We love a good date night as much as the next couple, but, frankly, we’re still reeling from those big holiday credit card bills! To keep our budgets intact and to satisfy our homebody tendencies this season, we’ve gotten extra creative with our date-night-in ideas. The good news, as we discovered, is that you don’t have to sacrifice fun or funds to have a great time with your honey! Scroll on to find out how to pull it off.

Surprise Movie Night: Rather than cuddling up to watch the same old television show you’ve seen a million times, mix things up by each secretly choosing a favorite movie to watch. Test how well you know each other by trying to guess the film ahead of time, and then unveil it with a flourish come nightfall.
Take A Cooking Class At Home: Thanks to blogs and YouTube, you don’t have to spend a ton of cash on fancy downtown cooking classes. Instead, the two of you can pull up a video at home and learn how to cook a special meal in your pajamas and slippers. If you want to splurge, we love this paid (but still budget-friendly!) online cooking class subscription.
Two-Player Game Night Tournament: Game night has been a long-standing tradition among homebody types, but let’s vow to get extra creative with the activity in 2018. Plan a full week or weekend lineup of board and video games to play, and keep track of your score on a dry erase board or notepad that you display prominently at home.
Couples Crafting: Playing with finger paints and popsicle sticks isn’t just for kids! We think you’ll be surprised by how fun it is to revert back to your childhood days with a good old-fashioned crafting session. You’ll either be howling with laughter over each other’s crooked creations, or you may just discover hidden artistic talents.
The Spa Treatment: Skip a trip to that pricey full-service spa, and, instead, enjoy a soothing treatment or two at home. Try giving each other facials using samples from the department store, or test out a new aromatherapy mask to keep those stress lines at bay. While you’re waiting for your masks to dry, throw in that “Surprise Movie Night” we mentioned before!
Free Massages: Taking that spa night one step further, why not break out a few favorite body oils or lotions and give each other neck and shoulder massages? Put on some calming music, light a candle or two, and you’ll be feeling calmer and closer than ever—without spending a dime!
Double Date Night In: Try calling or texting your pals one spontaneous night this month, and invite them over for a simple barbecue or pasta-making night in. If you each agree to pick up half of the menu ingredients, neither couple will blow their budget, plus you’ll actually be able to hear the conversation at home as opposed to fighting the crowds at a restaurant.
Play Hide And Seek: OK, OK…Maybe this one is just a little too cheesy for you, but we promise that the game is fun no matter what age you are! If you can get past the goofiness after that first round, we think you’ll be asking to play each other again and again.
Create A Compilation: Think back to the tunes you listened to when you were first dating, and pump a few extra nostalgic songs through your record player or Bluetooth speaker. Cue the memories!
Host A Tasting: Test each other’s taste bud skills by mixing up fun cocktail drinks behind closed doors, then ask your blindfolded honey to guess what’s in the glass. Need inspiration? Check out our roundup of tasty cocktails here!