Guest Post: Long Distance Relationships

I talk a lot about saving money dating someone who lives nearby, but I realize there are many of you who are in long distance relationships.  It's probably slightly difficult to get free ice cream together 450 miles apart!  That doesn't mean that couples in long distance relationships can't have fun and be frugal--it's just takes a little creativity!  And on that creative and frugal note: meet my best friend, Emily.

Isn't she beautiful?

Emily is by nature a saver.  She is very good with her budget and rarely falters.  She puts me to shame often.  We decided long ago that we need each other on shopping ventures: me to tell her to actually buy something and her to tell me not to!  My frugal friend Emily met her very cute boyfriend, Richey (Hey Richey!), and it has been easy to tell that they are perfect for each other.  The only thing is...Richey lives in one state and Emily lives in another.  But that hasn't stopped them from having fun dates and spending time together! (And I'm not just talking about spending 8 hours on the phone together!)  I asked Emily to write about how she and Richey date long distance to give some of you ideas, suggestions and inspiration (to keep you going until you see each other again!).  Please feel free to write questions or comments to Emily on this blog post, and I'll make sure she has a chance to answer. :-) Read on for Emily's post:

I (Emily) live in AL, and he (Richey) lives in TX -- 9 hours away.  Of course, being so far apart limits the number of  Friday night dinner, Saturday matinees, and leisurely Sunday afternoons in the park we have, but despite the distance, we’ve learned how to have memorable (and fun) dates. And, even better, we save lots of money. Here are our tips for having fun together apart.

1) Skype.

This video call/live chat service is free, you don’t use up minutes on your cell, and you get to see each other -- what could be better?  (Plus, I found my webcam on eBay for under $15!)

2) Play games.

There are plenty of games you can play over the internet! Some of our favorites are the Scrabble Facebook app (Richey is the reigning champ) and Mad Libs.

3) Write Letters.

Enough said. How romantic!

4) eFlowers.

It sounds cheesy, but I love it. Richey occasionally sends me virtual flowers through flowers2mail.com, and it always brightens my day. Through this website, he creates his own arrangements, writes a customized (an oh-so-sweet!) note and sends the bouquet to my email. And the best part? It’s free! Since Richey is in school, he doesn’t have a lot of extra cash to fork out for fresh flower arrangements (which are, in my opinion, ridiculously expensive, as beautiful as they are). It really is the thought that counts!

5) Make a wish list.

After throwing around several ideas of things we wanted to do together one day -- and subsequently forgetting many of those things -- Richey and I started a wish list. It includes things such as watching The Fox and the Hound, visiting a Medieval-themed restaurant, writing a book together, Richey teaching me how to skip a stone, and having a late-night picnic under the stars.

6) Watch movies.

We like to rent the same DVDs and synchronize them on our computers. Or, to keep the cost down, we watch movies online. (Hulu and YouTube are our go-to sites for free movies!) We usually Skye during our movie dates so we can comment on the movies and watch other’s reactions – it’s the next best thing to watching a movie in person (minus the cuddling, of course)!

7) Read.

We’ve found that reading some of the same things, whether it’s devotionals, articles online, or bedtime stories (yes, he reads me bedtime stories!), not only gives us something to discuss, but gives us something to share in spite of the distance between us.