My sweetie and I just had a little getaway.
My husband snagged a very good deal on a hotel stay on the Oregon coast (one of our favorite places) and we spent a few days unwinding on the beach and eating lots of clam chowder (another favorite, we like The Chowder Bowl's chowder the best).
Combine my recent vacation with an itch to do another contest and you have ~
Please leave your inexpensive getaway ideas as a comment to this post. How do you cut costs? Where do you find less expensive fun? (Some of the best vacations for us have been the simplest and cheapest.) Share your ideas so that the rest of us can put those ideas to good use!
(definition for getaway: a break from your usual life that refreshes you individually and as a couple; it can be for an afternoon or much longer)
I'll pick a random number on August the 27th and the poster on that spot will win a copy of the book of their choice from this page ~ Marriage Book Library.
Image credit © Natalia Bratslavsky | Dreamstime.com
Our favorite short term getaway is a fishing trip. We live in Florida so we are close to whatever type of water we want to fish. When we dated, we went fishing a lot then having kiddos slowed down how often I got to go. Getting back into doing these kinds of things together makes a difference!
Comment by Liz Mogg — August 6, 2012 @ 2:12 am
For my sweetheart and I to consider it a get away, there is usually a lot of fresh air involved. We love to take our canoe out onto the small streams and rivers. Occasionally we like to get into the tiniest water ways and do some smooching (but watch out for poison ivy. yikes) After a day’s paddling and perhaps a mile or two of checking out the walking trails, we are done in and ready for some couch surfing.
Comment by dawn — August 6, 2012 @ 2:39 am
This past week I invited my husband to go on a date to a movie. It’s been long time and we don’t get out together on dates like this very often. We caught the matinee to a movie I thought we’d enjoy. On the way home we stopped by an icecream shop that happened to be offering buy one get one for ninty-nine cents. The date was under $20 plus gas money, and it was so nice to get away and reconnect. We are blessed that our daughter is old enough to stay at home to keep and eye on the younger siblings. They enjoyed a frozen pizza -a treat in our house.
Comment by Valerie — August 6, 2012 @ 2:59 am
My husband and I live within an hour or so to 2 different State Parks. We can usually get a night or two in their smallest cabin at the last minute. The prices to stay at a state park are usually much less than a hotel and you have access to all the park offers. Also, cabins are usually very secluded and romantic.
Comment by Daphne — August 6, 2012 @ 3:15 am
For short amount of time in the summer, we enjoy grabbing some ice-cream and then walking along the lake and just talking without children interrupting. For longer trips, we’ve gotten discounts at some cottages that a friend owns and then taken a color drive. When we’re visiting my hometown, we’ll go for a walk along the boardwalk where we used to walk all the time when we were dating.
The biggest cost for us is paying someone to watch the children so we can go out so we take full advantage when someone offers to watch them for free!
Comment by Darcy — August 6, 2012 @ 3:19 am
We have always loved camping & find that it is a very inexpensive getaway. Often state parks will have cute little cabins that you can book reasonably priced. We love the quiet & take advantage of walking on the hiking trails enjoying nature. It’s a great way to spend time together without a lot of distractions.
Comment by Kim — August 6, 2012 @ 3:48 am
Cheapest vacation ever is the staycation. But family vacations are also inexpensive where we either stay with family, or drive a short distance and stay in a less expensive hotel like t he Hampton Inn.
Comment by Karyl — August 6, 2012 @ 3:59 am
We are on a tight budget and have kids making a little getaway extra difficult. One thing we try to do every month or so is that I will feed the kids a simple dinner early and when my husband gets home from work I put on a movie for the kids in the other room and him and I eat a special dinner alone together (usually steaks or something the kids don’t like- like Indian food) and sit and visit and usually have a little time for some quick intimacy, too. We are not big on using the tv as a babysitter, but in this case we will make an exception. It is worth it for us to get a little time alone.
Comment by Amy — August 6, 2012 @ 5:05 am
We use priceline to bid on hotels. We have gotten some classy hotels for really cheap. Another way we do inexpensive for our getaway is to use restaurant.com.
Comment by melissa — August 6, 2012 @ 5:08 am
We just had one last night to celebrate our 6 yr anniversary. My grandparents are visiting so we had them in the house with our older 2 kids and along with the baby (who slept all night) we spent the night in our 5th wheel camper which is parked in the driveway. It was great, quiet and we slept wonderfully. We got a chance to talk,enjoy each other, ande just reconnect.
