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Keeping the Spark: How to Keep Date Nights and Vacations Alive · Doing Marriage Well

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  Doing marriage well for September 22, 2026. Keeping the spark.
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  How to keep date nights and vacations alive.
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  Much of what I advocate for is not always possible due to circumstances,
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  and I'm probably not as good at mentioning that as I would like.
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  As one example, I'm big on date nights. I think couples should get out together most weeks.
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  Get away from home and from the kids if you have any at home.
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  However, going out is more and more expensive. Restaurants are more expensive,
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  entertainment is more expensive, and the fuel needed to get from here to there is more expensive.
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  And if needed childcare, that's become a significant expense.
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  Busyness can be another issue. If you're always too busy for a date night,
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  your life is too busy, and it's harming you and your marriage.
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  But there are seasons of busyness that can't be avoided. When circumstances
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  make regular date nights impossible, don't dump the idea.
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  Do a picnic, or find a free concert in the park. Lori gathered a long list of
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  inexpensive date ideas. There's a link in the show notes.
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  Or you could exchange child-sitting with another couple, get takeout,
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  and do some Netflix and chill.
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  Save up and try for one date night a month to keep it something you do.
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  And when life changes to allow for more normal date nights, be quick to do that.
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  I also talk about taking a yearly vacation, as in somewhere else and without the kids.
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  I'm all about family vacations, but your marriage needs a couple version.
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  At the very least, you should get a long weekend away once a year.
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  A full week or several weekends is better.
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  But all the things I said about date nights can make vacations difficult or impossible.
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  Maybe you can swap kids and their couple, get a low-cost hotel an hour and a
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  half away, and pack food. But even that might be difficult at times.
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  Please do what you can to keep the
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  idea of vacations together alive when circumstances make them impossible.
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  A 36-hour staycation, for example. Or talk and plan for a future vacation.
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  Start a fund to pay for it and sacrifice something each week to put money in
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  the fund. St. Arbuck's can survive without you.
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  You may have noticed the issue of keeping the idea alive in each of these examples.
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  This is about acknowledging the circumstance that prevents something,
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  but not accepting necessary adjustments as a permanent change.
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  This is Paul, reminding you that doing marriage well looks different for every couple.