Whether you're venturing out on a first date or sneaking away with your husband for a night without the kids, a date night doesn't have to break the bank. There are many outings you can try that are high in fun and low in price. Finding just the right activity when you're on a budget can basically bring upon unwanted stress. So why not explore these affordable options that won't drag you down financially? You and your date won't be sorry.
Organize a Game Night - Hit up the hall closet and pull out all the board games and cards you own. Spend an evening balancing Jenga blocks, counting your money in Monopoly or getting to UNO. Pop open a bottle of wine and make appetizers that can be eaten easily while playing, and you'll have a great low-key evening.
Scary Movie Marathon - There's nothing like cuddling up to your date during an especially scary or creepy scene in a horror movie. Stop by the local video store and pick up three of your favorites for a monster movie marathon. You can even pretend it's Halloween and stock the house with candy and popcorn.
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Stop and Smell the Roses - Look up a local garden or nature park in your area and gear up for an afternoon walk. Most parks are free or cost a nominal fee, and you can spend the day taking in the sights and sounds of nature while getting some exercise and also having lots of time to talk. Finish up your jaunt with a picnic with sandwiches from a local deli or sub shop.
Be a Tourist in Your Own City - Use date night as an excuse to explore the spots around your city or town that you've never managed to frequent. Whether it's the world's largest ball of yarn, an art museum, or tacky theme restaurant, you'll quickly learn there's no place like your hometown. You're sure to have a blast acting like an out-of-towner. Don't forget to bring along a camera for those cheesy posed photos!
Go See a Play - Try a new take on "dinner and a movie." Find out what's performing at your local playhouse and check it out. Tickets are usually cheap and support local artists. If it ends up being awful, you can have a good time making fun of it together or re-enacting your favorite awkward scenes in the parking lot after the curtain comes down.
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Wine Tasting or Brewery Tour - What's the best way to enjoy libations on the cheap? Visit a local winery or brewery for a tour or tasting. Not only will it be like going to happy hour without the big bill, you might also pick up some tips for what to serve at your next dinner party or backyard barbeque. Just make sure you have a safe ride to get home after swigging down your samples.
Break the Ice - Warm up to your date while hitting the ice at a local ice skating rink. Cuddle up with hot chocolate and use this as an excuse to wear your favorite scarf while you and your date make your way around the rink. Not an outdoor rink in your area? Use this date in the dredges of summer to beat the heat and get close to your sweetie with an indoor skate.
Play House - Look through the real estate listings in your area to see what open houses will be held on a Saturday or Sunday. Put on a suit and a nice dress and spend the afternoon playing make-believe by touring all the fancy houses for sale in your area and daydreaming about which one you would pick and how you would decorate it.
Do Some Good - Roll up your sleeves and spend a day volunteering together at a local animal shelter or food bank. Not only will you feel better about yourself, you'll make a difference in the community while getting to know each other or strengthening your relationship.
Let's Get Physical - If you're both the active type you can find a cheap exercise class to take together that will get your heart pumping. Even cheaper is a run in a park, bike ride, or an hour of self-led yoga on the beach.
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Make a Fresh Dinner - Find out where the local farmer's market is in your area and spend the morning picking out fresh and local ingredients for a dinner that evening. You can spend the rest of the day looking through recipes and coming up with ideas for your meal.
Shake Your Groove Thang - Break out your college black light and craft an i-Tunes playlist that would put your local DJ to shame. Spend an evening boogieing in the comfort of your own home without the overpriced cocktails and snotty doormen.
Embrace Your Inner Child - Spend a night at the local arcade playing video games, laser tag, and bumper cars. Allow yourself to indulge in pizza, hot dogs, and ice cream and get your date a funny gift with the tickets you've earned.
Casino Night - Find a casino in your area with penny slots and live music. You can enjoy people watching, dancing, and maybe winning some money while you take advantage of the cheap buffet and complimentary drinks.
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Catch a Game - Most cities have a nearby college or minor league sporting team that can offer a night of sports action for a fraction of the price of the pros. Check the schedules, don the team's colors, and head out for a night of beer, peanuts, and hot dogs.
Get Crafty - Pick up some blank canvases, tubes of paint, a few brushes, and markers and go to town. You can go outside for some artistic inspiration or challenge each other to paint something the other one suggests. Either way you'll end up with a fun night and something you can always remember it by.
It doesn't matter if you're feeling the financial burden, looking to spice up the routine date night or both; these ideas can provide a night of fun. If you really want to keep it interesting, write each of these ideas on a separate slip of paper. Place all of these ideas in a paper bag, shake it up and randomly draw one.
