Maintain Your Sanity as a Mom with a Night out... at a discount of course!

So last night, I made the dreaded mistake... I tell my household that I am tired because Bean has a cold and fever and demanded to be held all day and would love a night with no drama, if it wouldn't be too much trouble. I might as well had said, ok everyone let's have a UFC (Ultimate Fighting Challenge) event in the living room! Nearly from the moment I spoke the words, letting my dear dear children know that Mom is at a weak moment, it was on!

My husband steps in but the under the breath bickering continues. When I was at my wits end, the phone rang, it was my dear friend Dee! "Hey do you want to meet for coffee, I have an hour to kill", she says which when translated to what I heard was "Hey do you want to get out of the house to sip on some heaven in a cup?". I look at Collin and he says, "Go hon, and remember Saturday is date night!" That guy can read my mind! I suppose that is part survival instinct after being together for 17 years!

I quick grab my gift card for the local coffee house and meet Dee and feel like I have let out a sigh I swear I had kept in all day. I felt lighter, thinner, I felt the color come back to my face, and a spring in my step! Okay, okay, maybe not all that, but you get my drift! I was telling Dee about my day and listening to hers, and then told her about our date night. She said they could't afford date night. I told her you can't afford not to have a date night, and almost everyone can afford date night, you just have to be creative.

Every couple has to have a date night. They let us reconnect with out significant others, they allow us to be us without cutting up food for another person, we can dress in white if we want to because the chances of us getting sweet potato handprints on our pants is little to none. Date nights should be scheduled, they should be done regularly because after the kids have grown and left the nest, you and your spouse will be sitting there looking at each other. And if you haven't put the effort into keeping the relationship fresh, and keeping the communication open, you will be looking at each other saying, "Who are you?"

Collin and I have had date nights all over the charts. When work was great and the budget was a plenty we would go away for a night at a local hotel, get dressed up, go to dinner and more... wink wink! Right now with budgets tight, we get creative. Here are some tips to successful, yet budget friendly date nights!

1. Sitters... These are imparative to a successful date night! Sitters these days are not cheap! When I baby sat it was $1.50 per kid per hour. My mom tells me of days where she was paid 25 cents an hour, but then again she also walked to school and back barefoot uphill in the snow both ways... Save on sitters by asking family. My mom and mother in law like watching the kids a couple of times a month because they get to see the kids and we like it because they are FREE!!! No family around? Swap with siblings or friends! We also have friends as I am sure you do too! We will do swaps where one night we will take their kids so they can have a night out and one night they will take ours. It's a great way to squeeze in a playdate for the kids and a date night for you, for FREE!!!! When all else fails ask your friends who they use and who has the cheapest rate. Try for free, but sometimes, you gotta pay.

2.Carpet Picnics! We have been known to drop the kids off with the grands and then go home, make dinner and just relax together with a movie. Get the movie from your local kiosk like Red Box and rent a new release for a buck! Can't beat that! Yeah you can only keep it a night, but that's fine. Really who can complain when your date night costs you a dollar in addition to your groceries?

3. Real Picnics! The weather is now turning for the better! Take advantage of it! Look into your local parks, many have inexpensive or free events from movies to comedy nights! Our local parks and rec bulletin lists these and they also have info on line! Make dinner, bring a bottle of wine, and enjoy the weather and entertainment! Even a quiet evening at the park with your significant other, and conversations with laughs will make it so perfect!

4. Coupons! I don't know anyone who isn't bombarded by junk mailers which contain a TON of coupons! I used to just quick toss them away, now I go through them. I look for local places we enjoy and I clip the coupons! They allow us to go out as a family or on a date night with no guilt! Become a coupon clipper, search your fav places online and see if they have coupons online, sign up your email on their sites for the latest specials!

5. Restaurants.com This is by no means a commercial however, you must check out restaurant.com and see the discounts! I literally just got 5 different $25 gift certificates for $3 each! I got a link from another store (Borders, where I signed up online to be a member and receive perks), however just go to restaurant.com and sign up, you will receive their deals and they have them throughout the United States! Just beware of the stipulations for each certificate. The ones I got had the stipulation that $35 of food had to be purchased to use it, so that is $10 over the certificate amount, plus the three I paid for them, made it $13 for us to eat $35 worth of food! Please be kind however and tip on the $35, the servers make most of their money off of tips and right now everyone is hurting, so share a bit by saving a lot!

I hope these tips and tricks help! Don't be shy, write and share your ideas and I will Post them also!