Photo credit: dtcreations from morguefile.com

We’re just two months into the new year, and perhaps you have already fiscally recovered from the Holiday season. If you’re not quite there yet, or you’re getting tired of the dinner-and-a-movie routine where you sit across the table from each other and find out you have little to say.., here are some creative ideas you can use to keep some money in your account and break the monotonous boredom spell plaguing a lot of long term relationships.

1. Exercise together

We all know we eat to much and move too little. Most of the time people feel they are too tired for even mild exercise after getting home from work. As a result, either dinner out or hanging in front of the TV together to fall into a carbohydrate-induced coma is as exciting as the date is going to get. Ironic as it seems, exercise isn’t going to make you as tired as you think. In fact, exercise will actually give you energy, and can help improve your sex life. After all, if you are too tired to do anything in the evening, do you really think it’s going to get very exciting in the bedroom?

Some ideas to get you moving:

1. Beginners who feel low on energy can start by just walking along a shopping street and checking out the window displays. At night, chances are you won’t be spending much on this trip.
2. If you have a Wii-Fit, use it together! Get a new program (this is relatively low cost compared to other date ideas), and step out of your comfort zone. Try some Yoga, it will improve flexibility, and guess where you can apply those new found skills?
3. Train for a marathon together. If you’re already going to the gym separately, go together. Working towards a common goal strengthens the relationship.

If you need new fitness gear you can get 10% off at the Fitness Magazine apparel store with this coupon code: FIT10OFF. Another benefit of exercising together is that support from a partner or spouse is paramount in reaching fitness goals. If you’ve set a fitness goal for yourself this year, get your partner involved and kill two birds with one stone!

2. Abuse your library membership

You don’t necessarily need to visit the library together, but having a library membership gives you incredible advantages you may not be aware of yet. For example; pick up an exciting cook book if you are a foodie, and take your date into the kitchen. Try some new recipes, and enjoy together! Get a copy of the kamasutra, if you’re in a more adventurous mood. You can even find books that help you get through tricky home renovations together. Some of my best memories involve paint brushes and lots of mess, and again you’re working towards a common goal. Besides, women find handy men (or even not so handy men who try!) incredibly sexy.

3. Make day to day chores into a date

A date doesn’t have to consist of going out, spending money, or doing those things that are traditionally considered “date like”. Just like you can go rock climbing as a date, who says you cannot do more ‘mundane’ things, and enjoy each others company? The trick is in making day to day things more fun, not just by doing them together but by adding an extra element to the ‘chore’. For example, if you need to set up a budget for yourself, because you are saving for a vacation, new gadget, or just your future, why not get your partner’s input? Unless you severely disagree on financial matters (in which case you should really discuss it at some point), there is no reason not to involve each other in the process. Sit down together with a treat (lattee anyone?), and work through what you perceived before as being a chore. You’ll accomplish four things at the same time: you get it done, you have more fun at it (because presumably you have a partner with a good sense of humor), you spend quality time together, and you get to know more about the person you are with. You’d be amazed at how much you can find out about someone’s character by actually engaging in real day to day things together.

4. Explore your city with your date

If you live in a fair size city, I bet there are tons of neighborhoods and parks you have not explored yet. Why not take an afternoon and stroll through a new area you have never been to before? Try finding some free community events, such as concerts and art shows.

5. Teach your date a new skill or hobby!

Share your hobbies or teach each other a new skill. Do you know how to salsa? Have killer carpentry skills? Know your way around the golf course? Take your date for a spin around your (livingroom) dance floor, go into your garage and build something together or take her for a round on the driving range. Major benefit of this is that you are likely better at whatever you are teaching than your date, so you get to do a little showing off as well. And there is nothing wrong with looking good in your partner’s eyes!