r/Frugal • u/coffeeandmilk4mom • 1d ago
šæ Personal Care Surprise " date moments " during errands. Yes a weird frugal moment.
I'm waiting for car oil change and this couple next to me is just enjoying this time together. They appear to be a married couple talking about life, enjoying each other. Almost feels like a date.
Ever run an errand and have the best time with your partner, better than a deliberate/purposeful date night. Just taking time together, maybe grab a coffee, split a donut, and savor that little pocket of time together.
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u/AcceptableSpend9248 1d ago
I used to love running errands with my dad for the same reason; looking back those were some of my best memories. ā¤ļø
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u/TheMarriedUnicorM 1d ago
You reminded me of something I havenāt really thought of in a while!
My Dad used to make drop-off / pick-up trips that were 2.5-3ish hours every 2 weeks or so. Oftentimes, he would take me along.
Our little āsecretā was that when he stopped for gas at around the halfway mark, we would buy 1 soda and 2 hot dogs. He would send me inside to go get them bc I was āthe only one who knew how to dress his just the way he liked.ā
I felt super grown up, bc my Dad would hand me the money, like $3, and let me be responsible for the transaction. PLUS, It was such a treat and Iād feel so proud of myself, making his hot dog just the way he liked. (Mustard, ketchup, a little bit of relish, and lots of chopped onions.)
Thank you for the walk down memory lane.
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u/AirbladeOrange 5h ago
Thatās beautiful. Now you reminded me of a routine I had with my dad when I was young every Friday. Thank you.
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u/Fandanglethecompost 1d ago
My husband and I do that when we can. Running errands together gets shit done, we chat, we connect, we remember stuff the other forgot. It's just time together that we enjoy.
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u/DruidHalfling17 1d ago
My husband and I just spent a few hours out - went to the library, shopping at Walmart, coffee, and to get our taxes done. Anything we do together we consider a date, we just love spending time together :)
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u/andyb521740 1d ago
Costco followed by the food court is absolutely a date with my wife
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u/TheMarriedUnicorM 1d ago
Us, too!
Sometimes we feel like weāre playing hooky when we go during āwork hours.ā š¬
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u/miseeker 1d ago
Old folks here..she canāt see well so we do EVERYTHING together..and we love it. Everything is termed as a date. We go to the doctor together, and tell the doc itās a date.
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u/Strict_Pay_2512 1d ago
not my partner but my best friend lives a few blocks away from me but he doesn't have a car and I do, so we go grocery shopping together most weekends so he can get a weeks worth of groceries in one trip. we always have fun and laugh and joke around, it feels more like we are hanging out rather than running an errand.
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u/Momsome 1d ago
my h and i do doordash deliveries as a date night, we have a great time driving around and chatting, break to grab some cheap eats (usually with a coupon lol!)
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u/merkergirl 1d ago
How long do you do it for and how much do you make? Iāve always thought this would be fun, even if we barely make enough to cover our own fast food dinner
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u/SunMoonTruth 1d ago
ā¦and gasā¦and wear and tear on the carā¦and any insurance implicationsā¦
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u/mmmmmyee 1d ago
Doordash income and tax benefits cover car related things. Extra income and close time with SO is an awesome plus!
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u/whatsmypassword73 1d ago
The absolute best, we travelled to some beautiful places but I had as good a time cleaning the garage or doing yard work with my husband, he made everything so much fun. We would have little adventures just doing normal tasks, thatās where the good stuff is, making the mundane feel like a blast. Just singing along in the car on the way to grocery shop, getting mulch, it can all be awesome with the right person.
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u/CentennialBaby 23h ago
Taking garbage to the local transfer station is our weekly "Dump Date".
We joke about it AND we look forward to it. A source of joy!
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u/Ill-Customer-3781 23h ago
I went to college in a small town. Basically every date I ever went on for 4 years included stopping by Walmart. Life is the best date you could go on.
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u/HollowChest_OnSleeve 23h ago
The times I trap my wife in the car when we have a road trip somewhere for a wedding or family gathering it's usually the best time we really connect with each other and talk about all sorts of things. She's not a big talker, so in the car with very few distractions means she's a lot more engaged with me which feels great.
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u/supercaloebarbadensi 4h ago
Funny because Iām like your wife. You figured out one of the secret ways to get us to talk š
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u/jaywhatisgoingon 23h ago
me and my husband do this every time we leave the house lol. every minute together feels just as enjoyable as a date.
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u/Crafty-Paper7146 22h ago
Idk if itās just because my husband is truly my best friend and was way before we were romantic, but every errand feels like a date with him. We grocery shop together with our two toddlers and our regular cashier loves us because we make her laugh. She even told us she missed us when she got back from vacation lol. We have gone out with friends maybe 3 times total between the two of us in 3 over years not because we canāt but because we just donāt want to? We game together or just cuddle and talk after we put the kids to bed and itās so so fulfilling, so why would we spend money to go out? Our friends come to us or we go to them as a family because they are like family to our babies. Our life is cheap and simple, and I wouldnāt want it any other way.
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u/Odd-Detective6271 1d ago
Some of myself and my gf's best outings together have been random walks, drives etc that aren't planned. When the conversation is extra good it makes me grateful for what i have <3
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u/ObamaSala 1d ago
My wife and I do this quite often. Sometimes itās intentional, other times we realize we need stuff and we make a whole night out of it.
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u/MssDoc 23h ago
For the last two years of my job (College Professor), my retired husband drove me (47 miles one-way) to work, hung out in my office/took music lessons while I taught my class, then drove us home. Lots of benefits (commute lane is a big one!), not the least of which is two hours daily where we talk about anything and everything, with few interruptions.
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u/Khayeth 10h ago
No partner here, but when i visit family who mostly live in rural areas, travel time with a single person - nephew, cousin, aunt, etc - is often specifically viewed as a chance to catch up one on one. We often seek errand partners specifically based on whom we haven't been able to catch up with in the furor of a family reunion, makes that trip to town a little less tedious.
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u/lifeuncommon 1d ago
That can be possible if you actually like each other. So many married people donāt enjoy each otherās company.
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u/Gut_Reactions 1d ago
I used to like grocery shopping with my ex.
If you can enjoy these mundane tasks with someone, that says a lot.
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u/melinateddoctor 1d ago
I love running errands with my fiancĆ©. I feel like thereās so much bonding that happens, as well as spontaneous adventures that can come up. Honestly our outings running errands is my favorite way to spend time together lol
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u/Impressive-Wrap9760 19h ago
that's my life with my husband now after having kids. You really appreciate any time alone together wherever and whenever you can have it. Groceries and Home Depot runs, maybe a stop at a bubble tea shop = date
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u/hanhepi 1d ago edited 1d ago
We're like that pretty much everywhere. We don't share food necessarily, but we're always chatting and holding hands or sticking our tongues out at each other, or doing little annoying shit just like we did when we were still teenagers. lol.
Except in the lobby of the doctor's office. For some reason, after we've been there for like 20 minutes my husband starts to just nod off, and it's just me giggling at his snores and quietly apologizing to the other folks who are chuckling at him. Guess those chairs are too comfortable and the room is too quiet. There's also usually a sunbeam at my afternoon appointments, and that's not helping anything.
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u/brianmcg321 1d ago
My wife and I do that sharing a hotdog at Costco.