Money Smarts Blog

Three couples. Three date nights. $20 each. Let the romance begin!

They say love doesn't cost a thing. But have you seen the price of dinner and a movie lately?

Between dinner, drinks, entertainment, and a little something sweet (because dessert is a love language), date night can get expensive faster than you can say, “Check, please!”

So, for our latest IHMVCU $20 Challenge, we decided to put our relationships AND our budgeting skills to the test.

The mission? Plan a memorable date night with our significant others for $20 or less. No fancy reservations, no extravagant spending, and absolutely no breaking the bank in the name of love.

Three couples accepted Cupid's financial challenge, and let's just say things got romantic, competitive, and a little buggy.

Here's how we made the magic happen without making our wallets cry.

Haley: Love on Tap

The budget: $20 | The occasion: Our fifth wedding anniversary!

Five years of marriage calls for a celebration, right? But instead of splurging on an expensive anniversary dinner, my husband, Alex, and I decided to take a little trip down memory lane.

When we first started dating in college 10 years ago, we'd spend time at breweries playing card games, enjoying a drink, and just being together. Nothing fancy, but those are some of our favorite memories.

So, we figured, why not recreate a little of that magic?

First, we had a very important decision to make: Which brewery? Naturally, we handled it the way all responsible adults make major life decisions. We flipped a coin.

We headed to one of our favorite breweries in Davenport, ordered a beer each (hello, Oktoberfest season!), and broke out the cards.

And because no anniversary is complete without a sweet treat, we ended our evening with ice cream from Culver's. Thanks to some Scoopie tokens we already had, dessert was FREE!

Beer, cards, ice cream, and my favorite person? Sounds like a pretty perfect anniversary to me.

The hardest part of our challenge? Making sure we ate dinner before leaving the house. Because let's be real, a couple of beers and an empty stomach are a dangerous combination for your food budget.

But my favorite part wasn't what we spent. It was remembering where we started.

We even spent time looking through our wedding photos and reminiscing about all the memories we've made together. Life gets busy, and we don't always get the chance to slow down and enjoy that kind of one-on-one time.

My biggest takeaway: Don't underestimate the power of nostalgia! Recreating an old favorite date can be just as special as planning something new. And don't forget to use those rewards, coupons, and freebies you've been saving.

Romance is great. Romance with free ice cream? Even better.

Olivia: Love Is a Battlefield (of Uno Cards)

The total: $18.42 | The stakes: Winner picks dinner

My husband, Gama, and I decided to keep our date night close to home. Because sometimes the best place to be is your own backyard, especially when there's football, food, and a little friendly competition involved.

And naturally, we started with dessert.

We stopped at Culver's for frozen treats before heading home to kick off what might have been the most intense patio game tournament in our marriage.

The lineup? Three rounds of Uno and two rounds of Monopoly Go! The prize? Bragging rights AND the power to choose dinner.

After five hard-fought rounds, Gama pulled off a 3-2 victory. Was I thrilled about losing? Let's not get carried away. But at least the winner had excellent taste in dinner.

Gama chose pork steaks, baked potatoes, and salad. We fired up the grill, watched football on the patio, and enjoyed a delicious dinner together.

We wrapped up the evening around our backyard fire, soaking up the crisp fall weather, watching the sunset, and, you guessed it, enjoying more football.

Here's how we spent our $20:

• Culver's treats: $10.73
• Two pork steaks: $4.79
• Two potatoes: $0.95
• Spinach: $0.80
• Dressing: $1.15

Grand total: $18.42!

That's dessert, dinner, and an entire evening of entertainment for less than $20. We even had $1.58 to spare!

The trickiest part was making sure our food choices fit the budget. But once we had that figured out, the rest was easy. We already owned the games, had everything we needed for a backyard fire, and genuinely enjoy spending time outside together.

What surprised me most was how much we packed into one inexpensive evening. Nothing about our date felt like we were missing out or sacrificing anything.

Actually, it was more relaxing than some of our more expensive nights out.

My biggest takeaway: Start with things you already love doing together. You don't need an elaborate plan or a big budget to make date night special.

And if you're planning a game tournament, maybe practice your Uno skills beforehand. Apparently, husbands can get pretty competitive when dinner is on the line.

Lola: Love Is in the Air (And So Are the Bugs)

The budget: $20 | The adventure: Painting at Maquoketa Caves

My fiancé and I love spending time outdoors, so when I heard about the $20 Date Night Challenge, I knew I wanted to take advantage of the beautiful fall weather.

My idea? A little art, a little adventure, and some quality time at one of our favorite places, Maquoketa Caves.

I stopped at Michaels and picked up a paint-by-number kit for $11.04. It came with four individual canvases, paints, and brushes, so we had everything we needed for a creative afternoon.

That left $8.96 of our budget for gas. Not bad for a date with a view!

We headed to the caves, found a nice spot to settle in, and started painting our masterpieces.

Picture it: Beautiful scenery, fresh air, the person you love sitting next to you, and a peaceful afternoon of painting.

Romantic, right?

Well, apparently the bugs thought so too, because they decided to join our date. Uninvited.

After painting as much as we could with our tiny, six-legged audience, we decided to switch things up and explore the caves instead.

And honestly? That ended up being my favorite part!

We spent time hiking, exploring, and finding all sorts of little plants and creatures along the way. It was a great reminder that sometimes the simplest adventures are the most memorable.

The hardest part of the challenge was coming up with something that didn't involve expensive dining or entertainment. But once I started thinking outside the box (and outside the house), I realized there were so many possibilities.

My biggest takeaway: Never underestimate what you can do outdoors! A little fresh air, creativity, and adventure can make for a pretty amazing date.

Just maybe bring bug spray. Consider it relationship insurance.

What We Learned About Love and Money

Our date nights couldn't have been more different. One involved anniversary memories and Oktoberfest beers. Another featured an intense Uno showdown and backyard grilling. And one came with paintbrushes, caves, and some very persistent bugs.

But we all discovered something pretty important.

A great date night isn't about how much money you spend. It's about how you spend your time together.

And if you're looking to plan your own budget-friendly date, we've got a few ideas to help you fall head over heels without falling into debt.

1. Make free your favorite four-letter word. Parks, hiking trails, game nights, sunsets, and backyard fires can be the perfect backdrop for romance. And the price? Chef's kiss.

2. Let rewards programs play Cupid. Have restaurant points, gift cards, or coupons collecting dust? Put them to work! Free dessert tastes even sweeter when you're sticking to a budget.

3. Eat in, lovebirds. Cooking together or eating dinner at home before heading out can save a surprising amount of money. Save your budget for the activities that matter most.

4. Get a little creative. Recreate your first date, try a craft together, plan a picnic, or host a game-night showdown. A little imagination can go a long way.

5. Set your budget before the butterflies take over. Decide what you're comfortable spending before making plans. That way, you can focus on having fun instead of stressing about the bill.

Our Final Verdict? We're Smitten!

We went into this challenge wondering whether $20 could really buy a memorable date night.

Turns out, it absolutely can.

We made new memories, revisited old ones, enjoyed some delicious treats, and discovered that a little creativity can make even the smallest budget feel pretty generous.

And the best part? We'd all do it again.

At IHMVCU, we're all about making smart financial choices while still enjoying the things that make life fun. Because budgeting shouldn't mean saying goodbye to date nights, adventures, or quality time with the people you love.

So grab your sweetheart, set a $20 budget, and see what kind of magic you can make.

After all, love may be priceless, but a great date night doesn't have to be.