Soft candle light, formal attire, lobster tails and filet mignon, champagne, a string quartet softly playing in the back ground, and then it's off to the Opera!

What? That's not in your budget?
Yeah, it's not in mine either.
But I'm a firm believer in the importance of a regular date night with your spouse. I'm also a firm believer in living within your means. It really is possible to have it both ways.
Modest date budget?
~Run errands together. These things need to be done. Why not group them together in an afternoon or early evening and get the job done together? Maybe stop for an ice cream cone while you're out.
~No babysitter? Plan a late night with your spouse. Feed the kids their favorite meal. You know, the one they will always eat but the grown ups would rather not. Then put them to bed a little early. Now get out the fancy dishes, throw a table cloth over the coffee table, cook up a grown up meal together and enjoy a Non-Disney movie together while you eat.
~Take a short drive to enjoy the area where you live. Visit a park, lake, canyon to enjoy the show that nature puts on every season.
~If dinner and a movie is your go-to date night thing be sure to get in the habit of collecting restaurant coupons when you see them. I like to keep them all in an envelope and close at hand for times when my husband and I suddenly find ourselves free for an evening. And don't just seek out coupons for your old favorites! Keep coupons for any place that looks interesting to you. I once folded up coupons to 4 places we had never tried before and put them in a cup. Then I  had my husband draw one to determine where we would have dinner. We went to the one he chose and now it's one of our favorite places.
~Go to matinee movies which are often less expensive.
~Keep an eye on community flyers and newspapers. They often advertise lots of great date ideas that are free or cheap. Ours lists more art galleries, free community fairs and movies in parks than we could possibly make time for.
~Look for local classes you can take together. I often see advertisements for cooking classes, photography classes, etc that are fairly inexpensive. Go for something you both love to do or branch out and take a class for something neither of you has ever tried. You might find a new hobby to enjoy together.
And one of the most valuable sources that I have for discounts and great ideas is Pinchingyourpennies.com.
In fact, just this morning I found this smoking hot deal for our next date night:
https://www.pinchingyourpennies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=159177
NICE!
Please leave a comment and tell us your frugal date night solutions.