25 Low Cost Recreational Ideas You Can Do With Your Spouse

Summertime brings thoughts of outdoor fun and recreation. Many plan their family vacation during this time of year – with or without kids.

Some like to be near water. Others like to be in the mountains. Everyone has their favorite things to see and do.

Unfortunately, recreational activities are generally considered expensive. The assumption is that anything worthwhile costs a lot of money.

Limiting Belief: If you don’t have the funds you can’t have fun.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

I suspect you know someone who doesn’t think twice to do the following:

• Order a pizza for dinner (pick up or delivery).
• Buy a candy bar, gum or drink when you fill up your vehicle with gas.
• Drive to the corner store to buy some kind of ‘necessity’, even though it costs more.
• Donate $5 or $10 to some fundraising cause, because some nice person (or relative) asked you.
• Drive (or fly) many miles to visit a family member or friend who is in the hospital.

The point is that we often spend various sums of money because we believe there’s a need or we feel it’s worthwhile. Yet the “need” to invest in a healthy marriage is rarely considered.

Maybe it’s time to consider adopting a new positive belief.

Positive Belief: Recreational activities are essential for a healthy marriage.

As a differentiating value, Recreation means activity that refreshes and renews health and spirits by enjoyment and relaxation.

Note there is no indication recreation has to cost any money. This focus is on an activity that refreshes and renews.

It’s what every marriage needs.

So if your budget is tight right now, don’t drop the need for recreation. Consider some low cost – or even no-cost – ideas.

25 Low Cost (or no-cost) Recreational Ideas You Can Do With Your Spouse

1. Go to a nearby lake and sit together absorbing the beauty and sounds of nature (best to bring folding chairs).
2. Find a local hiking or walking trail and enjoy exploring new sites together.
3. On a clear, dark night, when the moon is gone, find a place to sit and gaze at the stars.
4. Go swimming together at a time when kids are least likely to be there.
5. On a hot summer’s evening, go to a local ice cream or frozen yogurt shop and share a treat together.
6. Find an open field or lake and enjoy the sun going down.
7. Go mountain viewing.
8. Play a round of mini-golf.
9. Find a friend with a boat (or rent a boat) and go tubing or waterskiing.
10. Go for a bike ride on your favorite bike trail.
11. Find someone with a trampoline and ask if you could use it for an hour.
12. Take a trip down the river in a canoe (or tube or kayaks).
13. Sit by a lake, river, or stream, and enjoy a slow drink of iced tea.
14. Go fishing together – off a bridge, at the edge of a lake, or you can rent a boat.
15. Feed the birds at a local park or wherever they gather in your city.
16. Enjoy some frozen Kool-Aid pops and in the middle of a hot day (first have fun making them together at home).
17. Take a lesson at shooting range firing a gun.
18. If you have access to sand, build a sand castle.
19. Go white water rafting together.
20. Sit on a lawn chair on your porch or deck and read together.
21. Build a campfire and roast some marshmallows.
22. Go on a picnic together.
23. Sleep in a tent in your yard (or a friend’s yard).
24. Build a birdhouse out of cereal boxes and hang it in a tree where you can see it.
25. Explore your local farmers’ market together.

Important note: recreational activities with your kids do NOT count towards building a healthy marriage. While these are important family time, healthy marriages require recreational activities just for the happy couple.

 

What are some other low cost recreational ideas for married couples?

 

Today’s value was selected from the “Fun-Recreation” category, based on the e-book Developing Your Differentiating Value.