Thankful for a new tradition: Date Day

Date Day is the best day. It’s my new favorite day. In fact, it’s the day of all days. I don’t know how many more times I can say this, but here’s the thing: if you haven’t done so already, it’s about time you jump on the Date Day train.

For the first time in our almost-ten-year relationship, Chad and I decided to experience the hype of a date night for ourselves. We’d never previously gotten on board because to us, a date-designation meant spending money. More than usual. So we avoided the phrase like the plague, and went about our non-date weekends, even if they included activities that look suspiciously like the blacklisted term.

What Changed?

Believe it or not, Date Day came about in an effort to save money.

Here’s the deal: we previously spent a significant portion of our budget on eating out. Our goal was typically once a week, though realistically it could be a pizza on the weekends and a mid-week McDonald’s run, because sometimes fries are the best solution to a long day. And those weekend brewery trips felt like they didn’t count, because we only ordered drinks and not a full meal, right?

Wrong.

We recently looked at our budget and made a new goal to save enough money within a year to start considering home ownership. To do this, it will require extra jobs for both of us, and cutting costs where we can. The most obvious solution: cutting down on our meals. Rather than once a week, we’d limit ourselves to once a month.

Thus, Date Day was born.

Date Day for the Win

A few weeks ago, Chad and I had our inaugural Date Day. It was on our calendar for weeks, and we made a plan to make the Saturday afternoon one that was fun and still financially responsible. Leading up to the day, we followed through with our goals and didn’t eat out a single time. This was tough, but we kept going with delicious and healthy meals and plenty of motivational memes to keep us on track.

 

The day itself was more enjoyable because we felt like we earned it. Here’s what it looked like:

• A morning in bed, with coffee and cuddles
• Swimming at Glenwood Hot Springs (we used our free passes that we’ve been saving for months, and Chad got to try out the new adventure river slide, which was awesome! The two-person tubes were amazing fun.)
• Early dinner at a new-to-us Mexican restaurant (and new fave!), Las Margaritas
• Live music and drinks at the Glenwood Canyon Adventure Park, where we got in for free with a canned food donation
• Netflix movies to end the night

Looking Forward

The best part of Date Day—besides getting to spend over 12 uninterrupted hours with my very favorite person in the world, without our phones as a distraction—is that we get to do it again.

And next time, it falls on the weekend before our two-year wedding anniversary. Rather than getting each other gifts, we’ll be putting our energy, effort, and money into planning a fun, romantic, and rewarding experience.

Cheers to saving money, planning new and exciting activities, and to the glorious new tradition that is Date Day.