10 Inexpensive Date Ideas For Married Couples

Coming up with 10 inexpensive date ideas for married couples might seem impossible when you’ve spent years doing dinner-and-a-movie every Saturday night. Luckily, no matter where you live or what your budget, a little creative thinking with date ideas will reward you and your wife with months of fun and affordable date nights.

1. Play miniature golf. Even if your wife hates sports, you can get her on a mini-golf course; it's inexpensive, it gets you outdoors, and a little friendly competition is the perfect thing to spice up an evening when date night is becoming monotonous. Sure, you might be the only married couple on the course, but you can laugh at the awkward junior high school kids out on their first dates.
2. Have a picnic. A picnic might sound like a cheesy date idea for a married couple but you get to lie around, eat food and gaze at your beautiful wife for a few hours. Your local park is a good spot, or settle yourself right in your own back yard if you’d like to pop open a brew. As a bonus, suggest a romantic picnic to your wife and she might even get excited enough to spend the morning preparing all your favorite finger foods for the picnic basket.
3. Visit a pool hall. What’s better than cheap beers and a few rounds of pool? How about cheap beers and a few rounds of pool with a sexy wager? Agree that the person who loses more games must pleasure the winner however he or she requests—you’ll both end up winners! No matter how long you’ve been a married couple, this date idea will remind you of the early days of your relationship, when even the sleaziest locales were fun and every activity felt like foreplay.
4. Tour open houses. Pretend to be a married couple in the market for a fancy new home and make up fun identities in case the host starts asking questions. You can be the architect you always dreamed of being while your wife is a successful veterinarian. It’s a harmless lie but it feels mischievous; plus, it’s fun to plan your dream home together.
5. Go hiking. Sure, it’s awesome to see your wife all glammed up, but  there’s something sexy about watching her work up a sweat in shorts and a ponytail. Plus, you’ll feel adventurous exploring the great outdoors, even if you’re hiking a well-traveled trail.
6. Drive around town. Hop in the car and head for whichever parts of town you’ve never explored. You’re bound to discover a fun dive bar, an inexpensive lunch spot or some quirky shops to investigate. Leave the house without an agenda and stop anywhere that piques your interest.
7. See a drive-in movie. It’s inexpensive, retro and sitting in a dark car next to your wife will make you feel like high-schoolers again—especially when you find that you can’t keep your hands off each other once the movie gets going. Plus, you can have fun pigging out on popcorn and snack bar food.
8. Visit a shooting range. Does shooting guns sound like strictly a guy thing? Think again. Many women find the idea of firing off a few bullets liberating, sexy and just plain fun (assuming no one gets hurt). Use your best judgement; if she hates guns, this is a bad date idea.
9. Visit the zoo. If a third-grade field trip was your last visit to the zoo, it’s time to check it out again. Over the last few years, zoos all over the country have brought in exotic animals and built incredible exhibits that appeal to both kids and adults. Plus, a date at the zoo is just the type of good, clean fun your wife will never expect you to suggest.
10. Play board games. There’s nothing like an innocent game of Scrabble to bring out the competitive side in each of you. This is as inexpensive as dates get since you don’t even have to leave the house; you can sit around in your comfiest clothes and act like kids again or make the game a bit more adult by placing a sexy bet.