Comment by Mollie — August 6, 2012 @ 5:26 am
When our daughter spends the night at grandmas house, we go out on a date to an area of town or place we used to frequent when we were dating or first married. Sometimes we go back to the apartment complex where we lived together before we bought our first house, sit by the little lake there and reminisce about old times. We feel like trespassers on a previous life and the new giggle as we run back to our car (and present life!) We are in bed by 10 and laugh that we used to be only getting started partying by then, but now we love the fact that we get more sleep and enjoy the simple things in life…life coffee together in bed the next morning. Thank you for your blog I love reading it!
Comment by Erin — August 6, 2012 @ 5:37 am
I think the cheapest “getaway” is to find an overnite sitter and spend the night together in your own home. Rent a movie, get some takeout. No travel costs.
Comment by jill hoke — August 6, 2012 @ 6:02 am
Going to a local bed and breakfast in your town or city for the weekend and looking for free and fun things to do in your town or city. Basically, just spend time together enjoying each others company.
Comment by Tanya — August 6, 2012 @ 6:08 am
Early this year I got a wine tasting for really cheap ($8 for tasting and a bottle of wine & glasses to take home!) on Living Social (kind of like Groupon). I’m not really into wine but my hubby always wanted to try it out. Well, it was expiring soon and I kept reminding my hubby that we needed to use it. Well, one day he came home early and said, “OK, let’s go!” He had already got a babysitter and so we went. It was a gorgeous day and a very pretty place – the flowerbeds were lovely! We had fun there and then we went out to eat and got some ice cream at a creamery (and it was really special because I can’t have dairy and they actually had some really yummy sorbet!! I usually just have to watch my family enjoy it. =) It was a fairly cheap date, but it rates really high on my favorite list! =)
Comment by Rebecca — August 6, 2012 @ 6:12 am
My husband and I live 3 hours from Shreveport, LA. We go there not for the gambling, but because there are many museums and botanical gardens FREE or very cheap.
I usually find rooms on hotels.com or cheaptickets.com and sometimes wait for a Groupon or LivingSocial deal. We enjoy trying new and different foods and just being ourselves with no time constraints.
Comment by Cyndi — August 6, 2012 @ 6:19 am
One of the best ways for an inexpensive getaway for us has been to visit family and do fun stuff together. Because we stay with family, our lodging and some of our meals come with the stay…but we can sneak away to do fun stuff together!
Comment by Brittney — August 6, 2012 @ 6:21 am
Maybe it’s not the destination that is inexpensive, but rather the journey. When my husband and I take a long road trip, the “getting there” is a great time for us to relax and enjoy each other. We love road trips, and they can be to anywhere.
Comment by Tammany — August 6, 2012 @ 6:32 am
We have three preschool boys, and we haven’t been away overnight since I was pregnant with the youngest, since he was still nursing until just a few months ago. So our last overnight vacation as a couple was over two years ago. However, we frequently schedule time for afternoons or evenings together without the kids. Either we’ll put the kids to bed early (we call it quiet time and give each of them a stack of picture books to look at), or we’ll have a friend watch them for us. There are many couples in our church with small children, and we often suggest that they trade baby sitting with another pro-marriage couple, that way everyone can benefit from a date night without having to pay a sitter. We recently watched my brother-in-law’s kids for two nights while he and his wife stayed home to celebrate their 5th wedding anniversary. We’ve already asked them if they’d be willing to return the favor when my husband and I celebrate our 10th anniversary this December!
Comment by Mommy Joys — August 6, 2012 @ 6:34 am
We love making use of groupon type deals too! We both keep an eye put for fun and new adventures within our budget, so that throughout the year we can have fun, new little adventures together. Our other low-cost options we love are stay cations (the kiddo goes to a grandparents house), camping or day trips.
Comment by Lisa — August 6, 2012 @ 6:36 am
We like getting in the car and heading to some vineyards around the area. Usually they offer free tastings and the wine bottle is very cheap. Plus you often get to walk through the vineyards and sit on the porch with your bottle of wine and relax in a gorgeous green country environment. If you bring your own snacks, the only cost is gas and the cost of an occasional bottle of wine. But the milage you get on this vacation is equivalent to traveling to a spa or Napa getaway with a fraction of the cost and much more exploration potential.
Comment by Anna — August 6, 2012 @ 6:41 am
We like to find “free” things to do, or scenic areas. We tend to go in the “off-season” for rates to hotels, etc. We have gotten to stay in a honeymoon cabin for the price of a hotel room simply because it was in the off season as opposed to their busiest time. This is what we usually do to celebrate our anniversary – even if it isn’t around that time, just so we can do something extra special, yet not blow our budget. There is always something that can be done that you don’t have to spend a TON of money on! It isn’t the money that makes it good, it’s the time together!
