(LS) — Fellas – I know how it is. Your woman is always bugging you about taking her someplace romantic over the weekend. And ladies, I know how it is. It’s tough to get him to agree to a nice romantic weekend in this unstable economy. Finding an affordable romantic mini-vacation can be especially challenging if you have kids. Unless you’re in the top 2.5 percent, everyone could use a few tips for planning an affordable weekend. Here’s a few ways you can save money and put a spark back into your love life simultaneously:
- Grandparents make great babysitters. It’s like a symbiotic relationship in nature. You need someone to watch over your kids for the weekend without taking out a second mortgage on your house to pay for exorbitant babysitter fees, and your parents want to spend more time with their grandkids. You scratch their backs, and they scratch yours. Ah… that’s the spot.
- Think about Camping. Ok, I know. This option is not for every woman… or man, for that matter. However, few things are as romantic as waking up next to your significant other with nobody within miles of you. Even if you’re not an outdoorsman, there are plenty of romantic things to do in the solitude of nature – nod, nod, wink, wink. You know, like picnics and stuff. After an initial outlay of a couple hundred dollars at most on a two-man tent and some sleeping bags, you have a lifetime of romantic getaway weekends. If that level of roughing it doesn’t appeal to you, then many states have state parks with cabins at affordable rates – some that even feature in-house bathrooms and even air conditioning. However, these places get booked months in advance during season, so plan ahead.
- Try the offseason. That reminds me, a great way to save money on a romantic weekend is vacationing offseason. Now, I wouldn’t recommend heading to Thailand for the monsoons or Niagara Falls in December; however, a trip to Paris can be had at half the price during the late fall or winter as compared to the spring or summer. And, Paris is for lovers at any time of the year. Moreover, you can’t go into the water if you book a discounted beach house in the winter, but the beach will be deserted, allowing the isolation and the sound of the waves to create a romantic atmosphere.
- Spontaneity can be both romantic and frugal. You’d be surprised at how cheap you can get out of town for the weekend at the last minute. LastMinute.com can save you as much as 70 percent on a romantic getaway, including both airfare and hotel. Many other travel websites offer last minute deals, including Travelocity, Expedia, Travel Zoo, Travel Flea Market and Priceline. Moreover, how romantic is it to surprise your significant other with a spontaneous trip to New York, Las Vegas or New Orleans?
- Try staying at a bed and breakfast off the beaten path. I understand a b&b can be just as distasteful to many men as camping is to many women. However, fellas, the ladies love bed and breakfasts, and in a small country town in any part of the country, a whole weekend can be had for under $200.
- Lakes and rivers are cheaper than oceans. It’s as if the price of a waterfront getaway rises incrementally with the level of saliency of the water. A weekend in a small cottage by the lake can be had for much cheaper than an oceanfront bungalow. Granted, you lose the crashing of the waves, but a row boat on a quiet lake offers incomparable romantic payoff.
- Vacation in your hometown. You don’t have to fly halfway around the world to find romance. Rent a hotel room across town, go to a romantic bistro you haven’t tried before, and Portland becomes as romantic as Paris without the airfare. Ok, maybe not, but it’s close.
- House swap with a friend. You can save money for both yourself and another couple in another town by swapping cities and houses for the weekend. You get to experience the romantic enchantments of another town, and avoid paying for lodging. Just wash the sheets before you go home. There’s no maid service at your buddy’s place.
- Research package deals. If both you and your significant other enjoy the same hobby – fishing, golfing, hunting, or scuba diving – you can often find online specials that package all of the expenses into one discounted price.
You don’t need a lot of money to score a lot of points and a little romance with the one you love. It just requires a plan.
