Time is something that most adults don’t have an abundant source of, which can have the unfortunate effect of significantly decreasing the ability to have regular date nights. Time aside, many of us don’t have the funds for going out on the town more than once a month. While many couples often fall into the trap of doing the same thing night after night, it’s important to try to increase the frequency of date nights while mixing the activities up a bit to avoid boredom. Here are a few ideas for date nights that you can do at home at little to no cost.

Cook-Off Challenge

Make like the show “Chopped” and turn your kitchen into a flurry of excitement by creating an at home cooking competition. Just like on the show, pick three random ingredients, and each person needs to create their own dish using those ingredients and whatever else you have in your kitchen. Have a taste test (and probably a good laugh) and grade each other on your imagination, taste and plating techniques.

Wine and Paint Night

While most people go out for this type of date night, it is so much easier to replicate at home than many people realize. Most craft stores have pre-made  “painting sets” (often in the children’s section if you aren’t picky) that include a small sample of paint and brushes, a canvas and an easel. You can also purchase these items separately for a limited cost. One way to approach this is to research your own painting project (Pinterest is a great tool for this) and just hang out and paint. Another really fun option is to pull up a Bob Ross video on YouTube and follow along! Either way, make sure to pour yourself a glass of wine and enjoy the creativity together.

Write out Your Bucket List as a Couple

For those who don’t know, a bucket list is a list of things you want to do before you die, or “kick the bucket.” Everybody has one of these, whether you physically have it written down or not, and it’s really fun to write one out with your spouse. Discuss the things you want to do together as a couple in your time together. These can be as simple as wanting to take a tango class together, or as extravagant as wanting to hike in the Himalayan Mountains. When you write it all out, hang it up somewhere in your house and cross things off as you go, making sure to add more things on there as you think of them.

Dinner Date at Home

Just because you aren’t going out to a fancy dinner doesn’t mean you can’t have a fancy dinner at home. Pick out a menu together, multiple courses if you’re feeling fancy, and get all dolled up just like you would if you were going out. If you have fancy candlesticks, this is the time to pull those bad boys out. Challenge yourselves to cook something that isn’t normally on your menu and is a higher caliber than what you would normally eat at home, like herb-crusted lamb chops with candied Brussels sprouts, finishing with a chocolate soufflé. Put on some jazz music and enjoy.

Truth or Dare Jenga

While you can purchase these from several different retailers, it is much more fun (and cheaper) to make them yourself. Simply pick up a Jenga set and split up all the pieces between the two of you, pulling out a few to mark as “FREEBIES.” On half of the pieces left, write “Dare:” and fill in a dare such as “I dare you to perform Baby Shark.” On the other half write “Truth:” and fill in a truth question such as “If you could have a superpower, what would you have and why?” The “FREEBIES” are like wild cards, and the person who pulled the block can choose truth or dare, and the opposite player gets to come up with a truth or a dare for them. You’ll end up having a ton of laughs and learning more about each other.