.flickr.com/photos/dlytle/10334814055/in/
