It’s Valentine’s Day and romance may be on the brain, but date night is important for a relationship throughout the year. However, the cost can take it from something fun to something stressful. Regina Novickis, savings expert for PromotionalCodes.com, offers these tips to help.
1. Split or swap your babysitting costs. Finding a competent and dependable babysitter is often an expensive nightmare. It’s almost enough to make a parent want to stay home. When you think about it, however, many others face the same situation. So a great way to save on costs is to swap services with neighbors, co-workers, family or friends for a free night or afternoon out. Otherwise, consider sharing one babysitter among a couple of families and splitting the cost. SitterCity.com lets you search for vetted babysitters in your area who will match your needs and budget.
2. Try out Restaurant.com. Type in your zip code and it will provide you a list of both local and chain restaurants in your area that are offering discounts (some up to 80%) on gift card purchases. Make sure you check the fine print. Some have minimum purchase requirements or restrictions – like “valid Mon-Thurs.” You print the “gift card” at home so you can use it same day, or keep it for up to a year from the date of purchase. You can find additional savings on PromotionalCodes.com and CouponWinner.com.
3. Date with gift cards. Sites like CardCash.com and Cardpool.com allow you to buy gift cards at a variety of restaurants and entertainment venues such as Ruths Chris, AMC Theaters, Buffalo Wild Wings among others. For those who know they’ll be dating at a specific restaurant or movie theater, purchase gift cards in advance and use them as currency.
4. Find freebies. There are plenty of activities to do in the city that don’t come with a price tag. For example, many museums have free admission on certain days – check out VisitKC.com for a list of cultural event freebies in the city. You can also keep an eye on parks, churches and other community centers for free and frugal activities, such as ballroom dance classes and much, much more.