Comment by Sara DeLawder — August 6, 2012 @ 7:04 am
My hobby and I really enjoy “sleepovers” in our basement. We haul out blankets and a mattress to the big TV room floor, make popcorn, get into our PJ’s and spend the evening (and late into the night!) watching movies or playing games. When we can no longer keep our eyes open, we curl up right there by the fire place and sleep late.
Another favourite getaway is a secluded mountain campsite; no power, water from a pump, use the outhouse. With nothing else to distract us, we have a whole weekend to focus on each other. Hiking, swimming in a mountain lake and playing table games at the campsite are our activities.
Comment by Beth B — August 6, 2012 @ 7:29 am
With our three young sons, a “get-away” really only requires the grandparents offering to keep them overnight. Our plans almost always include a delicious dinner out, staying home over night (we sleep best in our own bed), followed by breakfast out the next morning after sleeping in a bit.
Just writing about it makes me want to get another one on the calendar soon!
Comment by Jennifer — August 6, 2012 @ 7:33 am
A year ago we moved to a new city, so some of our favorite “get-aways” include just taking a drive to explore the area. There is so much of God’s beauty to see just within an hour or two from our home. Then, we can go for a hike, explore a new town or restaurant or just enjoy the one-on-one time in the car. The “cost” is up to us (and what our budget allows)!
Comment by Merritt | LiveSimplyLove — August 6, 2012 @ 7:35 am
My husband and I haven’t had kids yet, but until about a month ago had roommates, which felt like suddenly having teenagers. Some of our favorites were to have “top-less movie night” if we were confident they would be out or were out of town. We also love using groupon/living social/etc for date nights out. We’ve found some fun new things to do that way, as well as a splurge once in a while for a nice dinner, or even a night away. We’ve also used hotwire for a cheap and local night away.
Comment by havalah — August 6, 2012 @ 7:52 am
When my husband and I went on our 1st getaway this year, I asked lots of my friends, especially the ones that I knew had connections all over, if they knew anyone we could stay with in the city we were going to. We ended up staying at a friend of a friend’s, who became our friend. She had a very lovely house, and most of the time that we were in it no one else was around. It was ideal lodging for us and didn’t cost us anything. There are people everywhere who love hospitality and are willing to put people up even through loose connections.
Comment by Whitney Lundquist — August 6, 2012 @ 7:57 am
My husband has a conference coming up. While we are taking the kids this time, that is an easy (and fairly cheap) way to have time alone, if you can. His costs are already paid for, so all we’ll have to pay for is my costs.
Comment by Heather Ratliff — August 6, 2012 @ 8:03 am
We like to stay at the Anchor Inn in Lincoln city oregon. Off season it’s 59.99/ night w/ a free cooked to serve breakfast and unlimited free DVD rentals. They have little cabins that are so cozy and cute!
Comment by Danielle Barton — August 6, 2012 @ 8:55 am
We ALWAYS schedule an extra day at the end of a trip to see family. On the way home we spend a night at a fun hotel or B&B. It’s a cheap way to make obligatory family vacation time about “us” too and also keeps you from carrying family stress home.
Comment by Michelle — August 6, 2012 @ 10:22 am
My husband and I have taken an overnight getaway to Santa Fe the last couple of years. It’s within driving distance, so it doesn’t take much gas. We stay at a really nice B&B that offers low rates in January and February.
We try to get a deal or two via Groupon, Living Social, or restaurant.com before we leave to help reduce meal costs. We also download self-guided walking tours and look online for activities we can do. One year we went to a foundry and watched them pour sculptures – fascinating!
Comment by Lee Ann — August 6, 2012 @ 11:07 am
My husband doesn’t travel for work that often but when he does, we usually go a few days early or I come at the end of the trip. (That way his flight is paid for through work). He is great at finding deals on hotels and groupon/living social deals for yummy food! He is a great travel guide/planner and we love little get aways together! THanks!
Comment by Julie W — August 6, 2012 @ 12:09 pm
My hubbie and I love our summer date nights. We make a nice dinner on the grill (he likes to try new fancy recipes), open a bottle of wine, and set out our summer-y dishes for a relaxing getaway on our deck. We enjoy the food, some music, and mostly each others company!
Comment by Rachel — August 6, 2012 @ 1:25 pm
My husband and I like going out on dates to get away from the kids and reconnect, but it can get expensive to go out every week. We’ve started doing what we call ‘in-house’ date nights. We set the kids up on the main floor with frozen pizza, a movie from our collection, and snacks, then head to the basement where we have our supper, complete with a few inexpensive treats that we enjoy, and watch our favourite tv shows on the networks’ websites.
