Mom Shares Budget Pero Fancy Dinner Date With Hubby For Just P590!

Going on regular date nights with your partner is the easiest way to recharge especially since caring for the kids can be draining. According to relationship experts, it should also be a priority as couple time is incredibly important in preserving and strengthening the bond between husband and wife.

But how do you make time for date night in the middle of a pandemic when most of us are stuck indoors? Stay-at-home mom Grace Pajarin, 33, found a solution: make a fancy and romantic dinner at home!

In a post shared on our parenting community, Smart Parenting Village, Grace shared that pre-pandemic, she and husband Rjo, would make it a point to celebrate their wedding anniversaries by making a reservation at a restaurant. “Pero ngayon, sa bahay na lang muna dahil kailangan magtipid at may breastfeeding bunso ako na sobrang clingy,” she writes.

Still, Grace wanted to make the celebration special. With their third wedding anniversary coming up, she thought of a “gimik” to make the night memorable. “Naisip kong i-transform ang garahe namin into a simple but fancy restaurant,” the mom of two wrote.

In an interview with SmartParenting.com.ph via Messenger, Grace shared that she set up the garage in the half hour that her husband stepped out to get their dinner. “I just told him that I wanted to have steak for dinner. So, I ordered online and asked him to pick it up for me in Balanga (in Bataan),” she shares.

The total cost: Php590! “I just used whatever is available in our house for the setup,” Grace says.

Here’s her breakdown:

• Australian Ribeye – Php500
• KFC regular mashed potato – P90
• Canned whole kernel corn – leftover
• Cucumber with spicy tuna spread as toppings
• Mango
• Grapes

The mom explains, “Sa five slices of [frozen] Australian Ribeye na nabili namin (worth Ph1,250), 2 slices lang ang nakain. ‘Yung ibang side dishes leftovers namin a few days ago, kaya ang total lang na nagastos namin sa aming anniversary date is Php590.”

She adds, “Kung sa restaurant siguro kami kumain ng steak more than Php1,000 ang magagastos. Masarap at malambot din ‘yung nabili namin, same lang sa resto. Wala kaming wine or champagne kasi liquor ban dito sa’min, kaya tubig na lang muna.”

Grace admits it’s ok to splurge on date nights once in a while, especially if it’s a special occasion. But they chose a simpler celebration this time around, “para mas safe. Pati bulsa namin safe din sa gastos!”

Just like Grace, another mom from our Village chose to go on a romantic date with her hubby — at their terrace! Her advice: do it at midnight “habang tulog si baby!” Read her story here.