Cheap dates, what keeps a relationship going.

    My Mom and Dad shopping at Walmart and I guess you could say that it was one of many cheap dates. And I say that because I think cheap dates is what keeps a relationship going. The little get-togethers that are formal or informal, planned or unplanned that help the couple connect with each other. It is a date or rendezvous that typically involves very little money or extravagant settings. It's not about how cheap you can be, but it is about how creative you can be. It really doesn't involve money, because if you spend a lot of money on flowers or dinner it becomes a date where you're expecting something in return. And to me that always seemed a little bit like trying to find a cheap hooker and not about romance.

    Now initially cheap dates started for my wife and I because we had very little money. We would save up pennies and nickels in a jar, so that we could sit in the coffee shop, drink coffee, and talk about the day's events or coming events. Over the years it has actually ended up turning into a competition of sorts. Who can find or create the cheapest date. The focal point is still not the money and more about spending time together and connecting with one another. Although the coupons, the free outdoor events, the 5K run/walks events and even the strange and off-the-wall get-togethers still play a big part. The funny thing about cheap dates is that I remember them more vividly than any other time. And when things were tough, and we were just getting by they still bring happy memories to me.

    So if you want your relationship to the last, you need to work at it and you need to have cheap dates.

    In the coming posts I hope to share with you some of those cheap dates and to inspire you to have a few cheap dates of your own. Blessings be.