Comment by Michelle — August 6, 2012 @ 1:29 pm
This is so amazing! We also had a tiny getaway on the Oregon coast and had dinner at the Chowder Bowl! Maybe we were at the same place at the same time! The difference was that it was a mini vacation with two other couples and our two babies. It was a lot of fun, a lot of food, and a lot of talking. We even had smores on a campfire. It was great change of pace…
Comment by Gabby — August 6, 2012 @ 1:36 pm
We live a state away, but we have family in Western Oregon. We will sometimes leave the kids with G &G, and then head to the beach! We either stay in Lincoln city so that we aren’t too far from the cheese factory (and yummy ice cream), or Newport so that we can eat at the chowder bowl (Our favorite chowder place on the coast). This makes me think that it is time for us to plan our next trip over there
Comment by Cindy — August 6, 2012 @ 3:29 pm
My husband works 2nd shift so he sleeps most of the day and time alone is hard to come by with two toddlers. Sometimes when we get both kids asleep for a nap at the same time we always take the time together. If someone watches the children we like to just go and walk along the river walk. Sometimes we will get something to eat but mostly just go and sit and enjoy being together and talking.
Comment by Rachel Beita — August 6, 2012 @ 5:33 pm
Keep an eye out for a groupon for a local hotel and local restaurant. If you have a nice lake nearby get your meal to go, take a blanket, candle and spread your dinner out for an evening by the lake and relax that night at the local hotel. Have room service and eat breakfast in bed
Comment by Kim — August 6, 2012 @ 5:45 pm
This may not be a getaway exactly but it’s the ultimate in a cheap date night. My husband and I had young children and couldn’t really afford to get out often but every two months we’d go on our cheap date night and give blood. After the blood donation they would give us coffee and cookies. It was a nice couple of hours out, we did something good for the community and they gave us dessert and coffee for our troubles.
Comment by Nancy Halloran — August 6, 2012 @ 5:52 pm
My husband & I find camping to be an inexpensive way to refresh. We were able to get a cabin at a campground nestled in the hills of Kentucky much cheaper than a hotel. There were horses and trails to explore. The savings allowed us to do other things that we enjoy.
Comment by Denise — August 6, 2012 @ 6:53 pm
Having a little time alone with hubby while DD naps in the afternoon
Doesn’t sound like much but you sure start to appreciate it when you hardly get time to yourself!
Comment by Susan K — August 6, 2012 @ 7:23 pm
We have three small children, so finances are tight. One of our favorite inexpensive date nights is to take the game Banana grams and go to Starbucks for some yummy coffee. We find a corner table, play a round, and drink our ‘dessert’. Its a lot of fun! We have also paid for one night in a local hotel to get away, but not too far.
Comment by Janna — August 6, 2012 @ 10:33 pm
I love cheap vacations! My hubs and I have been on the poor end of the stick for quite some time, and have been able to learn that less is more. While we are still relatively younger, we find that camping with a good hiking trail nearby is one of our all time favorites. For our honeymoon 10 years ago we camped…and most recently we camped up at Sequoia National Forest on the Tokopah Falls trail. This next year we are putting our names in for the lottery to hike Mt. Whitney. All you need is a few non perishable food staples, and the gas to get there. It’s loads of fun, good exercise, and super cheap.
Comment by Erin — August 7, 2012 @ 8:57 am
One thing we do is try to do an overnight get away during the off season – during the week, if possible, and whenever the tourists aren’t out. For example, we stayed at a cabin on Lake Michigan during a week in February. It was still amazingly beautiful and fun to explore, but we got the place for half price (I asked for a reduced rate from the already low off season price)!
Comment by Becky — August 7, 2012 @ 9:34 am
So far, our best and cheapest vacations have been either paid for or at least subsidized by my parents. They don’t have a lot of extra cash themselves, but have generously put my husband and I up at a B&B on several occasions (while providing the necessary child care as well)! It’s not something we ask for, but is definitely something we appreciate! We have three children 5 and under, so the break is SOOOOO vital!
Otherwise, our trips usually involve visiting family (his lives 5+ hrs away, mine 12+).
Comment by Melissa Jones — August 7, 2012 @ 1:32 pm
We love to go fishing and will do that as our quick get away. My husband has just gotten out of the hospital after heart stents and we have spent a lot of time fishing to relax!!
Comment by Gerri Carpenter — August 7, 2012 @ 8:10 pm
Groupon is a great place to get good deals on hotels! Hubby and I take our little trips during the off season and we frequently go during the week for better rates than are offered on the weekend.