Who knows where the night will take you? One thing is for sure though - you'll get by on a shoestring.
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We've all had a moment in the heat of passion when our heart rate is raised and our faces flush for a reason other than pleasure or passion. We're talking about pure embarassment. Whether it's that first awkward encounter with a new lover, not feeling good in a post-baby body or a general lack of experience, low self-esteem and confidence in the boudoir can be the ultimate libido buster. You're not alone and you're not doomed! Check out these 7 ways you can become more confident in the bedroom.
Grin and Bare It - Taking off your clothes in front of someone whether you've known them for a few minutes or a few years can be nerve-wracking. Insecurity about our bodies being less than perfect can put the kibosh on a passionate evening. Getting over the fear of stripping down to your skivvies can be as easy as giving yourself a reality check.{relatedarticle}
Think about your body and interactions with a partner rationally - if you don't have big breasts with your clothes on, no one will expect you to when you disrobe. If that doesn't help, try spending more time in the nude.
Even just lounging around the house or spending a few extra minutes without dressing after a shower can help you become more comfortable in your birthday suit. If all else fails, turn off the lights or leave on something that covers you and is sexy like a camisole or lacey bra.
Educate Yourself - Read up on the karma sutra, watch a video, look at sexy pictures or take a pole dancing class. Anything you can do increase your knowledge of all things sexy will make it easier for you to switch things up in the boudoir if you're feeling boring or routine. This is also a good way to identify what you do and don't like. Plus, checking out risqué material is a great form of foreplay.
Fake it Until You Make It - Sure, playing Sexy Sally the Secretary might make you cringe but pretending to be into it for the sake of your partner's pleasure could end up making you feel more powerful and confident. By agreeing to new sexual experiences you will begin to feel more comfortable and the apprehension will fade.{relatedarticle}
Even if your hands are shaking or you feel like you might laugh - pin him down, don the cowgirl outfit or talk dirty. It will all be worth it in the end. However, remember that if your partner is asking you to do something you feel is unsafe or makes you extremely uncomfortable - get out of there.
Stop Looking at What Everyone Else is Doing - Watching television, flipping through a fashion magazine or trolling the internet for hours may be fine for a lazy Sunday but if you find yourself constantly comparing yourself to models, actresses or the scenes in romantic comedies you are sure to set yourself up for failure.
The models are airbrushed, the actresses coached and the storylines aren't real. It's important to remember this when evaluating your own body and relationship. Doing whatever is comfortable and works for you is what's right not what you see on a screen or in a glossy book.
Don't Obsess Over the Big "O" - It is not uncommon to hear stories of women who have been having sex for years without reaching orgasm or who think of themselves as a complete failure if their partner fails to achieve one.{relatedarticle}
Putting pressure on yourself to make sure you have an orgasm or comparing your self-worth and sexiness to your partner having one can make sex so stressful that it is no longer fun or pleasurable but instead turns into a chore or an anxious "test." Relax and let yourself be present in the moment. Focus on the feelings and stimulation you do feel instead of what you think might be missing.
Change Your Location - Bedrooms are places for sleeping but many hours of our lives are spent in this room. Bedrooms can easily turn into offices, television hideouts, dining room tables and playrooms that can squash intimacy.
You may lose your mojo if you're looking at a stack of work papers or your baby's pacifier mid-coitus so it's important to change it up from time to time and take it out of the bedroom. The living room couch can be just as exhilarating as the phone booth down the street if it's what you need to feel sexy again.
See a Professional - If you've tried different techniques on your own to no avail, it may be time to call in a professional. A psychologist, family physician or both can be excellent resources if you just can get past your shyness.
A psychologist or sex therapist can help you work through your issues and offer you solutions while a physician can make sure there isn't an underlying health issue creating your sexual problems. Sexual dysfunction in both mind and body are nothing to be ashamed of and it's important to identify and resolve issues as soon as possible.{relatedarticle}
Remember that sexual confidence is not something that you need to validate you. In fact, obsessing over it and can actually make you feel worse and be a turn-off for you partner. Know yourself and know your body.
Accepting yourself and your limitations will not only open up the door for a better sexual experience, you will begin to feel empowered in other areas of your life like career and parenting. Use these 7 tips to get started, but don't stop there. The more you allow yourself to ease up and open your mind and take chances, the better the outcome.
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While a lovemaking session can be meaningful without an orgasm, it may leave one or both partners unsatisfied, making you go from "O" to "oh no."
