One of my life goals has been to create a life I don’t need a vacation from. That’s everyone’s dream right? I feel like with time and patience David and I have turned this idea into a reality and not only do we continue to enjoy each other’s company but we enjoy being at home. People spend half their lives working to pay for a home they’re never at and then spend thousands of dollars to leave it and recharge on vacation. Some people are born travelers and there is nothing wrong with that. I’m not against traveling, planning nice vacations, and seeing new places; I just wanted to highlight some of the ways we enjoy staying at home. I’ve had people ask me how I can stay home so much and never want to leave. I think your home should be a safe haven, a place where you create the atmosphere and a healthy environment to live.
Ecclesiastes is one of my favorite books in the Bible. While it may seem like it’s negative and talking about how life is meaningless, it’s actually highlighting the point and purpose of life itself. No matter how many earthly pleasures you have or how much wealth you acquire a life without God is meaningless. All of the things you have in your life are meaningless without God, even your marriage.
Honestly, we love our little home and I hope everyone can feel the same about their own. I think I love it so much because I know God is here. I invite him in daily and ask that he never leave. He brings meaning to our lives and gives us each other to spend time with until we go to heaven.
Ecclesiastes 9:9 NIV “Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun—all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun.”
God wants you to enjoy your life and enjoy being with your spouse. Here are 12 cheap date ideas I would like to share to try with your spouse.
1. Movie Marathon
One of the best ways to spend time together (especially when it’s cold outside) is to have a movie marathon with your spouse. For old married people like us (we’re in our 30’s and joke we’re old) sometimes “movie marathon” means watching a movie from a series every night until they’re done. When we were younger we could watch the Lord of the Rings trilogy in one day, now watching one each night is considered a marathon to us.
I love watching the movies we went to see in theaters when we were teenagers. We get to enjoy the film again and take a walk down memory lane.
2. Candlelight Porch Dinner
I love to cook and sit on the porch so it just makes sense to plan some candlelight dinners on the porch. A restaurant can be nice but dining out with just my best friend is one of my favorite things. Cooking together can be fun too.
3. Stargazing
We love to stargaze. God puts on shows in the sky right outside your house every night. I try to keep up with upcoming meteor showers and other astronomical events to take pictures with my camera. I love the quiet and that the dogs can be outside with us. And we never have to leave the house!
4. Video Game Night
When we were teenagers we used to play video games at each other’s houses all the time. Why should it stop because we’re in our 30’s and married? Plan a day with your spouse to kick back, make some snacks, and play some games like the good old days.
5. Oil Painting
We took up oil painting together a couple years ago after I introduced David to Bob Ross. I watched Bob Ross as a kid and always wanted to learn how to oil paint. One Christmas David got us the stuff to start painting and we both really enjoyed it. We haven’t painted as much as we would like but everytime we do it’s so much fun! He bought beginners kits on Amazon and we followed along with Bob Ross reruns. Definitely one of my favorite dates.
6. Campfires
Our fire pit in our backyard has been used more this year than ever before. Nothing beats hot dogs over an open flame and s’mores for dessert. This simple and relaxing way to spend time together is one of life’s greatest underrated date ideas.
7. Reading Books Together
It might sound simple and boring but I love it when we have our own books to read and we just sit in our recliners together. Lighting candles, making a cup of hot tea, and turning on some piano music to relax while we read is one of life’s greatest pleasures.
8. Gem Mining
We have always had a love of rocks! Whenever we go outside somewhere at least one of us finds something on the ground that we just have to take home. We started buying bags of gem mining dirt to sift through at home with a homemade sifter and an old wash tub. We love seeing what the water reveals and how many gems come out of each bag.
We get the bags from Joe’s Trees a local tree farm where we live but you can also order buckets from Gem Mountain in North Carolina.
9. Sit Outside Together
As you get older and your back hurts more you understand why your parents used to rest and sit so much. Me and David just enjoy each other’s company and enjoy sitting on the porch, at the creek, or on the swing in our backyard. Take a cup of coffee or an ice cream cone outside and just watch the wildlife together. It’s the conversations that make just sitting together special.
10. Hiking
One advantage to growing up on farms and having family with farmland is that there is always the option to go for a walk through a field or a hike up a mountain. After all the resting and sitting it’s good to get up and move. We walk the dogs daily and sometimes feel like taking a hike. It’s a great way to reconnect with your spouse and explore new places. If you don’t have land to walk at home try going to a local park or trail to explore your area. You never know what’s hiding in your hometown.
11. Fishing
Since I was a kid fishing has been one of my favorite pastimes. I’m so thankful to have married my lifelong fishing partner. We have a creek behind our house that we love to fish at, but we like going to other places too. Fishing isn’t about catching fish as much as catching memories and finding peace.
12. Plan a Picnic
The old fashioned picnic still holds its charm. A blanket on the ground or an old picnic table and a basket or bag of your favorite sandwiches will make for a classic romantic date. Just don’t forget the bug spray!
You don’t have to go across the country to reconnect with your spouse and have a good time. Sometimes you just have to go to the living room and be thankful for what you already have. Put God first in your marriage, in your home, and in your life and see just how much you can enjoy the simple pleasures together at home.
"For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Ephesians 2:10 NIV