Cheap-O Date Ideas

January 18th is my 3rd wedding anniversary and the sixth year Erik and I have been a "couple."

Erik and I at prom in 2010

We've been friends since 6th grade, and have gone through MANY up and downs. We've also gone through lots of dates and experiences. One thing that we've learned as a married couple (and as broke college students!) is that our best dates have been the CHEAPEST, which is awesome for us. That said, here are a couple of fun ideas we've been tossing around to celebrate our anniversary.

1. Discover a new neighborhood. 

Erik and I love to just drive or walk around a neighborhood and "house hunt" or find little shops and restaurants that differ from the big chains you see around town. In San Antonio, there are so many places to do that and they're all so different from each other. If you DO live in San Antonio, get some coffee and dessert at Mad Hatter's Tea Room and then take a walk around King William. :) 

2. Have a "show" for the two of you.

Wednesdays Erik and I will watch our two favorite shows and have some snacks or a couple of drinks after Sophia goes to sleep. This one may not appeal to everyone as a "date," but this past year we were full time students with 3 jobs between us and nothing felt better than laying on the couch and laughing at sitcoms. 

3.Do something competitive. 

We can make just about anything a competition. For "fun" competitions, we've done expensive things like theme park games, etc... but we've also set up kiddie pools with bath toys and attempted to shoot the toys out with a BB gun (sorry, Sophia!) - the loser has to clean up the game, etc... The best time for these DIY games are when you're outside having a BBQ and a couple of cold drinks (responsibly! :D) Basically anything that creates friendly competition is doable - get creative!

At our wedding in 2014

 I know many of these may not seem awesome to EVERYONE, but Erik and I are little old people that rarely do the bar thing. Every once in a while these cheap dates can feel carefree and spontaneous! Enjoy!

On a "family date" in Fredericksburg, TX

Jen

Ps. For even MORE fun date ideas, check out my good friend Amber's blog!

Into the Crazy

2015 is marking a lot of adjustments for me and my family. I am pretty much completing my education degree, with student teaching in 2016. I'm NOT working for the first time since I graduated high school. One thing that is a positive is that this will all be a learning process for me. I'll have to budget much more carefully than ever before, as our family income is cut in half. I'll have to manage time really well for my family as my classes grow to be more and more demanding. Most of all, I'll have to find creative ways to make all of the things I love: food, clothes, crafts, and FAMILY work in a strange time of being established and yet not as "stable" as the average family of three.

I hope y'all will continue this journey with me, both teaching me and learning with me as I wrap up my "college student" status. I plan to write about fashion, home decor, family experiences, and cooking - all on a budget! We can all use that at any age or stage, huh?

Bear with me as I get the hang of this! :)


Jen