date night idea: hiking & a picnic for under $15!
on valentine’s day we were gifted with the perfect weather.
we packed up our bags, put on our hiking shoes, prepared a little lunch & headed out to one of our favorite trails.
on this particular valentine’s day, we were working with a next-to-nothing budget, having spent most of our date night money for the month on takeout pizza when i was under the weather from my wisdom teeth surgery.
a hiking date fit the budget & left me feeling more connected to my husband than any dinner out could have.
often times i think we get so caught up in the glamour of an expensive dinner out & a movie at the theater. i know i feel loved when luke offers to take me out to my favorite sushi restaurant.
there’s absolutely nothing wrong with a fancy dinner out (heck, i love being treated to delicious food!), but i am challenging myself to feel loved when he offers his time, not necessarily expensive date nights.
we walked along the trails, talked about our dreams & processed through some big stuff within our relationship. he’s my favorite person, my biggest adventure & the best hiking partner!
we even packed a little lunch for two of cheeses, almond crackers, salami & turkey along with two glasses of wine. this little gourmet lunch cost us around $15, the perfect price for our quickly dwindling budget.
& if you’ve got kiddos, bring them along! i’m sure they’d love to see their parents holding hands along the trail!
i’d love to know how you date on a budget! please share your fun ideas!
love,
natalie
p.s. here’s another fun budget-friendly date night i shared not too long ago – a drive-in movie date for under $15! yay!
harknessangels | 23rd Feb 15
Looks like a wonderful date night! 🙂
kj | 23rd Feb 15
Well we don't really do date nights as much as date moments you know? One of my favorites is after a long day of working on the farm to just stop for a few minutes+sit in the woodshed. Look out over our property, split a really good beer + dream.
Rae | 23rd Feb 15
I love this! It so easy to get caught up in the activity of living. Its so important to take a minute and really re-connect.
Natalie @ Being Mrs. Olson | 23rd Feb 15
We went for a picnic on Valentine's Day. There are just so many little holidays, this one needed to be a little more low key. We packed a picnic basket and Farkle and enjoyed our time in the sun by the lake!
ali grace | cookies and grace | 23rd Feb 15
What a fun idea! We're always looking for inexpensive date ideas. I also love going to a great restaurant, but I usually feel like we connect more when we do something a little different! We like to go to the lake and fish (only pay for bait! and snacks of course). Or take our dogs for a swim (free!). Just being outside and spending quality time means a lot.
Kellie | 23rd Feb 15
Looks like an amazing day!
Unknown | 25th Feb 15
I love it! As we are on our journey to be debt free, we have buckled down on our budget! We get free Redbox codes online and get popcorn and have a movie night a lot! I love hearing others ideas on budget friendly date night ideas.
dana | 17th Mar 15
Can I ask where you went hiking? We want to come to NWA this summer with our boys, and I'm looking for good spots. Thanks!!