I’m excited because tomorrow I’ll be going to a music show with Mr. My Husband. I discovered a song/music writer and singer a while ago but was surprised when Mr. My Husband liked him enough to propose we go see his show together (type Bobby Bazini on YouTube to discover this wonderful voice!). It has also been some time that we invested in tickets for the two of us. On dates, we’re usually having a chat in a nice restaurant.
It made me think about how important it is to invest in our relationship.
As parents, most of our money goes towards housing, necessary needs and… kids! It is sometimes hard to find time AND money for us to date like young lovers! 😉 But I sure think it is important to remind ourselves to do so.
Still, besides a couple’s finances – that is mostly about who pays what and how much – and investing in retirement funds for a couple’s old days, we rarely hear about investing in a couple for FUN! Why is that?
It may not look like a big priority when all expenses are taken into account. However, I think investing in your relationship on a regular basis brings in greater results both personally and financially in the long run. Spending on experiences rather than things is more efficient too.
A Good State of Mind
Sharing good times in a relationship brings the two people to a positive, relaxed and fun state of mind. That’s usually the best time to talk about the hardest topics in your relationship. Every time we have a date, Mr. My Husband and I end up talking about what truly matters to us, our values, our goals, etc. E-ve-ry time! The fact that we are in a funny state of mind takes off a lot of stress about more difficult topics. We often end up coming to a consensus.
Forgetting About it All
On the other hand, it is also the perfect time to put problems or difficulties behind and just have fun! Forget about the seasonal clothes to buy, the car to repair or the stress at your job. Rediscover each other when there are no responsibilities anymore. Just two people having a good time. To me, benefits for an “old” couple to act like young lovers again are huge! I often say to Mr. My Husband that before the house, the marriage, the boys, the family finance, there was the two of us. As simple as that.
Fun Is Important!
I wrote this piece a while ago on: What if Having Fun Was a Goal? You sure can go read it, but to briefly resume, there are some studies that prove fun (and laughter) is essential for humans. It has positive impacts on our mental and physical health. So, cheer up! 😉
How to Plan The Investment
So I hear THE question: But how to find that money? Once again, I think the answer is in the simplest things.
Challenge each other: Tired of his bad words? Have him put a dollar or two each time he uses one. He can’t stand you coffee cup that remains on the counter every morning? Same goes here. You can be surprised how fast this spare money can pile up! Not to mention that it can turn into a funny game for a couple!
Include it in the budget: less funny but very efficient. Have an amount of money saved every week for couple fun. It can be as little as $5-10! It will only take from 2 to 5 months to have $100 at your disposal!
Buy experiences rather than things: I mentioned it above but that’s really how we made the switch. We stopped buying gifts for our birthdays or Christmas some years ago. Instead, we decided to take a night out for the two of us. It doesn’t have to cost much, but the idea is to do something fun or that we enjoy.
Make a List: One thing that can help finance your fun times is to make a list of what you would like to do. It’s always motivating to know why you’re doing financial efforts. You might also be surprised by the number of things you’d like to do that are totally free! Having a walk by the sunset, visiting a free exhibit, sit by the fire, having a picnic for example.
How do YOU invest in your relationship?