Comment by Anne — August 12, 2012 @ 8:04 pm
Camping wold have to be my top pick of cheap getaways. We love the outdoors, hiking, bike riding, and night fires. I think it’s a fun trip and has some romance to it too
Comment by Cherl — August 13, 2012 @ 5:30 am
We like to go somewhere local we haven’t been in a long while. It’s like going there for the first time! We recently went to a small town a little over an hour away where my husband spent much of his teenage years. We hadn’t been there in 8 years. It was great for him to reminisce, and I learned more about him since we didn’t meet each other until we were older.
Comment by Sharon — August 13, 2012 @ 6:09 am
My husband and I get gift cards from in-laws to restaurants for our birthdays, Christmas, and Anniversary. For our inexpensive getaway we like to go to a movie and then use one of our gift cards for dinner.
Comment by Pam — August 13, 2012 @ 7:12 am
My husband and I have 4 kids, so we don’t get away too far very often. So some of our favorite things to do just to catch a breath is check out some of the great, little shops in our small city. It’s great to be able to browse along without worrying about our children breaking things.
And we always enjoy going for a walk in a new part of town. Both things are free, and both are quite refreshing. 
Comment by Leah — August 13, 2012 @ 12:00 pm
My hubby and I like to use our national trust membership to look at new places and to get out and about. The membership for the year is reasonable and we can go to as many places as we want. We also like to use groupon, voucher cloud etc for cheap date nights
Comment by Ruth — August 15, 2012 @ 11:05 am
Since my husband and I have a shared goal of riding in a MS bike-a-thon in September, we go out cycling together. Sometimes we ride to a destination. The car ride provides a wonderful time to share our hearts and the bike ride enables us to contemplate what we have discussed.
Comment by Tawnya — August 17, 2012 @ 7:08 am
My husband and I(or the kids too when we can’t give them to someone), grab our tents and a cooler full of sodas, water, and cheap foods. Then we head out to an 8 acre piece of land that we have been paying on for the past 5 years and play in the woods with our dog. There is a great swimming hole that is perfect for the kids and the dog. The weather is always cooler than in the city, so it’s perfect for unbearable sunny days. Most times, we even invite some friends to enjoy God’s work with us. It’s easy to sneak away for some real alone time as long as someone is watching the kids.
A roaring fire, sleeping bags, friends, and the stars are all you need for a grand ole time!
Comment by Anna Hogsett — August 18, 2012 @ 12:29 pm
For military wives, there is often an opportunity to go on a CREDO retreat with the base chapel. It’s a weekend away focusing on marriage from a Christian perspective, and…it’s FREE!! Definitely a great getaway for a great price.
Also, there are house swapping websites (kind of like in the movie “The Holiday”) where you can let someone use your home while you use theirs, so your lodging is free, and you have a kitchen to keep the meal costs down too. Pick from any number of amazing places to go! You could even do it with a friend in your same town so you don’t have to travel, but staying as if you were a tourist in your own town. Go see all the neat little places you’ve meant to visit but never have time for. Shop the cute shops, try out a new restaurant.
Comment by Audrey — August 23, 2012 @ 3:40 am
Our getaway is in our own home because right now, every penny matters for us. Kiddo goes to stay with grandparents or an aunt for a couple nights and he gets a vacation with adventures. I plan special meals (but not so intensive that I spend all my time in the kitchen). Everything around the house is set aside unless it’s a hobby project. Hobby projects are okay as long as both of us are interested/excited to work on it for the weekend. And the biggest thing is that we do it together. Other things we pick are things we might do if we had a cabin to go to – card games, yahtzee, puzzles. Sometimes movies we don’t get to watch together because of the rush of life. He loves it because I pick the meals especially for him and feels like I take the time and effort make him feel special and appreciated. I love it because he’s able to focus on me (and we don’t have to feel guilty about it) and I get lots of snuggle and closeness time. It’s not the same as getting away, but it is a lot easier for us to arrange right now for lots of reasons. Works for us, for sure.
Comment by Laura Kristoff — August 23, 2012 @ 7:42 am
we are about 2 hours from the coast and for the last three years my husband has treated me to a birthday getaway at a hotel there that normally costs 100+ a night but during off season it’s just 40.00. Last year we were strapped financially so while there we dined on pizza and sandwiches because the point of the trip is time away together, not fine dining. We spend two nights right before Christmas there and it forces me to relax and spend time focusing on him and me and us even in the crazy chaotic days leading up to Christmas. It has become a very special part of our married/initmate life.
Comment by Barbara — August 23, 2012 @ 11:05 am