Men sometimes have trouble giving women a satisfying orgasm because they often take for granted the fact that while penetration is sufficient for them, it might not be for their partner.
There are a number of ways to stimulate your partner to the point of orgasm without intercourse, and much of it has more to do with psychological stimulation than physical. Although it's uncommon for some to reach climax without any kind of genital or physical stimulation, it does happen - and it should be celebrated. More common, however, is an orgasm without penetrative intercourse.
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As most women know, clitoral stimulation is one of the most exhilarating and stimulating means to achieve climax, but it's often undervalued by men, who are quick to go right to penetration.
Here are some simple recommendations on how to get you and your partner in the right frame of mind necessary to achieve an orgasm without intercourse.
Looking
The initial stage of sexual attraction is the simple act of looking. Noticing someone's general appearance, their hair, size, shape, color, and especially their face is what launches someone's attraction to another.
In the same way that attraction is conceived by looking at one another, partners can also become lusty for one another based solely on visual stimulation.
Try leaving the lights on before you engage your partner and undressing one another slowly so that you can each appreciate the other's body. Wear skimpy underwear and prolong the act of touching one another until neither of you can stand it anymore for maximum arousal.
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Touching
Touching one another is where things really start to get interesting, but most couples (especially men) skip over certain body parts and go straight for others. What a waste. Every part of our bodies is sensitive to touch. All of our nerves lead back to our spinal cord and then eventually to our brains, where they bundle and send stimulus messages to and fro, creating waves of sensation.
Touching can produce a powerful stimulating effect, and certain body parts are more sensitive than we often give them credit for.
Pay special attention to the ears, fingertips, stomach, neck, small of the back, hip bones, and even, yes, the feet. The average foot is home to hundreds of thousands of nerve clusters, and while it may take some experimentation, you might find that it's a powerhouse for stimulation.
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Kissing
There are millions of nerve sensors in the mouth, and even more located on the lips. As you're probably already aware, the lips themselves are a sexual organ, or at the very least a sensual one. When kissing your partner, take the opportunity to run your fingers through his hair, caress his face, and explore other parts within your reach.
Kissing is an important part of stimulation, but don't try to steamroll the process. Do it gently at first before becoming more playful, passionate, or thorough.
A few hints on what tactics do not make for a sensual kissing experience: slobbering on your partner, stabbing your tongue into your partner's mouth or wiggling it around like an eel, or biting either the bottom or top lip too hard.
Biting your partner's lip gently can be sexy, but if there's a possibility you're going to be leaving bruises, you're probably not doing it right, unless you know for a fact that's what your partner likes.
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Remember, kissing, like most sexual activities, isn't taught anywhere, and most people learn it through experience or intuition - and not everyone's experience and intuition are spot-on. If there's something you want that your partner isn't doing, tell him. He'll do it if he knows you like it.
More Touching
When things have gotten too steamy for a simple make-out session, don't overlook the importance of touching. Touching the lower abdomen, buttocks, inside of the thighs all have a powerful stimulation effect.
It's important to be exploratory and gentle, rather than hasty. If you're in a hurry to get to the finish line, doing it without intercourse is probably not the route to go, so don't rush the process.
Movies and television have used extensive creative license to make the process of rushing into sex appear passionate, but this kind of frenzy isn't always as effective in real life. Shows how much they know.
Mutual Masturbation
Most people achieve their first orgasm by themselves via masturbation, but far fewer engage in the activity with their partners once they've established a sexual relationship. Try experimenting with different tactics, such as beginning by touching yourself and then encouraging your partner to "finish up."
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Women know their bodies, and we know what we like when we do it ourselves, so communicating your desires to your partner is a crucial component of achieving an orgasm sans penetration.
While the logistics of mutual masturbation - not to mention the distraction - can sometimes be tricky to work out, with a little practice and communication, you'll be surprised how satisfying manual stimulation can be.
Oral Stimulation
Finally, the Holy Grail of orgasm without intercourse: oral sex. The tongue plays a lead role here, but don't forget the importance of communicating what feels good to your partner. Don't be shy about saying what you like and what you don't - this failure to communicate can lead to a frustrating experience in the bedroom.
The clitoris is an exceptionally sensitive organ, and its stimulation can sometimes be too much, so you might need to indicate to your partner that he needs to slow down or explore other parts of your body for a brief break. On the other hand, oral sex can also be a great way to achieve multiple orgasms, although not everyone is biologically capable of doing so.
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When done properly, oral sex can easily supplant penetration, and neither you nor your partner will feel that you missed out on anything. Remember to reciprocate your partner's good deed, and you'll both fall asleep happy.
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